As a child, Thomas Nelson became fascinated by the Edmund Fitzgerald after seeing one of its lifeboats in a museum. As an adult and elected official, he realized that the Edmund Fitzgerald was more than a maritime tragedy, it was a chapter in America’s story of deindustrialization. This realization led him to write Wrecked: The Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.

Watch our full conversation with Nelson on the Great Lakes Now YouTube channel.

#EdmundFitzgerald #GreatLakes #Shipping #Freighter #Economy
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The post The Edmund Fitzgerald is More Than a Maritime Tragedy appeared first on Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/26/the-edmund-fitzgerald-is-more-than-a-maritime-tragedy/

Great Lakes Now

In a small Michigan town, a unique restaurant offers truly local flavors.

At Farrand Hall, executive chef Ken Miller leads the kitchen in crafting menus based on what the landscape and the season has to offer. The result is an evolving selection of flavors, many of them from right outside the door.

Learn more on the Great Lakes Now YouTube channel.

#Food #Foraging #Cooking #Dining #Restaurant #FarmToTable #FineDining
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The post This Chef Forages for Your Food appeared first on Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/22/this-chef-forages-for-your-food/

Great Lakes Now

At Great Lakes Now, we love telling stories about the Great Lakes Region. Here’s a look back at some of our favorite pieces from 2025!

Find all of these, and more, at https://GreatLakesNow.org

#GreatLakes #Freighter #Environment #Train #HighSpeedRail #Science #PublicMedia #EnvironmentalJournalism
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The post Our Favorite Great Lakes Stories of 2025 appeared first on Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/18/our-favorite-great-lakes-stories-of-2025/

Great Lakes Now

When the Erie Canal opened, it didn’t just slash travel time and cost, it changed America’s trajectory.

By linking the Great Lakes to New York City and the Atlantic Ocean, the canal fueled westward expansion, allowed new ideas to spread like wildfire, and laid the foundations for America’s Industrial Revolution.

Learn more at https://www.greatlakesnow.org/eriecanal/

#GreatLakes #History #IndustrialRevolution #Economy #NewYork #Industry

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The post The Erie Canal Kickstarted the Industrial Revolution appeared first on Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/16/the-erie-canal-kickstarted-the-industrial-revolution/

Great Lakes Now

In Wrecked: The Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy, author Thomas Nelson explores how the Edmund Fitzgerald is more than just the subject of a popular song.

News Editor Lisa John Rogers spoke with Thomas Nelson about his book, his lifelong fascination with the Fitzgerald, and what the tragedy can teach us about the evolution of America’s economy.

#GreatLakes #Shipwreck #EdmundFitzgerald #Shipping #Freighters #History #Economy

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===========================================

Produced by
Lisa John Rogers

Edited by
Bill Allesee

Camera
Adam Fox-Long

Additional Photos and Videos
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society

The post Why the Edmund Fitzgerald is More Than a Maritime Tragedy | Great Lakes Now appeared first on Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/15/why-the-edmund-fitzgerald-is-more-than-a-maritime-tragedy-great-lakes-now/

Great Lakes Now

200 years ago, the opening of the Erie Canal solved one of America’s biggest logistical problems: how to quickly move people and goods from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

New York governor DeWitt Clinton pushed for a canal linking Lake Erie to the Hudson River and New York City, drastically cutting travel time and costs and helping launch America’s Industrial Revolution.

Learn more at https://www.greatlakesnow.org/eriecanal/

#GreatLakes #History #Economy #IndustrialRevolution #NewYork #Infrastructure
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The post Why America Needed the Erie Canal appeared first on Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/11/why-america-needed-the-erie-canal/

Great Lakes Now

Can we eat our way out of the Great Lakes mussel invasion?

Viewers have asked us if invasive quagga and zebra mussels are edible, so we looked into it. The findings? Don’t eat the mussels.

These mussels are voracious filter feeders, meaning they suck up lake water and feed on small organisms. That also means they absorb contaminants in the water, and that accumulates in the mussels.

And even if you have mussels that you know for certain come from a clean environment, they are far from seafood delicacies. Quagga and zebra mussels are small, with very little meat. Not ideal for cooking.

Meanwhile, invasive mussels are wreaking havoc on native species that are delicious, like whitefish.

Learn more on the Great Lakes Now YouTube channel.

#GreatLakes #Mussels #InvasiveMussels #Food #Fish #Ecology #Environment

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The post Can you eat invasive mussels? appeared first on Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/09/can-you-eat-invasive-mussels/

Great Lakes Now

At Farrand Hall in Southwest Michigan, chefs don’t just source their ingredients. They forage for them. What began as a vacation home for owners James Gray and Jacob Hagan has grown into a one-of-a-kind dining experience that gives guests a true taste of the surrounding landscape.

GLN News Editor Lisa John Rogers visited Farrand Hall to learn how the team’s unique approach connects food, place, and community.

#GreatLakes #Food #Dining #FineDining #Foraging #Restaurant
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===========================================

Produced by
Lisa John Rogers
Adam Fox-Long

Written by
Adam Fox-Long

Narrated by
Lisa John Rogers

Edited by
Bill Allesee

Camera
Adam Fox-Long

Additional Material
Farrand Hall

The post At This Michigan Restaurant, Chefs Forage For Your Food | Great Lakes Now appeared first on Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/08/at-this-michigan-restaurant-chefs-forage-for-your-food-great-lakes-now/

Great Lakes Now

Invasive quagga mussels have taken over the lakes, severely threatening native species like whitefish. So what can we do?

Researchers like Harvey Bootsma are exploring different ways to control mussel populations. But will any of them work?

This video was produced in partnership with @bridge.michigan

Learn more on the Great Lakes Now YouTube channel.

#Whitefish #Fish #Fishing #Ecology #GreatLakes #Mussels #InvasiveSpecies
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The post What will it take to stop invasive mussels? appeared first on Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/05/what-will-it-take-to-stop-invasive-mussels/

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes whitefish are disappearing, largely due to an explosion of invasive mussels. These filter feeders consume much of the food that baby whitefish need to make it to adulthood.

But there may be some hope. Lake Superior, which has far fewer mussels than the other lakes, is the last refuge for whitefish. And another invasive species, the round goby, may be an unlikely ally in the fight against mussels.

This video was produced in partnership with @bridge.michigan

Learn more on the Great Lakes Now YouTube channel.

#GreatLakes #Whitefish #Fishing #Mussels #InvasiveSpecies
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The post Is there any hope for whitefish? appeared first on Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/03/is-there-any-hope-for-whitefish/

Great Lakes Now

Year in Review 2021: New beginnings, or a look at one-sixth of the year

For me personally, I’ll always remember 2021 as the year I achieved one of my greatest accomplishments – graduating from Zoom University back in May and eventually becoming a part of Great Lakes Now’s growing team in October.  

I’m only about two months into my role as the new digital content coordinator for Great Lakes Now, but I’ve already learned a lot – and I’ve already gotten to see the team achieve a lot of great accomplishments in just the one-sixth of a year I’ve been on board.  

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/year-in-review-2021-new-beginnings/

Mila Murray