VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE  89   
AIR DATE  09 27 2019
TRANSCRIPT


OPEN  ((VO/NAT)) 
((Banner)) 
Reduce  
((SOT)) 
((Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, Creator, The Farm Hand’s 
Companion Show)) 
Grow a lot of our own food.  Of course, being self-sufficient 
is, kind of, ideal.  I’m doing things that people, who would 
live off the land, would do.   
((Animation Transition)) 
((Banner))
Repurpose
((SOT)) 
((Ellie Heath, Owner, Three Blue Bunnies)) 
There are over 21 billion pounds (9.5b kg.) of textile in the 
US alone in landfills and I strive to reduce that number by at 
least a little bit.   
((Animation Transition)) 
((Banner)) 
Recycle 
((SOT)) 
((Sandy Nurse, Founder, BK ROT)) 
And so, everything we bring in comes through here, comes 
through this giant pulverizer that’s in the background and we 
turn it into compost. 
((Open Animation))  
 

BLOCK A 
 

((PKG))  PA MAC’S HOMESTEAD  
((Banner:  A Self-Reliant Life)) 
((Reporter/Camera:  Gabrielle Weiss)) 
((Map:  Caddo Gap, Arkansas))   
((Main character:  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 w/ 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 of 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 in my videos?  Ouch!  
((NAT sound:  The Farm Hand’s Companion Show)) 
((Courtesy:  YouTube)) 
((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))  
((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 prepper?  Are you preparing for 
you know, economic downturn?’  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 grow bacon in the beans.
     ((NATS w/ MUSIC))
 
TEASE  ((VO/NAT)) 
Coming up….. 
((Banner)) 
Repurposed Clothing 
((SOT)) 
((Ellie Heath, Owner, Three Blue Bunnies)) 
All of my pieces have recycled fabric.  Everything I use is 
recycled or donated.    


BREAK ONE									 
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))				  
 

BLOCK B   


((PKG))  WEARABLE ART  
((Banner:  Wearable Art))   
((Reporter:  Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera:  Adam Greenbaum))  
((Map:  Severna Park, Maryland))
((Main character:  1 female)) 
((Sub characters:  4 females)) 
((NATS)) 
((Ellie Heath, Owner, Three Blue Bunnies)) 
Sewing is my biggest hobby.  It relaxes me.  It is very 
therapeutic to me.  I love just being able to create anything 
that I really think of. 
((NATS)) 
((Ellie Heath, Owner, Three Blue Bunnies)) 
Before I could even talk, I could always be drawing anything.  
And then as I grew older, I’ve always been creating things, 
like, it started off with earrings, then I changed to felted mice, 
and then, I eventually got into sewing and jean jackets.  My 
definition of wearable art is something that makes you feel 
unique.  It’s one-of-a-kind, often handmade.  First, I go 
through my fabric, see what I have, see what kind of jackets 
I have, find out a design that works on it through trial and 
error, or maybe just the design comes to me. 
((NATS)) 
((Ellie Heath, Owner, Three Blue Bunnies)) 
Then, I will cut it out and pin it on the jacket and then, sew it 
on.  And all of my jackets are finished with a custom label 
that I make, that says my name and the number of the 
jackets that I have. 
((NATS  
Ellie’s mom:  The darker color would look good on a lighter 
jean jacket)) 
((Ellie Heath, Owner, Three Blue Bunnies))  
My mom has always been a huge supporter of the arts, and 
she’s always given us a place to express our creativity. 
((NAT  
Ellie:  Oh, here’s a tee-shirt I can put on the back of one.)) 
((Amy Heath, Ellie’s mother))  
Creativity feeds kids’ brains, and with something they 
probably can’t get elsewhere.  She started making earrings 
and felting, and then exposing herself through church and 
craft fairs. 
((NATS  
Cheryl Crow:  So, show me what you are doing now.  Gosh, 
that’s just beautiful.))  
((Cheryl Crow, Ellie’s Mentor and Middle School 
Teacher))  
We introduced new classes called Project Runway and was 
it to be fashion, sewing. 
((NATS  
Ellie:  This one’s my personal one. 
Cheryl:  Oh, yeah!  That’s lovely!)) 
((Cheryl Crow, Ellie’s Mentor and Middle School 
Teacher))  
Ellie, I guess, would have been 11, and always was a dream 
student.  She was always very involved in the class, always 
working very proficiently, very creative. 
((Angela Germanos, Drama Director, Severna Park High 
School))  
I have been working with Ellie Heath for three years.  As a 
freshman, two years ago, she volunteered and helped with 
costumes. 
((NATS - Mamma Mia Musical School Production)) 
((Angela Germanos, Drama Director, Severna Park High 
School)) 
Last year, again, worked with us for Mama Mia and designed 
several costumes.  We’re excited that the students can take 
ownership of the process and be involved in the creative part 
of it, not just the singing or the dancing or the acting, but 
they can do the costuming or the makeup and the tech, 
these kinds of things themselves. 
((Terri Ann Stahl, Ellie’s Science Teacher and Key Club 
Advisor))  
Every year, we have a prom fashion show, which is the 
biggest fundraiser of the year.  So, we were thrilled to have 
Ellie volunteer to design a dress that could be modeled in 
the show. 
((NAT)) 
((Ellie Heath, Owner, Three Blue Bunnies)) 
All of my pieces have recycled fabric.  Everything I use is 
recycled or donated.  There are over 21 billion pounds (9.5b 
kg.) of textile in the US alone in landfills and I strive to 
reduce that number by at least a little bit.  My advice for 
young people is that if you have a dream or an idea, stick 
with it, pursue it, try to see if you can find people who can 
support your idea, and just make it a reality. 
 
