VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE 111
AIR DATE 02 28 2020
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Feeding the Body
((SOT))
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I reckon this is as close as we can get to the garden of Eden. Poke sallet.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Saving the Farm
((SOT))
((Bob Fitzgerald, Farmer))
If the tide’s up when you have a big flood of rain, the rain is not going to run off until the tide goes down. And if you have a mixture of saltwater in here, that’s just going to hold the whole mess.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Playing with Chickens
((SOT))
((JACLYN JENKINS, OWNER, ONE DAY FARMS))
What more fun than these kids getting to splash in puddles and play in mud!
((NATS:
Alright friends, let’s go feed the chickens!))
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) PA MAC’S HOMESTEAD
((Originally aired 09 27 2019))
((Banner: A Self-Reliant Life))
((Reporter/Camera: Gabrielle Weiss))
((Map: Caddo Gap, Arkansas))
((Main characters: 1 male))
((Sub characters: 5 females))
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I’m not the fastest milker in the world. The cow really is the central part for my homestead anyway because she does so many things. She provides the milk. She gives me one calf a year that will go in the freezer and….watch out, back up. That flag means caution. And thank goodness she has a flag to let us know when that’s happening. And yes, given all this extra trouble, a lot of people probably would say, ‘I think I’ll just go to the store’. And you know what? This isn’t for everybody. Even people who want to homestead, you know milking, not everything is for everybody. You need to love it and I do. It really doesn’t bother me that much. Now dirty diapers, that bothered me. Why is that? I don’t know. But my wife took care of the dirty diapers mostly and I took care of this for her. It works out.
((MUSIC / NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I’m Pa Mac. I live in Caddo Gap, Arkansas. My wife and daughters and I live on a 52 acre [21 hectares] homestead that we’re pretty much developing, have developed from scratch. And what we try to do is grow a lot of our own food. Of course, being self-sufficient is, kind of, an ideal that may not really be fully attainable but it’s the goal.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
Can you stir that up for me just a little bit?
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
Ellie, why don’t you just twirl it around there for a few seconds, you know. Then lift it up and you can sit on that stool and start plucking.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I grew up living what I call small farm country life and for a brief period of my life, we lived in mid-town Memphis in an apartment. I’d never experienced that kind of living. I thought somehow, I’ve got to get back. At some point, I really need to get back.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
The reason I wanted to homestead probably had little to do with the kids and when we first started moving back towards this lifestyle that I’d grown up with, a good life for the kids was really not a thought for me.
((Ellie McWilliams, Daughter))
If it’s scalded good, then the feathers come off really easy.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
It’s not her first chicken rodeo. If my daughters were to come on hard times sometime in their life, I think they’d be able to feed their families, so.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
You did good.
((Ellie McWilliams, Daughter))
Thank you.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
This is the stage where we’re trying to make it more attractive to mama. I just wanted to move back to the simple life because I missed it so badly. And, I guess, it was just second nature that when I have kids, this is the life I do want for them.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I reckon this is as close as we can get to the garden of Eden. Poke sallet, it is truly a southern tradition. I believe we’re going to have this for dinner tonight if I can find some kind soul to cook it for us. My motto for the homestead is, it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be. If you’re going to wait till it’s perfect, you might be waiting a long time and you need a chicken coop quick. Usable, practical, that’s the key.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
Who is going to cook that? Can, can…..
((Annie McWilliams, Daughter))
I’ll cook it if you’ll wash it.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
Deal.
((Annie McWilliams, Daughter))
You can’t eat it by itself. It’s kind of nasty. You have to eat it with something else.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I beg to differ. I thought it was kind of sweet. It’s an acquired taste, I suppose. There’s so much to explore out here and it’s a fun and a beautiful thing and to be able to do it with people you love, that’s a whole other dimension of it and brings a note of thankfulness to God for me. Thank you for allowing me this brief time on earth, living this way.
((NATS))
((Bonnie McWilliams, Daughter))
My superpower is that I can hold seven eggs in one hand. Some people think, oh, they’re too immature for pets. They can’t, you know, they don’t think their kids can handle it. But it’s really just the best way to grow and learn and, you know, if you can’t keep a chicken alive, what are you going to do? ((NATS))
((Bonnie McWilliams, Daughter))
I’ve always been really proud of my dad and his show, just ‘cause he enjoys what he’s doing and it’s fun to watch him enjoy it and teach other people about it because he likes it and wants to keep the old way alive and it’s just fun to watch him.
