WTFCF S4, E5 Sneak Peek: Splenda Stevia Farms, A New American Industry

What does Splenda have to do with farming? Sweeteners like monk fruit and stevia are plant-based — so they are just not sugar, but are comprised of those other plants also grown on farms.

American family farmers are dreamers. They’re do-ers, too, of course. Nobody works harder than farmers. But in the world of modern agriculture, it is getting harder and harder for Mom and Pop farms — the backbone America was built on — to get ahead.

Enter Heartland Food Products Group, the makers of Splenda brand sweeteners and many other products that help make it easier to reduce sugar intake.

What does Splenda have to do with farming? Sweeteners like monk fruit and stevia are plant-based — so they are just not sugar, but are comprised of those other plants also grown on farms.

Historically, stevia has not been an American crop. It is almost produced in other countries, primarily China. If you notice the American flag motif in some versions of the Splenda logo, you probably understand Heartland is an America-first company. Heartland Chairman & CEO Ted Gelov put his money where his mouth is to establish the nation’s first stevia farm in central Florida.

Even better, the Florida location is just a mother farm — that’s where Heartland will grow the millions of stevia plants needed to fulfill the ultimate vision: Partnering with small American family farms to grow that crop.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

It is in there, the mold — those rich blue veins in creamy blue cheese that make you either love it or loathe it — but how does it get there? This bonus scene from “Clemson Dairy,” Season 4, Episode 4 of Where the Food Comes From, explains how and why that happens.
No, it is not some new college course — Clemson has been making blue cheese since 1941, and the product has developed a worldwide following and won some pretty big awards. With good reason — it is fantastic stuff. It is also fascinating to see how it is made. Check out this sneak peek look at the latest episode of Where the Food Comes From, “Clemson Blue.”
The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, and the pampered cows get on-demand service. The team at Where the Food Comes From shares a special, behind-the-scenes account filming the show’s newest episode, Robot Dairy, premiering this Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at 9:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV!
How does a robot milk a cow?
The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, where the pampered cows get on-demand service. They make a premium cream line of milk you still have to shake. It is so good it is used to make the world-famous Clemson blue cheese.