Hi Folks-

After careful consideration, Beau decided that he could not safely fish this week due to unusually high tides. Therefore there will be no pickups this week, and the season will be extended to September 8. As Beau explains:

 "Every month or so in the Bay of Fundy, the tide cycle reaches its peak, and several times a year this peak is much higher than normal. While it's possible to fish more shallow waters during these extra full tides (as we did on Browns Bank Last summer), currently we're only finding fish in the extra-deep water of the Bay of Fundy. Bringing up fish from 700 feet down is tricky in good conditions, but with a heavy tide running it is almost impossible with hook and line gear. Last summer while fishing for Off The Hook, I did not heed Tony's advice about taking a break during full tides and ended up losing over half of my fishing gear. It was a tough lesson but I learned it- so I won't be leaving the wharf again until Saturday August 6th. I apologize to Off The Hook subscribers for denying them their fresh seafood fix this week."

If you're wondering why you have never gone to a supermarket to find a sign saying "no fish due to high tides"- its because draggers can (and do) fish through anything.

Sorry for the disappointment, and thank you for the understanding.

See you next week,

Dave

Hi Folks-

Beau landed late last night and is on his way to Halifax with fish. Hurrah! Remember that this is a "fillet" week, so if you signed up for an alternating whole fish/fillet share, you'll be getting fillets this week. The fillets will come in pre-weighed ziplocs like last time. The best way to transport them is in a small cooler or cooler bag with a cold pack or some ice. If you signed up for whole fish, bring a cooler. All pickups will happen at their normal time and place today.

Thanks for all of your comments and pictures about how you are enjoying your fish. If you have any recipes that you would like to share, send them to me so I can add them to our website, or post them yourself in the recipe section our Facebook page.

Here's one for ceviche that I'm going to try tonight:

Ceviche


Happy Fishday,
Dave

Just heard from Orlie & his crew- they're on their way in... with fish! See you at the pickup tomorrow.

-Dave

Hi Folks-

Tomorrow will be our long awaited first pickup of the Off the Hook CSF summer season! Thanks to everyone for being so understanding about last week and showing such support for Beau. He really appreciated it. Beau is still working through the problems with his engine (it turns out he needs to replace several key parts). The repairs are going well, and he is looking forward to getting back on the water soon. Again- thank you. Your support (and subscription fees) have been instrumental in getting Beau back up and running.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the cove, Orlie has had much better luck. He and his crew headed off on Sunday and have just returned safely to port. He is busy sorting his catch and keeping it properly slushed. He will be leaving tomorrow morning to  get the fish filleted, and then he will bring the fish Halifax for the pickup. Here are some details and reminders about tomorrow's pickup:

Contract: If you haven't already done so, please print out, read, and sign the contract for the summer CSF season. It can be found here. BRING THIS SIGNED CONTRACT WITH YOU TO THE FIRST PICKUP.

Payment: If you did not pay for your subscription online when registering, please bring a cheque to the first pickup. Cheques should be made payable to Off the Hook Cooperative Ltd. If your pickup is Tantallon or Wolfville, please give your payment to the pickup coordinator (see below).

Pickups:
There are three pickup locations which you have already chosen between:

Halifax: The Halifax pickup will be between 3 and 6 pm at the Brewery Market (1496 Lower Water St, Halifax. Click here for map). **NOTE: this is the 'old' market, not the new Seaport Market. We will be set up in one of the buildings off of the lower courtyard.  Please park on the street if possible. If you have questions during the pickup time you can call my cell: 456-9353

Tantallon: The Tantallon pickup will be at the picnic area next to the Mariposa Market (5229 St Margarets Bay Rd, Tantallon. Click here for a map) from 6:15 to 7 pm. The coordinator for the Tantallon pickup is Corine. You can reach her at 497-4660.

Wolfville: The Wolfville pickup will be at the Earth Eats Farm near Wolfville (1229 Deep Hollow Rd, Black River, NS. Click here for a map). The coordinator is Carla. You can reach her at 902-542-9410. She will meet Orlie on his way back from the Halifax pickup, and will be at the farm by 8 pm for you to pick up your fish. These are the directions Carla sent:

The easiest way to get here is to go towards New Minas from Wolfville on Main Street. You will drive pass Bloomindon's Nursery and a series of Farm Markets. Turn left on Deep Hollow Rd (after Avery's Farm Market). Go straight for a couple km, (you will go through an intersection, across a bridge and up a huge hill, your on the right path). At the top of the mountain, just as you are starting to decline you will see a colorful sign that says "Lorax Woodlands." This is where we live. Go straight up the driveway to the farm house.