((NAT sound: The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
((Courtesy: YouTube))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I’m the creator of the Farm Hand’s Companion Show on YouTube. That’s a show that’s dedicated to the celebration, the preservation and the developing of the old-time, traditional farm. That’s something I’m real passionate about and I love showing and teaching other people old-time skills that, in a lot of instances, are being forgotten.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
And I cut right there. I’m going to go in for a close-up because everybody wants to see a close-up of a nail being driven in a board. You want to hear the only word I would probably ever say on my videos? Ouch!
((NAT sound: The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
((Courtesy: YouTube))
((Text on video: And being the cheapskate I am, I’m a little more willn’ to hunt down simple solutions…..for turnin’ some plots of ground into my own “rich spot of earth”.))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
If you watch my YouTube channel, people may be under the impression that I’m living off the land. Well, I’m doing things that people, who would live off the land, would do. But my wife, you know, she does a good bit of shopping. You know, not everything that appears on our table is not from the garden, but a lot of it is.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
But I have my own production company. I produce radio programs for preachers and that basically pays the bills. ((NATS))
((Text on video: I do currently have a chicken house of sorts on my farm, albeit a small one. I think the chickens are wantin’ me to build somethin’ bigger.))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I’ve had a guy leave a comment, a question on YouTube one time and he said, ‘Are you a prepper? Are you preparing for, you know, economic down-turn?’ Not necessarily. You know, the main reason I do this is I love it. I can’t not do it. And when people watch somebody talking or teaching about something they love, it’s contagious. One down and 32 more to go, give or take. I want to inspire people to actually be motivated to work with their hands. That’s the reason I called it Farm Hand’s Companion. It’s a catchy little phrase but it means something to me. To be able to work with your hands and then enjoy the fruit of your labor, that sparks things in people that really not much else can. This is my dirty little secret, so, don’t tell anybody. Farm Hand’s Companion Show is, really, Pa Mac’s secret weapon against socialism. When you have individuals, who are given the freedom to be and do what they want to do, it ends up helping society and it ends up bringing us closer together than it otherwise would in any other way.
((NATS w/ MUSIC))
((Lynna McWilliams, Wife))
I don’t normally eat poke.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
Home grown bacon in the beans.
((NATS w/ MUSIC))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Farming Seaweed
((SOT))
((Bren Smith, Co-Founder, GreenWave))
It’s coming in off the farm in these blue buckets and we just roll on through. We do a lot, 8 to 10 hours a day, 2000 pounds.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) FARMING SEAWEED
((Originally aired 01 10 2020))
((Banner: Farming Seaweed))
((Reporter: Crystal Dilworth))
((Camera: Austin Harris, Cody Troxell))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((VOA Persian))
((Map: Thimble Islands, Connecticut))
((Main characters: 2 males; 1 female))
((NATS: Various))
((Popup Banner: GreenWave Company is developing techniques for seaweed and other ocean farming))
((NATS: Various))
((Popup Banner: Seaweed is started in a hatchery and moved to ocean farms))
((NATS: Various))
((Bren Smith, Co-Founder, GreenWave))
OK, so these are the spools that we took from the hatchery and what we’re going to do now is we’re going to take out the spools. We have to be really careful with them because they’re sensitive and we’re going to seed the lines. So here we go.
((NATS: Boat))
((Bren Smith, Co-Founder, GreenWave))
We’ve got floating long lines and from there we grow our mussels, our scallops and our seaweeds. And then below that, we’ve got cages where we have our oysters and clams.
((NATS: Lab))
((Locater: Seaweed Lab, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California))
((Jennifer Smith, Ecologist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography))
One of the more popular things that seaweeds have become known for is their use as a super food. And when I say super food, that basically means that they have a really high concentration of vitamins and minerals. They have very low digestible carbohydrates. So, seaweeds basically contain an order of magnitude more vitamins and minerals than any leafy green vegetable that you can eat, including kale and you know, any other super food. While they’re incredibly low in calories and incredibly healthy, they also produce Omega-3 fatty acids, which is something a lot of people are trying to increase in their diets. And so, they just represent a type of nutritional resource we really should be taking more advantage of. The uses for seaweeds are kind of insurmountable in terms of the things that they can do. A lot of people don’t realize that you probably consumed something that has seaweed in it today. Most of the non-dairy or low-fat, non-fat products ranging from yogurt to ice cream to alternative dairy milk, you know, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk - anything that has kind of creamy consistency that’s silky. Even toothpaste, shaving cream, whipped cream, all of those things have some sort of emulsifier in them and one of the most common types of emulsifiers is a group of compounds produced by red seaweeds known as carrageenan.
