VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE # 150 (previously EP 101)
AIR DATE # 11 27 2020 (previously aired 12 20 2019)
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
The Mighty Cranberry
((SOT))
((David Ross, Owner, Cranberry Bog Tours))
The cranberries don't care what's going on in the world. The
beauty of the crop and the natural world is, the crop grows,
the cranberries grow, regardless of what's going on in the
human world.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Holidays with Heart
((SOT))
((Daniel Woodridge-Williams, Volunteer))
You don’t have to have immediate family. You have people
that come together to do something to support somebody
else. That’s why I love here. I don’t complain about it. I do
complain a lot. I complain. But it gets better. It gets better.
((NATS))
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Chocolate with a Purpose
((SOT))
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
I love everything about chocolate. Making it, working with it
and especially the reaction I get from people when they try
my chocolate.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) CRANBERRIES
((Banner: Cranberries))
((Reporter/Camera/Drone Camera: Aaron Fedor))
((Producer: Kathleen McLaughlin))
((Editor: Kyle Dubiel))
((Map: Cape Cod, Massachusetts))
((Main characters: 1 male))
((Sub characters: 1 male))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((David Ross, Owner, Cranberry Bog Tours))
Cranberries are a native fruit to North America. They are
only one of three fruits that were growing here before the
Europeans came. There were only cranberries, blueberries
and Concord grapes here before the Europeans arrived.
And so, the native Americans that lived here since, you
know, who knows how long, how many thousands of years
they lived here before the Europeans, they harvested the
cranberries that grew here wild in the swamps.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((David Ross, Owner, Cranberry Bog Tours))
I think everybody's here. Welcome. Thank you everybody
for coming. I'm Dave. This is part of my cranberry farm
here. I have 80 acres [32 hectares] of cranberries altogether
on our farm. I came down here after college and bought a
farm. I'd worked on farms in high school. So, we started
small and have grown. We have farms all the way from
about five miles [8 km] down the road to the west in East
Sandwich.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((David Ross, Owner, Cranberry Bog Tours))
Well, the Cape is a good place to grow cranberries because
the climate is right, the soil is right, everything is just right
here. I call it my Goldilocks theory. There's no real school
where you can go to learn how to grow cranberries. So, I
learned pretty much all on the job and then in 1986, I met an
old guy, and I joke about, in the 1980s, there were no such
thing as a mentor. We just called him an old man. He was
the old man that had the farm next door, but he became my
mentor and I bought his farm and he really showed me a lot
of things that had taken him, his whole career, his whole
lifetime.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((David Ross, Owner, Cranberry Bog Tours))
The water reel is the machine that knocks the cranberries
loose from the vines. We flood the bogs. We run the water
reel through. The water reel breaks the cranberries loose or
agitates them. So, the cranberries float in the water. After
they are knocked loose or knocked off, we'll raise the water
level up and then we'll come back in a day or so, gather
them together. We call it racking or corralling when we
gather them. And then we'll pump them out of the water with
the big pump rig which separates the cranberries from any
leaves or other debris that's in there and pumps the clean
cranberries out of the water and into the truck to go to the
factory to the processor.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((David Ross, Owner, Cranberry Bog Tours))
This is kind of a family business, a little bit of a family. I
started it. My son hopefully will take over. He's involved now
so.
((NATS))
((James Ross, Son and Co-owner, Cranberry Bog
Tours))
Well, I got into the cranberry business through birth, pretty
much, born into it. When I was growing up, I lived on about
a 10-acre farm that my dad owns and operates. And then
over the years, he's expanded from there. And then I started
getting more into it, probably about eight years ago. We
looked at a farm together and we purchased it about five
years ago. And so now as partners, I play a little bit more of
a role in that bog in particular and help him out when I can at
the other places.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((David Ross, Owner, Cranberry Bog Tours))
The pandemic has really probably helped the business a
little bit because everybody went into their stock-up-their-
bunker mode in the beginning. So, we sold a lot of cranberry
juice initially. But in a lot of ways, it hasn't affected the
business much because the cranberries don't care what's
going on in the world. The beauty of the crop and the
natural world is, it's oblivious to what's going on in the
human world. The crop grows. The cranberries grow,
regardless of what's going on in the world.
