WEBVTT

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Narr: Sam Cobb is
taking the sweet

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fruit, dates, to new heights.

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Sam: We grow seven
different varieties of dates,

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including medjool dates
and barhi dates,

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safawi dates
and our very own variety called

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black gold. Black gold is only
available at Sam Cobb Farms,

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and it was developed by
Mr. Cobb himself.

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Narr: Sam Cobb grows
60 acres of dates

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near the town of Blythe
in Southern California.

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His passion for agriculture
started with a tractor

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that drove past his home when
he was just three years old.

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Sam: That has been my life
ever since.

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I have never
stopped chasing that tractor.

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Narr: It was in high
school that Sam first understood

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the big picture, the challenges
and rewards of working the land

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Sam: I could not wait to join
the Future Farmers of America.

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In the ninth grade,

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and unfortunately,
I was the only African-American

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guy in the program.

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And I said, Shucks,
this is not good.

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So now I'm 60 years

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old, or in my sixties...
61, actually.

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And I'm still
the only African-American doing

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what I'm doing.

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Narr: Cobb studied
agriculture at Fresno State

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and went on to work for the U.S.

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Department of Agriculture
for 30 years,

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helping other farmers
while he and his wife

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started their own farm
in the 1980s.

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Sam: Finally, when I turned 40,
I realized

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that I had all the pieces
of the puzzle.

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Officially, 2019
retired from the U.S.

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Department of Agriculture and
went full time into agriculture.

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Narr: Putting together
that puzzle wasn't easy.

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He had to find the right land

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and he had to negotiate some
deals to get what he wanted.

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That included
an important question

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for his wife, Maxine,
on their first date.

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Sam: Do you think you could see
yourself

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being married to a farmer
if everything worked out?

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She said, Yeah, I can see that.

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That was 43 years ago.

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Were still together.

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Narr: Sam and Maxine made
several attempts at farming.

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2002 was the date

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when they finally decided
on their ideal product.

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Sam: Dates are a very
difficult thing to grow.

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You have to be patient,

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and it helps to know
that it's going to be 20 years.

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Narr: Mesh bags protect the
ripening dates

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from birds and insects.

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No pests mean no pesticides.

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Sam: Dates are harvested
by hand.

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Everything with a date tree
by -- in the field, is by hand.

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Once it goes into the packers,
the packers are able to use

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the latest technology.
Within the fields

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until it gets to the packer
dates are still all by hand.

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Narr: Of the seven varieties

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of dates he grows,
Cobb has a definite favorite.

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His own variety. Black gold.

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Sam: Black gold.

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We found this date
on the side of the road.

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It was just
a piece of garbage tree.

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And then about three
or four years in, it bloomed.

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I tasted it and my eyes are
open and I said, This is good.

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I could sell this.

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Narr: Black gold dates have a
flavor that's hard to identify

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even for Cobb.

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Sam: Once it mellows, it begins
to taste kinda caramely

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a hint of chocolate.

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The third flavor
is a mystery flavor, which,

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to this day, in 20 years,
no one can agree

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what it tastes like.

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And one lady, she cut it short,

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“That third flavor is sassy.

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This date tastes sassy”

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Narr: Cobb
found his dream date.

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Now he has a bigger dream
for his farm.

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Sam: I hope to hand it off to
my children to keep in business.

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But my biggest dream
is for my grandchildren

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to go and study agriculture

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or science, engineering, law,

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accounting, not
to go and work for someone else,

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but to come and work
and improve the family business.

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That's my dream.

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Narr: Sam Cobb doesn't take
success for granted.

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Sam: The saying says,
luck favors the prepared.

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So if you're prepared, when luck
happens, you will be lucky.

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You know,

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I've been preparing
since I was three years old.

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I'm doing my part in the world
and I'm

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leaving my mark in agriculture.