((NATS: Boat))
((Popup Banner: Ocean seaweed farming could hold potential environmental benefits))
((Professor Matthew Edwards, Biologist, San Diego State University))
We can use farms in the ocean to clean polluted waters. We can clean carbon out of the water to help with ocean acidification, but we can also clean pollutants out of the water and heavy metals out of the water, using farming in the ocean to help as a natural way of cleaning the water without having to spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to invent new machinery, new chemistry, to go out there and to try to do this. With us, you know, the seaweeds are out there 24/7 doing their job.
((NATS))
((PKG)) FRAMING SALINITY
((Originally aired 12 07 2018))
((Banner: Adapting to the Sea))
((Reporter/Camera: Steve Baragona))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Dorchester County, Maryland))
((Main characters: 1 male; 1 female))
((Popup Banner: As sea levels rise, farmland on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is being overrun by salt water))
((Bob Fitzgerald, Farmer))
All this, you can see where I planted this with soybeans and they just died. I can show you big swaths of land that 25, 30 years ago were being farmed and now they’re just marsh. ((Kate Tully, Professor of Agroecology, University of Maryland))
So, all along the Eastern Seaboard, sea level rise rates are increasing. They’re about two to three times the global average here. And so, with sea level rise comes saltwater intrusion which is the landward movement of sea salts. And when that happens, you start to see plants that are not adapted to salt dying off. The tides are rising higher and higher and you actually start to get that saltwater basically dumping onto the fields or coming up through the groundwater. And you just get these swaths of big portions of the field that are super, super salty, way saltier than corn can handle, soy or wheat, and the plants die. Some farmers will try to switch crops, so actually sorghum, which we see here, is a crop that does very well, as you can see, in saline environments. So, we are looking at alternative crops. So, they might try to switch or adapt.
((NATS))
((Bob Fitzgerald, Farmer))
When they grew up, they didn’t die immediately upon emergence but, later on, the salt got to them and they died. You can see the skinny little soybean that he just got beat back. The problem on the Eastern Shore also is if you dig a ditch, you’re subject to let in as much saltwater as you let out fresh water because while you want fresh water to go out so it doesn’t drown out your crop, the saltwater’s right there waiting to come in when the tide gets high. If the tide’s up when you have a big flood of rain, the rain is not going to run off until the tide goes down. And if you have a mixture of saltwater in here, that’s just going to hold it, you know, hold the whole mess.
((NATS))
((Bob Fitzgerald, Farmer))
Basically, this is all I’ve lost on this farm, which is enough on this farm. Another farm down the road that basically they gave up farming and the guy, who is quite well off and is a hunter, he bought the whole farm. And he’s put berms around it and pumping in fresh water, so that he has a wildlife refuge and a place to hunt.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
A Farm Less Ordinary
((SOT))
((NATS - Rooster crowing))
((Jack Jenkins, Farm Employee, A Farm Less Ordinary))
I’m a big fan of chickens. Clean coops out, get eggs and get fresh water.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) A FARM LESS ORDINARY
((Originally aired 10 25 2019))
((Banner: A Farm Less Ordinary))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum))
((Map: Bluemont, Virginia))
((Main characters: 1 male; 1 female))
((Sub characters: 2 males; 1 female))
((NATS:
Heather: And you just walk and spread it around. This is my favorite task!))
((Maya Wechsler, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
We employ people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and we offer them a welcoming community. We also grow organic vegetables along the way and through all of that, we teach our growers basic employment skills.
((NATS:
Heather: Jack, why do we start our seeds in trays?
Jack: So, they can grow faster.
Heather: Then what do we do?
Jack: Put them outside when they are partially grown.
Heather: Yeah!))
((Heather Richardson, Farm Manager, A Farm Less Ordinary))
I’m always showing the employees how to do everything step-by-step. So, I really try to stick with it until they fully understand. Then, I slowly back off and my goal is to get to the point where I can be, like, all right, so and so, can you please go transplant. They know how to get their tray, what tools they need. Other days, we just have to get the job done. Like today, we had to spread seeds though it’s raining, but we had to do it.
((NATS - Rooster crowing))
((Jack Jenkins, Farm Employee, A Farm Less Ordinary))
I’m a big fan of chickens. Clean coops out, get eggs and get fresh water. I have a big coop at home, like 10 chickens.
((Tina Jenkins, Jack’s Mother))
He does love it. He loves to get his hands dirty. He likes to be involved. With that comes success. When he plants something and he sees it growing, he’s very proud of himself.
((NATS:
Maya: This is buckwheat, which is a quick growing cover crop. Feed the soil.))
((NATS))
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
So, 2015 we spent that year learning how to farm.
((Maya Wechsler, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
So, I signed up for all these classes, beginning farmer classes, how you get your hands dirty, the financial part of things. And then I read a lot of books and we spent our first year just experimenting and throwing a lot of seeds in the ground.