((NATS/MUSIC))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Giving Some Time
((SOT))
((Volunteer))
Volunteering is free. It costs you nothing but time.
((Volunteer))
I was forced into volunteering when I was young. I didn’t
come kicking and screaming this time. I didn’t come kicking
and screaming.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY MEALS
((Banner: Delivering Kindness))
((Previously aired December 2019))
((Reporter/Camera: Gabrielle Weiss))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 2 female; 1 male))
((Popup Banner:
Although food insecurity for many families has increased, a
family’s tradition of making holiday meals for others has
been scaled back because of the pandemic.))
((NATS))
Gravy…..quick, before my pot starts burning…..
((Popup Banner:
This is their story from last year and what they hope to
continue in the years to come.))
((NATS))
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
Get this gravy going and then we’re going to pray and then
we can start serving, I mean packaging the food. We all
have a lot to be thankful for. We are alive and among the
living and I thank God that we have the opportunity to help
someone this day. You know, people that, some of the
seniors, this may be the only meal they have this week, I
understand. Let us all be in unity and let us all have fun as
we put together these meals. In Jesus’s name, amen.
((Volunteers))
Amen. Amen. Amen
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
So, between my sister and I, we cooked 30 turkeys for the
holiday. My mother started the organization and it’s just
something that’s a part of me now. It’s part of my life. I can’t
imagine doing anything else on the holiday but preparing
meals for the less fortunate. So, I like doing it.
((NATS))
((Volunteer))
Volunteering is free. It costs you nothing but time.
((Volunteer))
I was forced into volunteering when I was young. I didn’t
come kicking and screaming this time. I didn’t come kicking
and screaming.
((NATS))
((Annie Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
I’m ready to go home. I’m past my shift. My shift was over
at 6 o’clock. I’m still here.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
So, these are the routes. I need to tally and see just how
many meals total we have. Because we have 60 some
drivers. So, I have to make a route for each driver. I haven’t
had that many drivers in a long, very long time.
((NATS))
((Iris Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
It’s the eight o’clock shift.
It’s the eight o’clock shift.
((Volunteer))
Good morning. How are you?
((Volunteer))
Good morning. How’re you doing this morning?
((Iris Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
I am good. Welcome, welcome, welcome.
((Volunteer))
No, it’s my first time. I’ve never been here, never done this.
((Volunteer))
Good morning.
((Iris Woodridge, Carolyn’s sister))
Alright. Here’s your apron.
((Volunteer))
Alright. Thank you. I got it.
((Annie Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
You’re going to be a server?
((Volunteer))
And driver.
((Annie Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
We’ll get you back here and get you all gloved up, aproned
up and get you going.
((Volunteer))
Alrighty.
((Annie Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
Put you to work.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
Well, he doesn’t need a hairnet.
((Volunteer))
Ms. Carolyn, how are you this morning? I should have
known that was you.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
He doesn’t need a hairnet.
((NATS))
((Volunteer))
Not by any stretch of the imagination.
((NATS))
((Iris Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
Are you doing packing? Okay.
((Volunteer))
Whatever you need.
((Iris Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
I’ll tell you what, you want to pack?
((Volunteer))
Yes.
((Iris Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
Alright.
((Volunteer))
We’re just ready to do something. Just do it. Just do it.
((Annie Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
I’ve been here since 11 o’clock yesterday. Now I’m going
home. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. Happy Thanksgiving
to everybody.
((NATS))
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
You better take it, scrape it, oh, scrape the ends of that
ma’am. We’re not throwing that away. Oh no, you could put
that in a plate and I’ll eat it.