Picking up your fish:
Fillets: This week, we are pleased to kick things off with filleted fish for those of you who chose the filleted fish option. Your fish will come in pre-weighed bags. Please bring a cooler or a cooler bag with ice or a cold pack to keep the fish in prime condition until you get it into your fridge (or skillet).

Whole fish: If you have chosen a whole fish share, get ready to meet your first fish. The fish wll arrive "dressed", which means it has been bled and gutted at sea. It will, however, still have its head and tail. The whole fish will be "slushed", which means it will be floating in a bath of ice and salt water. This keeps the fish at the right temperature and salinity, and keeps the fish from being crushed by the weight of other fish and ice (because it's floating). This is the best way to keep your fish until you eat it- SO BRING A COOLER!! We'll share some slush with you. Not sure what to do with a whole fish? We will be on hand hand at the Halifax pickup doing filleting demos (about every 15 minutes). If you're wondering what to do with the rest of the fish, click here for some great ideas.

Extra!
Our friend Costas Halavrezos will be joining us at the market with a variety of spices and herbs specifically selected to accompany fish. You may remember Costas from his long tenure as host of CBC Maritime Noon. He retired last year, and now he is a spice merchant. He has a regular booth at the Brewery Market on Saturday mornings, but will be setting up a special booth tomorrow during our pickup. Stop by and see him!

Thanks for taking the time to read this long email. Remember to bring your signed contract, a cooler, and a cheque (if needed).

See you tomorrow,
David

Hi Folks-

I'm sorry to report that our first pickup of the summer season has been cancelled due to mechanical problems with Beau's boat. His engine failed as he approached the Browns Banks fishing grounds, and he had to be towed in by the Coast Guard early this morning. He and his crew are fine, but he feels awful to have let you down. Here's an excerpt from the email he sent when he got in:



I just finished a 23hour fishing day. The oil drained from my engine through a hole in the base pan and I was towed in by the coast guard. I wasn't able to fish. I'll be a couple of days removing and repairing and reinstalling my engine, but I'll be back on the water next week.
  I am so sorry to miss the first delivery. I feel terrible. This was the worst fishing day ever. EVER!
-Beau






While this sort of breakdown is uncommon, it is the reality of small scale fishing. We apologize for the disappointment and will do everything we can to avoid a similar situation in the future.

We will therefor delay the first delivery of the summer season to next Thursday, July 14. We will shift the whole season back by a week, so the summer season will now run until September 1. You will still receive 8 weeks of fish.

On a brighter note, we now have another week to accept new members! So if you know anyone who is upset because they missed the deadline, let them know that that they can still sign up.

Thanks for your understanding,

David

Hi Folks-

Next week marks the beggining of the Off the Hook summer CSF. The first pickup is Thursday, July 7. I will send further instructions regarding the pick up early next week to everyone who has registered.

Thanks to everyone who has signed up so far. If you haven't already signed up, or if you know someone who is planning to sign up but hasn't yet, the deadline for registration is Monday, July 4. I have uploaded a pdf with all of the information about Off the Hook and the summer subscriptions. You can find it here. Please pass on the link (or forward this email) to anyone you know who might be interested.

Thanks. See you soon.

-David


PS If you have trouble with the link in this email, copy the following URL and paste it into your browser:

http://sfc.smallfarmcentral.com/dynamic_content/uploadfiles/1186/OTH%20summer%20info%20sheet.pdf

Check out this great write-up of Off the Hook in the most recent issue of This Magazine:

Click here.

Hi Folks-

First I'd like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is David Adler, and I will be the new coordinator of Off the Hook. The intrepid Sadie Beaton is off enjoying her brand new baby girl (hurrah!). I'm really excited about this project, and I'm looking forward to building on last year's success.

Our fishermen wrapped up lobster season yesterday, and are busy switching their gear over for fishing. We are excited about the summer season and hope to schedule the first pick-up during the first week of July.

We are still working out some details, and we would appreciate your input on a few things. Please follow the link below to a short survey which will help guide our decision making as we put the final touches on this season's program.

Thanks for your time. I look forward to meeting you all soon.

-David
[email protected]



Here's the survey:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YRT2BPF