((NATS - Max laughing))
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
We have a severely autistic child named Max, our son.
((Maya Wechsler, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
Max is 11 years old, turning 12 in November. He is a high-energy boy. He’s nonverbal. Being out here also gives him an opportunity to burn off some of his energy in a way that we couldn’t give him when we lived in the middle of Washington D.C.
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
So, Max was the inspiration for the farm, but he wasn’t the whole reason we did the farm.
((NATS – Josh filling water using a hose))
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
People with those intellectual, developmental disabilities have an over 80 percent unemployment rate and we’re trying to change that.
((NATS))
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
When people are not in the employment picture, you know, they end up being socially isolated as I mentioned, and it also puts a financial burden on families.
((NATS:
Jack: Sprinkle fertilizer on top.
Heather: Yeah. Why do we add fertilizer?
Jack: So, this thing can grow.))
((Heather Richardson, Farm Manager, A Farm Less Ordinary))
Farming really helps people with developmental, intellectual disabilities, because it’s a lot of small tasks that you need to do with your hands, which a lot of people might not have great hand-eye coordination or something like that and it’s also a lot of fine motor skills which can also be really difficult. They can learn that, all right, the world maybe set up this way, but I can make accommodations for myself. I can go outside of the box and create a tool that can help me get the job done no matter what.
((NATS:
Jack: Hey Josh, want to give me a hand with the goats?))
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
We want to be a stepping-stone. If somebody wants to continue to work here, that’s great, but if they get another job outside of here, we’re thrilled.
((Maya Wechsler, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
We moved out here to, kind of, build our own tribe and surround ourselves with similar people and I think we’ve succeeded in that.
((NATS - walking down the farm))
((PKG)) LOW-TECH LEARNING – FARM SCHOOL
((Originally aired 01 19 2019))
((Banner: Starting Young))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Hamilton, Virginia))
((Main characters: 1 male; 2 female))
((NATS:
Jaclyn: There's the goats. The goats are here!))
((JACLYN JENKINS, OWNER, ONE DAY FARMS))
So, when we first looked at the farm, we were trying to figure out what kind of farmers we wanted to be. And then all of a sudden, all of these friends and families started to come out. They said they wanted to see what farming was like. And we had all these animals. They wanted to come see our animals. And that’s when it started to spark a farm school and it just started to really click that these kids belong outside. They belong doing chores and working. They’re so proud to be able to work on the farm and to be around these awesome animals all the time and grow things.
((NATS:
What about this one? Orange in Spanish is….?
una naranga
Mr. Hayden, can you put yours away so you can come wash your hands?))
((ALISON HUFF, SCHOOL TEACHER, ONE DAY FARMS))
So, this afternoon, we will make butter because we’re learning about the cow for this month. So then, they learn that we receive things from animals and they become thankful. When we have the garden in the summer, we make things like salsa out of all the produce out of the garden. We make applesauce in the fall. We try to incorporate cooking as much as possible. That way they can see the benefits of what we’re getting out of the garden and actually taste it right then.
((NATS))
((JACLYN JENKINS & KENNY JENKINS, OWNERS, ONE DAY FARMS))
Reporter: What do you do when it snows or rains or anything like that?
Kenny: Have fun!
Jaclyn: That is actually the number one question immediately we get from parents, is what happens when it rains? And we say bring an extra pair of clothes. We have raincoats. We have boots. We have hats. We have gloves. We go out and what more fun than these kids getting to splash in puddles and play in mud and they have so much fun. We’re out!
((NATS:
Alright friends, let’s go feed the chickens!))
((JACLYN JENKINS, OWNER, ONE DAY FARMS))
You know, I like to focus a lot on safety with animals. They do have their own personalities. So, we talk about how to be safe around animals, making sure that you don’t put your hands near their mouth and curl your fingers. That way they don’t bite. We talk about their feet and how they can step. And so, we learn about our safety boundaries. So, hey, if they ever encounter some sort of animal, especially dogs, you always have to ask before you pet them. We just like to offer these abilities to be with them so they can learn how to be around them. To be calm, not run around and scream and be gentle. Taking care of animals is super, super important.
((NATS))
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS
((NATS))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
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May 16, 2017
President Erdogan’s bodyguard attacks peaceful protesters
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BREAKTHREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS
((NATS))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
We make a difference
When we unmask terror
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When we confront an uncertain future
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The difference is Freedom of the Press
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SHOW ENDS
EPISODE 111
AIR DATE 02 28 2020
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Feeding the Body
((SOT))
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I reckon this is as close as we can get to the garden of Eden. Poke sallet.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Saving the Farm
((SOT))
((Bob Fitzgerald, Farmer))
If the tide’s up when you have a big flood of rain, the rain is not going to run off until the tide goes down. And if you have a mixture of saltwater in here, that’s just going to hold the whole mess.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Playing with Chickens
((SOT))
((JACLYN JENKINS, OWNER, ONE DAY FARMS))
What more fun than these kids getting to splash in puddles and play in mud!
