At Clarkdale Fruit Farm: The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association presents a Big Read event followed by cider and conversation. Enjoy an easy afternoon saunter through the orchard with writer, educator and songstress Erica Wheeler, who kicks off the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association’s National Endowment for the Arts Big Read of Ross Gay’s poetry, Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude. This guided experience includes stopping for reflection and conversation about our connections to place. Receive writing prompts and suggestions to capture the moment. Leave feeling more connected to yourself, your place and your community. All are welcome to soak up the creative inspiration! Meet at Clarkdale Fruit Farm, 303 Upper Rd., Deerfield, MA.

* Food, Farms, and Factories

In 2024, the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center present programs and exhibits about Food, Farms, and Factories, continuing conversations about rural life in Turners Falls and Franklin County. Supported by the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, RiverCulture, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Montague Public Libraries. Funded by Mass Humanities through the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit greatfallsdiscoverycenter.org/foodfarmsandfactories to learn more.