We’re heading to Wilbraham where a turn off the main road brings wondrous vistas and copious amounts of locally grown fruit. Fern Valley Farm is nearing its 10th year of bringing bucolic views and tree fruits of all sorts to the area, and we talk with the family that brought it back from disrepair, Dan and Brooke Fernandes, to learn more about the trees and varieties they’re raising and the community that’s sprouted up in their newest venture, Fern Valley Market.
Plus, just because the summer season is over doesn’t mean that Jacob’s Pillow is ending their presentations of dance and dance innovators for western Mass. and the world. They’re about to launch their 2nd ever fall season, and their incubator program The Pillow Lab is celebrating its 10th anniversary! We speak with Executive Director Pam Tatge about the lessons learned from last year and who will grace their stage in this one, as well as the impact having dedicated space to create can make for up and coming choreographers.
And the Quabbin Reservoir remains an important source of water… for folx who don’t live in western Massachusetts. And recently the Mass. Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has requested 20 million more gallons of water from the reservoir a day even in this time of statewide drought. We talk to the former director of the Water Supply Citizens Advisory Committee to the MWRA, Lexi Dewey, about the public hearing on this matter happening Sep. 30, and the possible results of drawing from the reservoir while it is at record lows.
