Today's Segments
Winds of Change: Ilonna Pederson and the Musical Spirit of the Plains
Ilonna Pederson, founder and director of the New York Kammermusiker, returns to North Dakota for the ensemble’s 18th annual Winds of Change Concert Tour. In this Main Street conversation, she shares the origins of the tour—sparked by a wind energy concert in New York—and how it evolved into a cherished summer tradition celebrating music, history, and community. This year’s performances span the state with stops in Jamestown, Maddock, Pembina, Walhalla, Fargo, and Icelandic State Park. A highlight remains the group’s annual visit to the Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton, where they perform alongside Tal, a rhythm-loving orangutan. Pederson reflects on the logistics of sustaining such a tour, the power of music education, and a repertoire that spans Icelandic and Ukrainian folk tunes, tributes to Peggy Lee, and arrangements crafted specifically for North Dakota audiences.
The Bullhead Craze: A Fishy Fascination of the Northern Plains
Historian Dr. Tom Isern revisits a quirky chapter of Plains folk culture—the unexpected popularity of the black bullhead catfish. Often dismissed today for its spines, muddy habitats, and hook-swallowing habits, the bullhead was once the centerpiece of a full-blown social phenomenon. In the late 19th century, bullhead fishing crossed gender and class lines, uniting attorneys, ladies’ clubs, and children in a shared pastime. From artesian lakes to backyard birthday parties, the “bullhead craze” was about more than catching fish—it was about community, summer joy, and simple pleasures.
Holding Ground: The Pamunkey Tribe’s Fight Against Rising Waters
As sea levels rise and land subsides, the Pamunkey Indian Tribe of Virginia faces an existential threat to their ancestral reservation. This segment explores the tribe’s innovative approaches to climate resilience, including living shorelines, ecological restoration, and knowledge-sharing with other Indigenous communities. Tribal leaders discuss the cultural, emotional, and political dimensions of holding ground in a time of environmental upheaval—defending not just land, but heritage and identity against a shifting tide.
From Farm to Faraway: Why Your Food Travels So Far
In an era of booming farmers markets and local food campaigns, why does so much of what we eat still come from far away? *Harvest Public Media’s* *Food Routes* series unpacks the global forces behind the modern food supply chain. From refrigerated storage and international trade policies to shifting crop patterns and consumer habits, the segment reveals why the average grocery item has traveled thousands of miles before reaching your plate—and what that means for sustainability, taste, and food security.
This Week in Water: Climate Reversals, Pesticide Fights, and Penguin Navigation
In this news roundup from This Week in Water, the EPA considers reversing its landmark scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger human health, while the Trump administration seeks to re-approve the herbicide dicamba—despite past legal bans. Meanwhile, funding is being pulled from efforts to help California farmworkers suffering from pesticide-contaminated water. In a lighter discovery, scientists find that penguins use a mysterious and effective method to return home after long ocean swims, shedding light on the marvels of animal navigation amid a world in flux.