Download a photo of Bret Amundson and Ray Ruiz Jr.
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Ray Ruiz Jr., who introduces Latino people to the outdoors, and industrial hemp grown for food and fiber will be featured in the premiere episode of Prairie Sportsman’s new season airing on Pioneer PBS Sunday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m.
In the first segment, Ray Ruiz Jr. is fishing with Prairie Sportsman Host Bret Amundson at Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis. Between hooking pike and bass, Ray tells Bret about growing up in Chicago. Ray’s parents encouraged him to fish and hunt, which kept him away from drugs and gangs. The Latino community is the fastest growing ethnic group in Minnesota, and Ray is connecting many to the outdoors by guiding fishing trips for Spanish speaking people.
In the next segment, Ray Ruiz Sr. joins his son and Bret on a dove hunt near Sleepy Eye. Ray Sr., who grew up in Mexico hunting doves with a slingshot, drove from Chicago to get in on the shotgun action in southern Minnesota. They hunted on a 75-acre field of industrial hemp grown by Bryan Verkner for food and fiber markets. The hemp is tested by the Department of Agriculture to ensure that it does not contain more than 0.3 percent THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Legacy Hemp founder Ken Anderson explains how hemp went from being a thriving agricultural crop in the 1800s to being classified as an illegal drug in 1970 to being brought back as a grain crop with the support of organizations like Farm Bureau.
In the final segment, Chef Jim Kyndberg uses the hemp-based batter Hempura to fry a nest of matchstick vegetables that he tops with dove breasts roasted over an open fire. He developed Hempura for Legacy Hemp to create new markets for industrial hemp.
Prairie Sportsman celebrates our love of the outdoors to hunt, fish and recreate, provided by our vast resources of lakes, rivers, trails and grasslands, and to promote environmental stewardship.
About Prairie Sportsman
Prairie Sportsman’s team includes Cindy Dorn, producer/writer; Bret Amundson, host/editor; and Dylan Curfman, editor/videographer. The 2021 season is made possible by funding from SafeBasements of Minnesota, Live Wide Open, Western Minnesota Prairie Waters and members of Pioneer PBS.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. For more information visit www.pioneer.org.