((Daniel Woodridge-Williams, Carolyn Marshall’s
nephew))
This is the most workout I get every year. Like, being in the
house period, this is the most workout I get. And I don’t
even like to cook. You don’t have to have immediate family.
You have people that come together to do something to
support somebody else. And that’s what I like so, that’s why
I love it. I don’t complain about it. I do complain a lot. I
complain. But it gets better. It gets better.
((NATS))
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
Hi. That’s my son. That’s my baby.
((Tavon Brown, Carolyn Marshall’s son))
How you’re doing? Hi, mom.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
He’s my baby. This is Tavon. This is Stephanie. I didn’t get
her name or your name, you two.
((Volunteer))
Kladies.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
Kladies. Kladies sounds sassy. Oh Tavon, there’s
Stan…..oh no, there’s Stanley right here. Hey Rob, I was
pointing at you for Stan. I’m sorry.
((Volunteer))
Well, we look a lot alike.
((Volunteer))
That’s right.
((Tavon Brown, Carolyn Marshall’s son))
I can go deliver something right now.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
You want to deliver? Okay. Come on let me give you a
route. I have route 2. It’s 23 meals.
((Tavon Brown, Carolyn Marshall’s son))
I was around my grandmother when she started this and that
was like in the early 80s. And then when she passed away,
my aunt and my mother took over. And we’re just still into it.
Sometimes I had no choice when I was younger. There’s no
parking around there. All the parking spaces are taken.
((NATS))
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
They’re writing him a ticket. I can’t understand that. That is
really crazy. Daniel, come move your car. They’re going to
give you a ticket.
((NATS))
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
Drivers are coming every fifteen minutes. So, when I finish,
I’m going to finish the headcount and then I’m coming in to
help pack.
((NATS))
((Dawn Person, Volunteer))
Good morning.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Good morning. Are we ready?
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
Old faithful here, thirty years coming here. Thirty
years. Well, here’s your list.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Alright.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
I kept it warm for you. You have 56 meals.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
And they’re all counted out in the box?
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
Yup.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
We’re good. I’ll take both of these.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
You have it?
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Yeah.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
Bye, Brian. Bye, Doris.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
We’re going to the Regency House. It’s a residential
counsel. And these people are usually elderly or either they
have a disability or something like that so. We’ve been
doing this over 30 years so, most of them know us. This is
the building here called the Regency House. So, we’re
going to get out and do what we do, babe.
((NATS))
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Mother Dear’s Community Center. Happy holidays, Mr.
Daly. Mother Dear’s. We have a meal for you, Mr. Daly.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Happy holidays. Mother Dear’s Community Center.
((Resident))
Oh, how y’all doing?
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Yeah, you remember us?
((Resident))
Bless y’all.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
We be here at the same time, see that?
((Resident))
Thank you, thank you.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Alright, happy holidays now.
((Resident))
Alright, y’all have a good one.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Alright brother.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Ok, thanks.
((NATS))
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Happy holidays.
((Dawn Person, Volunteer))
Happy holidays.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Mother Dear’s Community Center. We have a meal for you.
((Resident))
Oh, hi. Thank you. Mom!
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
You’re welcome. Happy holidays.
((Resident))
Thank you. Come inside. Come and say hi to her.
((Dawn Person, Volunteer))
Ok, let me say hi.
((Resident))
Mom! You have a visitor.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
How are you?
((Resident))
They are here. They are taking your picture.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
We’re right here.
((Resident))
Thank you.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
You’re welcome. You’re welcome.
((Resident))
Thank you very much.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
You’re welcome.
((Resident))
Want to see them?
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Hey!
((Resident))
She’s all the way in Africa.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Oh wow. How are you?
((Resident))
I’m just fine.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Good. We deliver dinners every Christmas and the holidays,
any holidays, Thanksgiving.
((Resident))
Thank you so much.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Alright, we’ll see you the next time.
((Resident))
Alright.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Take care.