 
((PKG))  UPCYCLED JEWELRY 
((Banner:  Upcycled Jewelry)) 
((Reporter/Camera:  June Soh)) 
((Map:  Hyattsville, Maryland)) 
((Main character:  1 female)) 
((Sub character:  1 male)) 
((NATS)) 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
This is the bottom of the milk jug.  The milk bottles are very 
good material for jewelry making.  It offers two different 
textures.  So, we have, like, a more textured surface and 
then we have a very smooth surface, and that allows to 
create a lot of texture within the piece. 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
I have always been very attracted to just repurposing and 
recycling in my daily life, just personally.  I was just doing it 
naturally, but then, when I learned about the amount of 
waste that we had in the world, then I, sort of thinking that, 
maybe, I should do more. 
((NATS)) 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
My name is Jasmin Picariello.  I am the owner of the fashion 
company Giulia Letzi and the founder of Project META. 
((NATS)) 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
META means destination in Italian.  The new destination is, 
literally, just not having our plastics in landfills and oceans, 
but repurposing it and making other things that we are going 
to use every day and for a longer period of time. 
((NATS)) 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
I moved to the US when I was 16.  I am originally from Italy.  
And ever since from 2011, my mother and I worked on 
business together, first focusing on luxury Italian handmade 
scarves, and then later on developing into upcycled jewelry 
and accessories, which has eventually become the core of 
Project META. 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
What really motivated me to start this project came from a 
2017 study on plastic.  What was discovered is that globally 
in the world, we've produced 8.3 billion tons of plastic.  And 
of that number, unfortunately, only 12 percent is being 
incinerated, only 9 percent is being recycled, which means 
that nearly 79 percent is just in landfills and waters.  And that 
is a huge amount. 
((NATS)) 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
I am now shaping the aluminum, which I took from used 
coffee pods.  I get this design idea mainly from my love of 
geometries and symmetries.  The aluminum in the original 
circular shape of the coffee pod really inspired me to keep 
the spiral round motif. 
((NATS)) 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
These pieces are created with aluminum.  This aluminum 
comes from coffee pods and soda bottles.    
((NATS)) 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
This blue is actually the natural color of the bottle that I've 
used. 
((NATS)) 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
When we first started, we were using plastic from our own 
consumption or from our friends’ consumption, like, 
anywhere that we can save some plastic, we would use it.  
But now, I get my plastic and aluminum from grocery stores 
and coffee shops from my neighborhood.  We want to make 
sure that this is an initiative that involves community and 
local partners as much as possible. 
((NATS)) 
((Drew Nixon, Vigilante Coffee))   
We go through a lot of plastic bottles every week, and 
instead of throwing them away, we're trying to make better 
decisions with our recyclables by partnering with META, and 
we feel this is a way to improve the planet one small step at 
a time.   
((NATS)) 
((Jasmin Picariello, Founder, Project META)) 
I am a true believer that we don't need just a handful of 
people recycling and doing zero waste perfectly, but we 
need a lot of people doing that even if imperfectly.  And so, 
with Project META, if we can even help, you know, the one 
person a day contribute to this initiative and realize that their 
changes and their actions daily will have an impact, then, I 
think, we are heading in a good direction. 
((NATS))

TEASE  ((VO/NAT)) 
Coming up….. 
((Banner)) 
Repurposed Church    
((SOT)) 
((Sean Casey, Owner, Church Brew Works))  
This church was built in 1902.  Wow, this is a cool building.  
Let's do something neat.  A very European-style brew pub 
could be really, really cool in here. 

