Well, it is blowin' a gale out there this week.

The weather on our usual fishing grounds, Browns Bank, is not co-operating this week. There is a small craft warning, gale force winds and big seas. The safety of our fishermen is first and foremost, so this week Orlie Dixon will instead be staying in waters closer to home. It is more difficult to hook a good catch in this area, but he will be working hard to ensure that there is enough fish for the CSF this week.

Stayed tuned - we will send an email out by Wednesday at midnight confirming whether Week 6 pick-up is a go.

Another quick note: one Off the Hook subscriber lives and works in Bedford - she is loving the fresh fish, but wondering if anyone else passes by her way and would be willing to split driving duties for pick ups. Please contact her directly, if you want to be in on a fishy carpool: tracy@fireflydigital.ca

Finger and fins crossed as Orlie heads out...

Shannon Arnold
shannon@offthehookcsf.ca
442 0999

 

Looking for something fun to do this weekend?

Head down to Freeport, Long Island at the end of the Digby Neck for Freeport days! Three of our Off the Hook fishermen live on the island and would be happy to see any CSF subscribers who stop by.

There will be an Off the Hook float in the parade at 2pm on Saturday, the 21st!

Lots to do - BBQ, lobster chowder lunch, music, pig roast...everything starts at 11am Saturday.

See you there!

Hello!

I am just popping into your email to remind you that your fifth Off the Hook CSF fish share delivery will be arriving tomorrow, on Thursday, August 19th. Fishing member Tony Thurber is out on Brown's Bank to get your share this week, and will be just getting ashore tomorrow morning, in time to do the dockside stuff and get it on the ferry in time to make it to our pickup, 4-6 pm.

Tony's wife Laurie, pictured below with two of their seven children (Dawson and Matthew) will be driving your shares into town and likely helping with the wrapping as well. A fisher herself, she has been absolutely instrumental in keeping this community supported fishery rolling along. Our experiences with this CSF has really highlighted is the key roles played by the wives and families in making these small-scale independent fishing businesses work.

See below some details about the pickup, including a reminder about what to bring, when and where to show up:

When to show up: Thursday, August 19th, between 4 - 6 pm.

Where to show up: Capital Health's Victoria General Site, in the terrace area. Free parking is provided by Capital Health for ten minutes (take a ticket on the way in). Longer parking is available by paid meter on nearby streets.

Directions: http://www.offthehookcsf.ca/map/directions/77

Please bring a cooler or freezer bag to keep your fish as fresh as possible.

Shares that are not picked up by 6 pm will be donated to Hope Cottage for use in free hot meals.

BEST FISHES, 

Sadie Beaton

Community Supported Fishery Coordinator
sadie@offthehookCSF.ca/ 442 0999

This is just a quick note to remind you that your third delivery will be arriving on Thursday, August 12th. Fishing member Beau Gillis went out to Brown's Bank to get your share this week- testing his wee 38 foot boat the "C-Lover" in some windy weather.

Pictured below, hanging out with me at the pickup are what we like to call the Off the Hook CSF "volunteer dream team". Jenny, pictured leftmost, helped out a few weeks back during her visit all the way from Vancouver. George and Ben, to her right, have been showing up every single week to make sure there are some laughs onsite and that our pickups run as smoothly as possible. Feel free to give them some mad props when you see them this week!

See below some details about the pickup, including a reminder about what to bring, when and where to show up:

When to show up: Thursday, August 5th, between 4 - 6 pm.

Where to show up: Capital Health's Victoria General Site, in the terrace area. Free parking is provided by Capital Health for ten minutes (take a ticket on the way in). Longer parking is available by paid meter on nearby streets.

Directions: http://www.offthehookcsf.ca/map/directions/77

Please bring a cooler or freezer bag to keep your fish as fresh as possible.

Shares that are not picked up by 6 pm will be donated to Hope Cottage for use in free hot meals.

BEST FISHES, 

Sadie Beaton

Community Supported Fishery Coordinator
sadie@offthehookCSF.ca/ 442 0999

As your summer plans begin to overwhelm you, you may want to begin freezing parts of your fish share for the long winter season when our co-op will be taking a break from bottom hook and line fishing.

 Please find below some tips to ensure that you preserve as much of that Off the Hook freshness as possible:

-Freeze your fish share portion as soon as possible. Meanwhile, chill it over ice or in your fridge.

STEP A- Rinse fish thoroughly under running water.

STEP B-  Freeze it. There are several possible methods:

• Place whole fish or fillets in thick plastic sandwich containers or milk cartons. Cover the fish with water before sealing to prevent drying or oxidation over time.
  
• Wrap whole fish or fillets tightly in a moisture and vapour-proof material such as plastic wrap.  Keep the package as air-free  as possible. Protect this layer of wrap with more packaging - ie freezer paper or aluminum foil.
• Place whole fish or fillets in zippered plastic freezer bags. Press the bag gently to remove air, or use a straw to suck air out of bag. Seal the bag. Protect this layer of wrap with more packaging - ie freezer paper or aluminum foil to protect the freezer bag.
• Place whole fish or fillets in a vacuum packaging bag without getting the sealing area of the bag wet. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for creating a vacuum and sealing the bag.

