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Smith's new tuition pledge, Farmer Clark's in Hampden

Today we're speaking with two folx making big plans for the future.

In Northampton, Smith College has just announced it's The Next 150 Pledge, wherein undergraduate students from families making less than $150,000 per year will have free tuition to the institution. We speak with current president of the college, Sarah Willie-LeBreton, about this initiative through the lens of the alumnae and current students, as well as the greater scope of higher education as federal pressure on such institutions continues to push.

Then we head to Hampden where a young farmer is starting his journey amongst the younger agricultural generation. Farmer Clark's is the project of Clark Kedis, who is now tending to 40 acres over two parcels. With two farmstands and some innovative plans for the present and future, we hear about his first year with a farm of his very own.

Christopher “Monte'' Belmonte is host and executive producer of NEPM's The Fabulous 413. He was born and raised in Massachusetts and has been a radio host in western Massachusetts for the last 20 years — the last 17 of them as host of Mornings with Monte on The River 93.9/WRSI.
Kaliis Smith is a radio host and producer for NEPM's The Fabulous 413. She was most recently host and producer at The River 93.9/WRSI where she appeared on Mornings with Monte for the Nerdwatch segment and hosted weekday evenings.