June 6, 2025: Fish Stories

Today, we have two tales of community celebration alike in virtue, where we’ll head deep into the Hilltowns, and get out on the riverA celebration of the once incredibly plentiful anadromous fish of the Connecticut River who are currently fighting their way upstream to spawn in northern waters. The inaugural Shad Fest happens this Sunday so we head to Holyoke to witness the fish elevator and hear about the incredible festivities with festival organizer Stephanie Moore. And a glimpse of the important role Shad has played in the area’s history and ecosystem with Andrew Fisk, Northeast Regional Director for American Rivers. We’ll also celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Westhampton Public Library opening with a collection of tales of people from the area about the impact of our foodways. The Hampshire County Food Policy Council is opening the exhibit “Sharing Stories, Creating Change", featuring a new story from a family that’s been farming in the area for 80 years. And we hear from Storytelling Circle Coordinator Kristen Whitmore and Community Story Archive Coordinator Alexandra Mello about the impact personal stories can have in our community and beyond.