((NATS:
Alright friends, let’s go feed the chickens!))
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) PA MAC’S HOMESTEAD
((Originally aired 09 27 2019))
((Banner: A Self-Reliant Life))
((Reporter/Camera: Gabrielle Weiss))
((Map: Caddo Gap, Arkansas))
((Main characters: 1 male))
((Sub characters: 5 females))
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I’m not the fastest milker in the world. The cow really is the central part for my homestead anyway because she does so many things. She provides the milk. She gives me one calf a year that will go in the freezer and….watch out, back up. That flag means caution. And thank goodness she has a flag to let us know when that’s happening. And yes, given all this extra trouble, a lot of people probably would say, ‘I think I’ll just go to the store’. And you know what? This isn’t for everybody. Even people who want to homestead, you know milking, not everything is for everybody. You need to love it and I do. It really doesn’t bother me that much. Now dirty diapers, that bothered me. Why is that? I don’t know. But my wife took care of the dirty diapers mostly and I took care of this for her. It works out.
((MUSIC / NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I’m Pa Mac. I live in Caddo Gap, Arkansas. My wife and daughters and I live on a 52 acre [21 hectares] homestead that we’re pretty much developing, have developed from scratch. And what we try to do is grow a lot of our own food. Of course, being self-sufficient is, kind of, an ideal that may not really be fully attainable but it’s the goal.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
Can you stir that up for me just a little bit?
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
Ellie, why don’t you just twirl it around there for a few seconds, you know. Then lift it up and you can sit on that stool and start plucking.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I grew up living what I call small farm country life and for a brief period of my life, we lived in mid-town Memphis in an apartment. I’d never experienced that kind of living. I thought somehow, I’ve got to get back. At some point, I really need to get back.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
The reason I wanted to homestead probably had little to do with the kids and when we first started moving back towards this lifestyle that I’d grown up with, a good life for the kids was really not a thought for me.
((Ellie McWilliams, Daughter))
If it’s scalded good, then the feathers come off really easy.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
It’s not her first chicken rodeo. If my daughters were to come on hard times sometime in their life, I think they’d be able to feed their families, so.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
You did good.
((Ellie McWilliams, Daughter))
Thank you.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
This is the stage where we’re trying to make it more attractive to mama. I just wanted to move back to the simple life because I missed it so badly. And, I guess, it was just second nature that when I have kids, this is the life I do want for them.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I reckon this is as close as we can get to the garden of Eden. Poke sallet, it is truly a southern tradition. I believe we’re going to have this for dinner tonight if I can find some kind soul to cook it for us. My motto for the homestead is, it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be. If you’re going to wait till it’s perfect, you might be waiting a long time and you need a chicken coop quick. Usable, practical, that’s the key.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
Who is going to cook that? Can, can…..
((Annie McWilliams, Daughter))
I’ll cook it if you’ll wash it.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
Deal.
((Annie McWilliams, Daughter))
You can’t eat it by itself. It’s kind of nasty. You have to eat it with something else.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I beg to differ. I thought it was kind of sweet. It’s an acquired taste, I suppose. There’s so much to explore out here and it’s a fun and a beautiful thing and to be able to do it with people you love, that’s a whole other dimension of it and brings a note of thankfulness to God for me. Thank you for allowing me this brief time on earth, living this way.
((NATS))
((Bonnie McWilliams, Daughter))
My superpower is that I can hold seven eggs in one hand. Some people think, oh, they’re too immature for pets. They can’t, you know, they don’t think their kids can handle it. But it’s really just the best way to grow and learn and, you know, if you can’t keep a chicken alive, what are you going to do? ((NATS))
((Bonnie McWilliams, Daughter))
I’ve always been really proud of my dad and his show, just ‘cause he enjoys what he’s doing and it’s fun to watch him enjoy it and teach other people about it because he likes it and wants to keep the old way alive and it’s just fun to watch him.
((NAT sound: The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
((Courtesy: YouTube))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I’m the creator of the Farm Hand’s Companion Show on YouTube. That’s a show that’s dedicated to the celebration, the preservation and the developing of the old-time, traditional farm. That’s something I’m real passionate about and I love showing and teaching other people old-time skills that, in a lot of instances, are being forgotten.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
And I cut right there. I’m going to go in for a close-up because everybody wants to see a close-up of a nail being driven in a board. You want to hear the only word I would probably ever say on my videos? Ouch!
