IN THIS EPISODE:

On this episode of Great Lakes Now, join researchers racing against the clock to save lake whitefish. Then take a seat at Farrand Hall, a restaurant that serves up truly local flavors. Plus, the Erie Canal celebrates its 200th anniversary.

When to Watch?

Check your local station for when Great Lakes Now is on in your area.

Watch The Feature

Whitefish are Disappearing. What Can We Do?

SEGMENT 1 | Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, Fishtown (Leland), Muskegon

One of the most valued fish in the Great Lakes is in serious trouble, and the race is on to find a solution and save them.

Once a bountiful species, whitefish populations have plummeted over the last two decades, going from almost seven million pounds harvested in 2009 to less than two million pounds in 2024. Fishing families who once depended on whitefish harvests have had to shift to other, less valuable species or stop operating entirely.

Invasive zebra and quagga mussels are to blame for the decline. Voracious filter feeders, they siphon away the food that baby whitefish need to survive. Researchers are hard at work to find a way to curb the number of invasive mussels that blanket the lakebeds, while others search for ways to preserve existing populations.

This story was produced in partnership with Bridge Michigan.

Watch The Feature

At this Michigan Restaurant, Chefs Forage For Your Food

SEGMENT 2 | COLON, MI

In Colon, Michigan, James Gray and Jacob Hagan have transformed Farrand Hall, their historic home, into a unique dining experience. The couple purchased the property in 2017 as a weekend retreat from Chicago, but their vision evolved when they began hosting intimate dinners in 2019, prepared by chefs from their professional network.

What started as private gatherings has since opened to the public. Farrand Hall offers menus that change with the season, showcasing ingredients at their peak freshness.

Executive Chef Ken Miller leads the kitchen in crafting menus that reflect what the landscape has to offer. His menus feature local produce and ingredients foraged directly from the property’s 12 acres.

The result is an ever-changing culinary journey that connects diners to the rhythms of Michigan’s seasons.

Watch The Feature

How the Erie Canal Shaped Our World

SEGMENT 3 | Buffalo, NY ; New York, NY

2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal, the waterway connecting Lake Erie to the Hudson River, New York City, and the Atlantic Ocean. The canal slashed the time and cost it took to transport people and products across upstate New York, helping to hasten westward expansion and industrialization and built New York City into the financial capital of the United States.

Matthew Smith, a professor of history at Miami University of Ohio, wrote about the Erie Canal for The Conversation. GLN News Editor Lisa John Rogers spoke with Smith about how the canal shaped the world we live in.