 
BREAK TWO									 
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))				  
 

BLOCK C  
 
 
((PKG))  BIRDHOUSE ARTIST  
((Banner:  New Life for Old Barns)) 
((Reporter:  Julie Taboh))
((Camera:  Adam Greenbaum)) 
((Additional Camera:  Philip Alexiou))  
((Adapted by:  Philip Alexiou))
((Main characters:  1 male)) 
((Map:  Washington, D.C.))  
((Pop-Up Banner:  Environmentally Conscious Artist at 
Smithsonian Craft Show))  
((NATS)) 
((Courtesy:  Farm Journal, Media))   
((John Guertin, Artist))  
In the early days, I would go out and purchase a barn.  So, I 
started collecting them.  I wanted to preserve them.  My 
thought being, if you can use recycled material from old 
sources to bring new generations of birds into the world and 
other creatures, thinking that this is really the full circle of life, 
and it makes a wonderful statement about our purpose in the 
world, that we don't just exploit it, but rather we give 
something back.   
((NATS))
((John Guertin, Artist)) 
What we've tried to follow was a more ancient style of 
making things, 19th century approach and craftsmanship in 
honor of St. Francis.  She is the patron saint of the 
environment.  If you look at the real design of the mission, it 
has a rose window exactly in the position, perfect for a 
birdhouse in honor of the musical nature of birds.  You see 
the F holes and has a copper predator guard to stop 
sparrows from damaging.  What we've been trying to do is 
encourage people to celebrate the idea of conservation,  
((Courtesy:  Farm Journal, Media)) 
make collectable birdhouses that are functional, architectural 
and scientific works that will serve the needs of songbirds 
and other cavity nesting species, such as owls and bats, and 
hopefully make some small impact on the environment by 
encouraging people to participate in box programs to help 
these creatures.   
((NATS)) 
 
 
((PKG))  CHURCH BREW WORKS   
((Banner:  New Life for an Old Church)) 
((Reporter:  Nataliya Leonova))
((Camera:  Oleksii Osyka))  
((Adapted by:  Zdenko Novacki)) 
((Map:  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania))
((Main characters:  5 males)) 
((NATS)) 
((Sean Casey, Owner, Church Brew Works))  
This church was built in 1902 and came up for sale, and it 
was, “Wow, this is a cool building.  Let's do something neat.  
A very European-style brew pub could be really, really cool 
in here.”  So, they actually wanted the building to remain in 
the community and part of the community. 
((NATS)) 
((Patron, Church Brew Works))  
The first time I came here, I felt, drinking beer in a church, I 
just didn't feel comfortable at all.  But then, when I realized it 
was de-sanctified, then I just went along with the flow.  
((NATS)) 
((Dan Yarnall, Head Brewer, Church Brew Works)) 
I think the vast majority of the people, that they really have 
no qualms about this.  This has been here so long now in 
Pittsburgh, it's definitely part of the culture.  It's part of, you 
know, kind of the landscape.   
((NATS)) 
((Jason Campbell, Patron, Church Brew Works)) 
It's unique just because of the atmosphere.  I mean, the 
ceiling alone is, what is that, like 50 feet [15 meters] or 
something like that.  And you can see how they have all the 
equipment set up there.  
((NATS)) 
((Patron, Church Brew Works))
When the sun, and the sun sets over here, when it 
penetrates those windows, it's gorgeous, just gorgeous.   
((NATS)) 
((Jeff Hazard, Patron, Church Brew Works))  
You walk in and it's big, and there’s an echo.  You, kind of, 
feel like you're in church really.  But then, you see all the 
vats and all the silos and all that stuff and people have a 
beer, it’s a little different.  I had rattlesnake for the first time.  
I didn’t even know they served it here, but it was on the 
menu. So, that was good. 
((NATS)) 
((Patron, Church Brew Works))
This church is actually part of the Pittsburgh history, in the 
sense that Pittsburgh went through a period of de-
industrialization.  And when the steel mills closed back in the 
80s, people that used to come and worship here left, and the 
church was, you know, basically no longer needed.   
((NATS)) 
((Sean Casey, Owner, Church Brew Works))  
This place is now part of the community.  People can 
continue to gather.  Even though it was once a house of 
worship, and people would socialize and interact and have 
school, weddings, dances.  That opportunity is still here, just 
in a different form.  So, we're still a part of the fabric of the 
community.
((NATS)) 

CLOSING  ((ANIM)) 
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((PKG))  FREE PRESS MATTERS      
((NATS)) 
((Pop-Up 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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wherever the news matters 
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BREAK                                                                               
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))                                   
 
 
SHOW ENDS