((NAT sound: The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
((Courtesy: YouTube))
((Text on video: And being the cheapskate I am, I’m a little more willn’ to hunt down simple solutions…..for turnin’ some plots of ground into my own “rich spot of earth”.))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
If you watch my YouTube channel, people may be under the impression that I’m living off the land. Well, I’m doing things that people, who would live off the land, would do. But my wife, you know, she does a good bit of shopping. You know, not everything that appears on our table is not from the garden, but a lot of it is.
((NATS))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
But I have my own production company. I produce radio programs for preachers and that basically pays the bills. ((NATS))
((Text on video: I do currently have a chicken house of sorts on my farm, albeit a small one. I think the chickens are wantin’ me to build somethin’ bigger.))
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
I’ve had a guy leave a comment, a question on YouTube one time and he said, ‘Are you a prepper? Are you preparing for, you know, economic down-turn?’ Not necessarily. You know, the main reason I do this is I love it. I can’t not do it. And when people watch somebody talking or teaching about something they love, it’s contagious. One down and 32 more to go, give or take. I want to inspire people to actually be motivated to work with their hands. That’s the reason I called it Farm Hand’s Companion. It’s a catchy little phrase but it means something to me. To be able to work with your hands and then enjoy the fruit of your labor, that sparks things in people that really not much else can. This is my dirty little secret, so, don’t tell anybody. Farm Hand’s Companion Show is, really, Pa Mac’s secret weapon against socialism. When you have individuals, who are given the freedom to be and do what they want to do, it ends up helping society and it ends up bringing us closer together than it otherwise would in any other way.
((NATS w/ MUSIC))
((Lynna McWilliams, Wife))
I don’t normally eat poke.
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator - The Farm Hand’s Companion Show))
Home grown bacon in the beans.
((NATS w/ MUSIC))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Farming Seaweed
((SOT))
((Bren Smith, Co-Founder, GreenWave))
It’s coming in off the farm in these blue buckets and we just roll on through. We do a lot, 8 to 10 hours a day, 2000 pounds.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) FARMING SEAWEED
((Originally aired 01 10 2020))
((Banner: Farming Seaweed))
((Reporter: Crystal Dilworth))
((Camera: Austin Harris, Cody Troxell))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((VOA Persian))
((Map: Thimble Islands, Connecticut))
((Main characters: 2 males; 1 female))
((NATS: Various))
((Popup Banner: GreenWave Company is developing techniques for seaweed and other ocean farming))
((NATS: Various))
((Popup Banner: Seaweed is started in a hatchery and moved to ocean farms))
((NATS: Various))
((Bren Smith, Co-Founder, GreenWave))
OK, so these are the spools that we took from the hatchery and what we’re going to do now is we’re going to take out the spools. We have to be really careful with them because they’re sensitive and we’re going to seed the lines. So here we go.
((NATS: Boat))
((Bren Smith, Co-Founder, GreenWave))
We’ve got floating long lines and from there we grow our mussels, our scallops and our seaweeds. And then below that, we’ve got cages where we have our oysters and clams.
((NATS: Lab))
((Locater: Seaweed Lab, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California))
((Jennifer Smith, Ecologist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography))
One of the more popular things that seaweeds have become known for is their use as a super food. And when I say super food, that basically means that they have a really high concentration of vitamins and minerals. They have very low digestible carbohydrates. So, seaweeds basically contain an order of magnitude more vitamins and minerals than any leafy green vegetable that you can eat, including kale and you know, any other super food. While they’re incredibly low in calories and incredibly healthy, they also produce Omega-3 fatty acids, which is something a lot of people are trying to increase in their diets. And so, they just represent a type of nutritional resource we really should be taking more advantage of. The uses for seaweeds are kind of insurmountable in terms of the things that they can do. A lot of people don’t realize that you probably consumed something that has seaweed in it today. Most of the non-dairy or low-fat, non-fat products ranging from yogurt to ice cream to alternative dairy milk, you know, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk - anything that has kind of creamy consistency that’s silky. Even toothpaste, shaving cream, whipped cream, all of those things have some sort of emulsifier in them and one of the most common types of emulsifiers is a group of compounds produced by red seaweeds known as carrageenan.
((NATS: Boat))
((Popup Banner: Ocean seaweed farming could hold potential environmental benefits))
((Professor Matthew Edwards, Biologist, San Diego State University))
We can use farms in the ocean to clean polluted waters. We can clean carbon out of the water to help with ocean acidification, but we can also clean pollutants out of the water and heavy metals out of the water, using farming in the ocean to help as a natural way of cleaning the water without having to spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to invent new machinery, new chemistry, to go out there and to try to do this. With us, you know, the seaweeds are out there 24/7 doing their job.