STEP C- Label it with the date and "This haddock/ hake/ pollock is OFF THE HOOK!"

STEP D- Store up to 6 months.

To thaw, simply store in the refrigerator overnight - about 18 hours for a 1-inch thick package. In a pinch, you can also run under cold water- about 1 hour for a 1-inch thick package.

We hope you are enjoying the joys and challenges of insanely fresh, whole fish from the Bay of Fundy.  Please feel free to share your recipes and experiences at our facebook fan page or on your twitters and blogs!

 

Hello Off the Hook Subscribers! 

Thanks once again to each of you for signing up with Off the Hook Community Supported Fishery for this first delivery season!  Sign ups are now closed and we are excited that you are part of our nearly 100 brave and committed subscribers. We will be starting a waiting list for the next season in the next few weeks, but you founding subscribers will have first dibs.

Your first delivery will arrive tomorrow.  See below some details about the first pickup, including a final reminder on what to bring, when and where to show up, and more. Please be extra patient for this first pickup- we'll be working with almost 100 of you to snsure this goes as smoothly as possible on our first pickup manouver.

While it may not be as sexy as that other Plenty of Fish matchmaking service, we did want to do our part to help folks who may be interested in "hooking up" to split our fish shares.

The way this matchmaker blog post works is pretty simple. There are no exhuastive forms to fill out about whether you enjoy long walks along the beach or prefer to hang out in leather bars. If you are looking to split a fish share with some other folks for this summer season, just leave a comment below with some contact information. It may be helpful to add which weeks you are availabe to do pickup, which neighbourhood you live in, and whether you are looking to split the share with one or more others. (To keep the spam-bots away, it is also advisable to replace the "@" in your email address with an "at".)

Up to five contacts may be added to any share during your sign up to Off the Hook CSF- or anytime, as the summer progresses. You'll have to decide amongst yourselves who wants to submit the payment before the season begins. The online paypal service that accepts credit cards will require one payment. If you plan to pay with more than one cheque, this is possible-  we would just ask that you add a note to your membership when signing up.

When you have found a share-mate, please send an email to info@offthehookCSF.ca and we will erase your comment from the string, making it easier for others to get their "hook up" as well. And who knows, you already share a passion for fresh, sustainable, local fish with these folks- there's no telling what else you have in common!

Fishing for Change:

Atlantic Canada’s First Community Supported Fishery Is ‘Off the Hook’

For Immediate Release

June 24^th, 2010

(HALIFAX, NS)- Atlantic Canada’s first Community Supported Fishery (CSF) is launching with a community barbeque on Saturday, June 26th, 12-3pm at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic courtyard on the Halifax Waterfront.

Delivering a weekly catch of fresh whole haddock, pollock and hake, Off the Hook CSF will connect a co-operative of small-scale bottom hook and line fishermen from the Bay of Fundy to subscribing customers in and around Halifax. By securing payment at the start of the season, participating fishers are ensured a fair price for their catch and customers have a reliable source of local, sustainable fish. As fishing member Chris Hudson notes, “Aside from generating much needed income in our communities, there is also the pride-recognition factor that comes from being part of a co-op that delivers a superior quality product to discerning consumers.”

Originally developed in coastal Maine, CSFs are modeled on community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, which help increase access to fresh, healthy food. Off the Hook brings seafood for the first time into the existing local CSA mix, where more than a dozen farmers already deliver vegetables and meat to Halifax on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

Off the Hook Co-operative developed their social and eco-minded business together with the Ecology Action Centre. “It is exciting to be collaborating with fishers and their families,” shares Shannon Arnold, Marine Coordinator at the Centre. “We need to re-imagine markets and demonstrate that businesses can work for our communities and the environment.”

CSF subscribers enjoy renewed connections with local fishing communities and our oceans, getting to know the fishermen who catch their supper each week and where in the Bay of Fundy it was caught. “There is a market for sustainably caught fish alongside and outside the large-scale industrial fishing system. I want to be a part of something smaller. I want to make a living doing what I truly love,” remarks Beau Gillis, who will provide fresh caught fish to Off the Hook customers over the summer months.

“By committing to using only low-impact bottom hook and line gear, the small scale fishermen who make up Off the Hook Co-op are also working to protect the health and resilience of our ocean resources into the future,” explains CSF Coordinator Sadie Beaton. “Besides all that, because our fish will be delivered to the city only hours after it is caught, we’re going to be introducing many consumers to the freshest fish they’ve ever tasted."

Off the Hook CSF’ is inviting local seafood lovers to meet the fishers and sample fresh, sustainable catch outside the Maritime Museum on the Halifax Waterfront between 12 and 3 pm.  A limited number of shares are available for the upcoming summer season, with the first delivery slated for July 22nd.