Community Supported Agriculture is a hot commodity nowadays. "Buy local" has become something of a battle cry among community-minded restaurants and individuals, who say that the benefits of locally grown fruits and vegetables are numerous, including greater compensation for the farmers and fresher, better-tasting products for the consumers. Now, the Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) is throwing its hat into the ring with the first offering from its own "Community Supported Fishery" (CSF).
This month, the AMCC, through its "Catch of the Season" program, will offer Kodiak Island Tanner crab, delivered to Anchorage for pickup by subscribers.The Tanner crab, according to the website, "is a close relative of the opilio or snow crab. Tanner crabs are sought after for their rich, sweet flavor and tender texture which makes them ideal for a variety of recipes."
AMCC Executive Director Kelly Harrell says that the Tanner crab can be difficult to get in Anchorage, because it's a small-market item. She says that much of the Tanner crab catch is typically shipped overseas to Japan and other markets. But this is the niche that the CSF is trying to fill.
"It's about tapping into these small markets," she says.
This inaugural shipment will be the first time the Catch of the Season program is offered to the general public, and AMCC is hoping to continue the deliveries of fresh seafood throughout the year.
The program isn't entirely new, however. Harrell says that specialty shipments used to go out to large-scale donors as a way of thanking them for their contributions. That has since fallen by the wayside, but AMCC is looking to increase the delivery of fresh seafood to all those interested in CSFs.
The CSF model has become increasingly common, according to Harrell. She says that similar programs have become popular along the east coast, especially in places like Maine, and have begun to spring up on the West Coast as well. It seems a natural extension of the CSA idea, but CSFs offer unique challenges of their own.
"It's a little more complicated with seafood," Harrell says, "especially in Alaska."
Harrell says she knows of one other CSF in Alaska, Alaskans Own, based in Sitka.
The model has similar benefits to those provided by CSAs. Consumers get a deal on a very fresh (and occasionally hard-to-find) product, and local fishermen get a better return on their own investment. "Fishermen get a much higher price per pound through this program than they would otherwise, delivering to a processor," Harrell says, adding that any income beyond the costs of shipping and what goes to the fishermen is retained by AMCC.
The first shipment will deliver primarily to Anchorage, and will be kept in cold storage for customers looking to pick it up. Harrell says they are hoping to expand the program if the first deliveries are successful. She says that Fairbanks is a strong contender for future delivery, because they don't have the same kind of access to seafood that Southcentral enjoys.
Orders for the first shipment are due on Jan. 19, and customers can order a 10-pound box of crab for $125 ($12.50 per pound), or a 25-pound box for $300 ($12 per pound). The deliveries will come in the form of frozen leg clusters.
If the first shipment works out, Harrell says that they've already picked out some other catches for deliveries later in the year.
"We'd like to do a salmon shipment in the summer," Harrell says, whether from Bristol Bay, Southeast, or Kodiak, and will likely try to do a halibut offering in the fall. Shrimp may even become available at some point. Harrell says they aim to do four or five shipments during the course of the year.