WEST BEND, IA -- Since he was a little kid, playing in the hog barn, Carson knew he wanted to farm. Now he's raising hogs and doing all he can to grow organic on the family farm operation.

WEST BEND, IA -- His dream is for his son to take over the 4,000-acre farm his family has worked for decades-- with some modern touches.  He loves the small town where he grew up, where he can still 'talk' to his parents at the cemetery.

WESTON, MO -- His dream to farm gets a reality check - the price of farmland. Now he's a rural postal worker saving so he can start a part-time hog operation.

VASHON ISLAND, WA -- A graduate student in English in southern California found true meaning when he and his wife looked to the land. His butchery classes for farmers and non-farmers are hugely popular at his Puget Sound business near Seattle. Brandon, 33, and his wife, Lauren, are raising five children.

DETROIT, MI -- Growing vegetables on abandoned lots in Detroit was more rewarding than teaching, Greg discovered. So is selling them with his wife, Olivia Hubert, at the city's farmers markets.

DETROIT, MI -- She uses the lessons she learned at the Royal Horticulture Society in London to plant vegetables on abandoned lots in the city. The Detroit native and her husband, Greg Willerer, sell their produce at the city's markets.

MURIETTA, CA -- Iraq war veteran has used on-line sales in Southern California to jumpstart a million-dollar business in grass-fed animals. It's all about being ultra-convenient to his customers, he believes.

SWOOPE, VA -- He and his father, Joel Salatin, have continuously come up with programs at their Polyface Farm to help aspiring farmers realize their dream. Daniel runs the family operation while his Dad espouses their ideals around the country.

SWOOPE, VA -- America's most famous farmer, Joel sees the future belonging to a new generation of farmers with the entrepreneurial spirit to transform the nation's food systems. With the average farmer's age at 60, Joel reminds audiences that 60 percent of America's farmland will change hands in the next few years.

DAYTON, OH -- He wondered how he could make a living off the farm his family had owned for 200 years. Then he saw an opportunity in the explosive growth of the local food movement -- and he seized it. Now he and partner Amber Espey sell to local restaurants and even colleges.

DAYTON, OH- At one time, Amber thought she was going to be a dental hygenist. Fate had other plans. 

CHICO, CA -- Sixth-generation cattle rancher and ‘modern cowgirl’ doesn’t want to be the last of her family to work the ranch. Her passion comes through in her new hog operation and her popular blog, The Beef Jar.

ROMNEY, WVA -- The gregarious two-time Iraq war veteran has become a one-man conglomerate, selling his food and sauces at Washington, DC-area farmers markets. Now he's started a legal moonshine business in the best tradition of his Appalachia homeland.

HARBORSIDE, ME -- The organic farming champion has inspired farmers and chefs worldwide with his understanding of how to take a few acres in a place best known for its winters and turn them into a thriving yearlong business.

TIVOLI, NY -- The Executive Director of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) told Congress it needed to do more to help young people find affordable farmland. She practices what she preaches with her husband and family on their Hearty Roots Community Farm in the Hudson River Valley.

KOSCIUSKO, MS -- The energetic FFA advisor places his students with local farmers for lessons that even he can’t teach. The “warm, fuzzy feeling” when you do for others is what it's all about, he preaches.

Richard learned the value of volunteering from his high school FFA instructor Kenneth Georgia, and how to farm from mentor Melvin Williams. Whether or not he becomes a farmer, these have been useful life lessons.

SCIO, OR -- A grant from the Farmer Veteran Coalition helped this disabled Iraq war veteran expand her flock of heritage sheep. Her ranch also helped her get more in touch with her Lakota Indian roots and a culture that respects the earth.

SANDERS, KY -- The pioneering hemp farmer and Army veteran successfully lobbied Congress, partnered with Patagonia and FiberShed and founded the Growing Warriors organization that helps veterans produce food for their families and the nation.

LA FORGE, WI -- Coming out of the 1980s farm crisis, he and small group of Wisconsin farmers vowed never to get burned again. Now the head of the $1.1 billion Organic Valley cooperative, he has kept his promise to his members for the past 30 years.

ELKO, MN -- "We're all in this together," Emily realized, when Organic Valley members made a collective decision that helped save her family's dairy farm during the 2008-09 downturn. She's also a champion of social media for farmers.