((NATS))
((PKG)) FRAMING SALINITY
((Originally aired 12 07 2018))
((Banner: Adapting to the Sea))
((Reporter/Camera: Steve Baragona))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Dorchester County, Maryland))
((Main characters: 1 male; 1 female))
((Popup Banner: As sea levels rise, farmland on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is being overrun by salt water))
((Bob Fitzgerald, Farmer))
All this, you can see where I planted this with soybeans and they just died. I can show you big swaths of land that 25, 30 years ago were being farmed and now they’re just marsh. ((Kate Tully, Professor of Agroecology, University of Maryland))
So, all along the Eastern Seaboard, sea level rise rates are increasing. They’re about two to three times the global average here. And so, with sea level rise comes saltwater intrusion which is the landward movement of sea salts. And when that happens, you start to see plants that are not adapted to salt dying off. The tides are rising higher and higher and you actually start to get that saltwater basically dumping onto the fields or coming up through the groundwater. And you just get these swaths of big portions of the field that are super, super salty, way saltier than corn can handle, soy or wheat, and the plants die. Some farmers will try to switch crops, so actually sorghum, which we see here, is a crop that does very well, as you can see, in saline environments. So, we are looking at alternative crops. So, they might try to switch or adapt.
((NATS))
((Bob Fitzgerald, Farmer))
When they grew up, they didn’t die immediately upon emergence but, later on, the salt got to them and they died. You can see the skinny little soybean that he just got beat back. The problem on the Eastern Shore also is if you dig a ditch, you’re subject to let in as much saltwater as you let out fresh water because while you want fresh water to go out so it doesn’t drown out your crop, the saltwater’s right there waiting to come in when the tide gets high. If the tide’s up when you have a big flood of rain, the rain is not going to run off until the tide goes down. And if you have a mixture of saltwater in here, that’s just going to hold it, you know, hold the whole mess.
((NATS))
((Bob Fitzgerald, Farmer))
Basically, this is all I’ve lost on this farm, which is enough on this farm. Another farm down the road that basically they gave up farming and the guy, who is quite well off and is a hunter, he bought the whole farm. And he’s put berms around it and pumping in fresh water, so that he has a wildlife refuge and a place to hunt.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
A Farm Less Ordinary
((SOT))
((NATS - Rooster crowing))
((Jack Jenkins, Farm Employee, A Farm Less Ordinary))
I’m a big fan of chickens. Clean coops out, get eggs and get fresh water.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) A FARM LESS ORDINARY
((Originally aired 10 25 2019))
((Banner: A Farm Less Ordinary))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum))
((Map: Bluemont, Virginia))
((Main characters: 1 male; 1 female))
((Sub characters: 2 males; 1 female))
((NATS:
Heather: And you just walk and spread it around. This is my favorite task!))
((Maya Wechsler, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
We employ people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and we offer them a welcoming community. We also grow organic vegetables along the way and through all of that, we teach our growers basic employment skills.
((NATS:
Heather: Jack, why do we start our seeds in trays?
Jack: So, they can grow faster.
Heather: Then what do we do?
Jack: Put them outside when they are partially grown.
Heather: Yeah!))
((Heather Richardson, Farm Manager, A Farm Less Ordinary))
I’m always showing the employees how to do everything step-by-step. So, I really try to stick with it until they fully understand. Then, I slowly back off and my goal is to get to the point where I can be, like, all right, so and so, can you please go transplant. They know how to get their tray, what tools they need. Other days, we just have to get the job done. Like today, we had to spread seeds though it’s raining, but we had to do it.
((NATS - Rooster crowing))
((Jack Jenkins, Farm Employee, A Farm Less Ordinary))
I’m a big fan of chickens. Clean coops out, get eggs and get fresh water. I have a big coop at home, like 10 chickens.
((Tina Jenkins, Jack’s Mother))
He does love it. He loves to get his hands dirty. He likes to be involved. With that comes success. When he plants something and he sees it growing, he’s very proud of himself.
((NATS:
Maya: This is buckwheat, which is a quick growing cover crop. Feed the soil.))
((NATS))
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
So, 2015 we spent that year learning how to farm.
((Maya Wechsler, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
So, I signed up for all these classes, beginning farmer classes, how you get your hands dirty, the financial part of things. And then I read a lot of books and we spent our first year just experimenting and throwing a lot of seeds in the ground.
((NATS - Max laughing))
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
We have a severely autistic child named Max, our son.