((Dawn Person, Volunteer))
Bye-bye.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Bye-bye.
((NATS))
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
How are you? Happy holidays.
((Resident))
Happy holiday.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
How are you?
((Dawn Person, Volunteer))
Come on, I’ll hold it for you. You’re coming in?
((Resident))
I’m looking somebody. My television not working.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Oh no. He’s supposed to come and fix it? Ok, what’s your
apartment number?
((Resident))
Right here.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
But what number is it?
((Resident))
315.
((Dawn Person, Volunteer))
Yes, Ms. Small?
((Resident))
Yes.
((Dawn Person, Volunteer))
Hi, Ms. Small.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Hi, Ms. Small. We got a meal for you. Mother Dear’s
Community Center. I’ll set it right there.
((Resident))
Could you look at my television for me?
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
You want me to look at it, come on.
((Resident))
Could you look on my television for me?
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
You want me to look, ok. Come on, I’ll look at it, come
on. Alright. Let’s go see what I can do.
((Resident))
Push the door.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Come on. Let’s go see what we can do. Your box not on.
What channel you want to look at?
((Resident))
294.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
294.
((Resident))
Yeah, that’s my Christian station.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
It should come on because…..Voilá!
((Resident))
It’s something me touch.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I fixed it. See, I told you I know about
TVs.
((Resident))
Yes.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
I know all about TVs and everything else. There you go.
((Resident))
Thank you.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
You’re welcome.
((Resident))
God bless.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
God bless.
((Resident))
I want you to come have Thanksgiving with me. I don’t have
much but…..
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
I got a meal for you right here.
((Resident))
I’ve been so lonely. No friends, I got big family, but
everybody living…..
((Dawn Person, Volunteer))
All different places.
((Resident))
…..with their families.
((Dawn Person, Volunteer))
Yes. Don’t worry about it.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
We come here every year, twice a year.
((Resident))
And I had a beer, trying to go to sleep.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Well look, put some food on it too.
((Dawn Person, Volunteer))
Now you got food. Don’t cry.
((Resident))
You better come back and see me.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
I’m going to come back and see you.
((Resident))
Bye.
((Brian Person, Volunteer))
Bye.
((Resident))
Happy holidays!
((NATS))
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
Keep going with the food because we have 423 more meals
and we’re going to need drivers. Four hundred and twenty
three.
((Volunteer))
423 meals?
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
We need drivers.
((Volunteer))
With a car or just a driver?
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
And a car to drive. You’re going to drive for me, Joseph?
((Volunteer))
I’ll drive for you if you want, yeah.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
You can drive?
((Volunteer))
I’m a good driver.
((Daniel Woodridge-Williams, Carolyn Marshall’s
nephew))
It’s a hustle but we’re getting through it, we’re getting
through it, we’re getting through it.
((Carolyn Marshall, Mother Dear’s Community Center))
We’ve done over 800 meals so far today. We’ll do it all
again next year. It might be more. It may be
less. We’ll see.
((Iris Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
You needed three more? Here, three more.
((Volunteer))
Three more. Three more. Thank you.
((Iris Woodridge, Carolyn Marshall’s sister))
There you are. Everybody has their list.
((NATS))
((Popup Banner:
While the Mother Dear volunteers are unable to cook meals
this year, they have given nearly 200 turkeys to people to
cook themselves.))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
The Magic of Cacao
((SOT))
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
I allowed myself to dream of a plan to take the art of
chocolate making to Mexico because that’s where cacao
originated.
BREAKTWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) CHOCOLATE MAKER
((Banner: Sculpting Chocolate))
((Previously aired December 2019))
((Executive Producer: Marsha James))
((Camera: Kaveh Rezaei))
((Map: Tucson, Arizona))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 3 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
When I work with chocolate, I feel like a passion just take
over me. The connection I have with chocolate feels really
ancient like it goes back lifetimes. I love everything about
chocolate. Making it, working with it and especially the
reaction I get from people when they try my chocolate.
