Nestled in Irvine, a selfless farmer and a tenacious nonprofit are battling hunger and bringing a community together. A.G. Kawamura, former Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, third-generation produce grower and shipper, co-chair of Solutions for Urban Agriculture, WG Board Member and former chair (among many other titles), along with Claudia Keller, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, work to grow over three million pounds of produce yearly and partner with over 300 food pantries across Orange County.

“Food and nutritional insecurity is not a supply problem. It’s an access problem. We have the food. We have the land. We have folks that are willing to address that problem. It’s that those who need it the most don’t have access to it,” Keller says.

Together, they nurture a vision of a future where no one goes to bed hungry. Guided by a passion for nourishing communities and a determination to make a difference, these organizations are transforming vacant lots and underutilized lands into flourishing gardens that produce hope in the form of fresh, nutritious produce.

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Episodes of “America’s Heartland” can be viewed on your area’s PBS station – check your local listings for exact date and time; more than 90 percent of all PBS stations in the country carry the show – as well as on PBS.org; the standalone app; “America’s Heartland’s” website and YouTube; as well as on RFD-TV. “America’s Heartland” is a production of Sacramento’s PBS KVIE.