((Maya Wechsler, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
Max is 11 years old, turning 12 in November. He is a high-energy boy. He’s nonverbal. Being out here also gives him an opportunity to burn off some of his energy in a way that we couldn’t give him when we lived in the middle of Washington D.C.
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
So, Max was the inspiration for the farm, but he wasn’t the whole reason we did the farm.
((NATS – Josh filling water using a hose))
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
People with those intellectual, developmental disabilities have an over 80 percent unemployment rate and we’re trying to change that.
((NATS))
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
When people are not in the employment picture, you know, they end up being socially isolated as I mentioned, and it also puts a financial burden on families.
((NATS:
Jack: Sprinkle fertilizer on top.
Heather: Yeah. Why do we add fertilizer?
Jack: So, this thing can grow.))
((Heather Richardson, Farm Manager, A Farm Less Ordinary))
Farming really helps people with developmental, intellectual disabilities, because it’s a lot of small tasks that you need to do with your hands, which a lot of people might not have great hand-eye coordination or something like that and it’s also a lot of fine motor skills which can also be really difficult. They can learn that, all right, the world maybe set up this way, but I can make accommodations for myself. I can go outside of the box and create a tool that can help me get the job done no matter what.
((NATS:
Jack: Hey Josh, want to give me a hand with the goats?))
((Greg Masucci, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
We want to be a stepping-stone. If somebody wants to continue to work here, that’s great, but if they get another job outside of here, we’re thrilled.
((Maya Wechsler, Co-Founder, A Farm Less Ordinary))
We moved out here to, kind of, build our own tribe and surround ourselves with similar people and I think we’ve succeeded in that.
((NATS - walking down the farm))
((PKG)) LOW-TECH LEARNING – FARM SCHOOL
((Originally aired 01 19 2019))
((Banner: Starting Young))
((Reporter: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera: Adam Greenbaum))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Hamilton, Virginia))
((Main characters: 1 male; 2 female))
((NATS:
Jaclyn: There's the goats. The goats are here!))
((JACLYN JENKINS, OWNER, ONE DAY FARMS))
So, when we first looked at the farm, we were trying to figure out what kind of farmers we wanted to be. And then all of a sudden, all of these friends and families started to come out. They said they wanted to see what farming was like. And we had all these animals. They wanted to come see our animals. And that’s when it started to spark a farm school and it just started to really click that these kids belong outside. They belong doing chores and working. They’re so proud to be able to work on the farm and to be around these awesome animals all the time and grow things.
((NATS:
What about this one? Orange in Spanish is….?
una naranga
Mr. Hayden, can you put yours away so you can come wash your hands?))
((ALISON HUFF, SCHOOL TEACHER, ONE DAY FARMS))
So, this afternoon, we will make butter because we’re learning about the cow for this month. So then, they learn that we receive things from animals and they become thankful. When we have the garden in the summer, we make things like salsa out of all the produce out of the garden. We make applesauce in the fall. We try to incorporate cooking as much as possible. That way they can see the benefits of what we’re getting out of the garden and actually taste it right then.
((NATS))
((JACLYN JENKINS & KENNY JENKINS, OWNERS, ONE DAY FARMS))
Reporter: What do you do when it snows or rains or anything like that?
Kenny: Have fun!
Jaclyn: That is actually the number one question immediately we get from parents, is what happens when it rains? And we say bring an extra pair of clothes. We have raincoats. We have boots. We have hats. We have gloves. We go out and what more fun than these kids getting to splash in puddles and play in mud and they have so much fun. We’re out!
((NATS:
Alright friends, let’s go feed the chickens!))
((JACLYN JENKINS, OWNER, ONE DAY FARMS))
You know, I like to focus a lot on safety with animals. They do have their own personalities. So, we talk about how to be safe around animals, making sure that you don’t put your hands near their mouth and curl your fingers. That way they don’t bite. We talk about their feet and how they can step. And so, we learn about our safety boundaries. So, hey, if they ever encounter some sort of animal, especially dogs, you always have to ask before you pet them. We just like to offer these abilities to be with them so they can learn how to be around them. To be calm, not run around and scream and be gentle. Taking care of animals is super, super important.
((NATS))
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS
((NATS))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
Near the Turkish Embassy
Washington, D.C.
May 16, 2017
President Erdogan’s bodyguard attacks peaceful protesters
“Those terrorists deserved to be beaten”
“They should not be protesting our president”
“They got what they asked for”
While some people may turn away from the news
We cover it
reliably
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VOA
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BREAKTHREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS
((NATS))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
We make a difference
When we unmask terror
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When we confront an uncertain future
When we give voice to the voiceless
The difference is Freedom of the Press
We are the Voice of America where
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SHOW ENDS