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
My name is Juliana Desmond and I am a chocolate artist.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
I became inspired to work with chocolate after seven trips
that I had taken to Mexico. During my travels, I had a lot of
ideas for art that I wanted to create.
((Courtesy: Ramon Garcia))
I do hand-building, mostly sculptures because I was traveling
so much, I didn't have the opportunity to create.
When I came back to Tucson and was a little more
grounded, I got the idea why not make molds that are food
safe and I can pour chocolate in them.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
So first, we're going to start with making a mold with a
thermo-forming machine. This is typically used by dentists
for making dental implants. I use it for making chocolate
molds. Turn the heat on and this top part will heat up.
It's going to get pretty loud once I turn it on the vacuum.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
And that's a mold.
Originally, I was doing the chocolate art as a business and I
realized that it wasn't bringing me as much joy. I was losing
my passion and enthusiasm for it as an art. It became
repetitive and realized that I had to shift my perspective. I
allowed myself to dream up a plan to take the art of
chocolate making to Mexico because that's where cacao
originated, but the people there don't have access to
equipment, to the practices of fine chocolate making. Those
were all developed in Europe and never made it back to the
land where cacao originated.
((NATS))
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
So now that it's cooled, take the tray out of there and pop the
design out and there's your mold. This here is a silicone
mold that I made of some cactus. And this is the thermal
formed mold that we just made. Now I'm going to pour the
chocolate into the molds. Now put it in the fridge.
((NATS))
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
Besides learning techniques for chocolate making, I also
learned about many unjust practices in the cacao industry.
((Courtesy: Ramon Garcia))
I planned a trip to Tabasco, Mexico where most of the cacao
grown in Mexico comes from and I reached out to a co-op
that helps farmers process their beans dry and ferment
them. I took with me a thermal-forming machine that I
donated to them so they could create their own culturally-
inspired custom molds.
((Courtesy: Ramon Garcia))
They gave me a tour of their co-op and that's when I realized
I could make a difference. And I taught a two-day workshop
so they could learn how to make truffles themselves. The
class that I taught was mostly women and they were all very
excited and enthusiastic about learning new methods of
((Courtesy: Ramon Garcia))
processing their cacao and new recipes to make with it,
because typically in that region of Mexico, what they make is
a beverage and they were very excited to learn how to make
more than just beverages.
((NATS))
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
My favorite chocolate is a truffle because it has cream and
butter. As far as tempering and chocolate art goes, dark
chocolate is the easiest to work with.
((NATS))
Oh, wow.
I like the way you pack them because it’s a single serving. I
like that.
Gorgeous.
Yeah, they are.
Awesome.
Thank you so much.
You’re welcome.
We've got desserts for the whole weekend.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
Now I only make chocolate occasionally for friends and
family and I take orders on my web site seasonally and for
the holidays.
((Juliana Desmond, Chocolate Artist))
I keep in contact with the ladies and they've told me that
the melanger has revolutionized the way that they make
chocolate. Seeing the reaction brought so much fulfillment
and I felt like it was my calling as an artist. It gave me a lot
of satisfaction. My hope is to empower the women with work
opportunities that preserve their culture and they can pass
on to their future generations.
((NATS/MUSIC))
NEXT WEEK ((ANIM))
((Banner))
In coming weeks…..
Travel During the Pandemic
((SOT))
((Banner))
Pandemic International Travel
CLOSING ((ANIM))
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BREAKTHREE
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS
((NATS))
((Popup captions over B Roll))
We make a difference
When we unmask terror
When we explain the impossible
When we confront an uncertain future
When we give voice to the voiceless
The difference is Freedom of the Press
We are the Voice of America where
A Free Press Matters
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS
((NATS))
((Popup 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
accurately
objectively
comprehensively
wherever the news matters
VOA
A Free Press Matters
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
SHOW ENDS
