February 11 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST

Root Hog or Die by Rawn Fulton and Newbold Noyes. Western Massachusetts farmers describe their lives in the 1970s. Meet Rawn Fulton for a discussion after the film. Snow date: 2/18.

“Root Hog or Die is a portrait of a living remnant of this once pervasive but rapidly vanishing way of life. Filmed in 1973 in hilltowns across Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont, it follows the cycle of the farming year from spring to winter. In its course we visit with an array of elders, who reflect on farming’s deep natural patterns, share their family histories and personal memories, and ponder the inevitable forces of technological and social change they have endured. The bittersweet nature of their challenges is manifest, as is the quiet pride they take in their lives as farmers.”

—  Documentary Educational Resources

“A significant contribution to American oral history.”

— Alan Lomax

In this Food, Farms, and Factories documentary series you’ll hear directly from historians and those who are a part of local food systems, agriculture, or manufacturing in our region. Sponsored by Mass Humanities, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Light refreshments. Meet in the Great Hall.

Ongoing in 2024

Throughout 2024 the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center present programs and exhibits about Food, Farms, and Factories. Building on the success of Crossroads: Change in Rural America in 2023, the conversation continues about rural life in Turners Falls and Franklin County. Supported by several local partners, including the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center, RiverCulture, Montague Public Libraries, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association. Funded by Mass Humanities through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).