An Uphill Swim

2009-10-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

An uphill swim
The struggle for community supported fisheries. (CSF)

With the inspiring success of community supported agriculture (CSA), some businessmen are attempting to take this business model to the next logical place, fisheries. For years now heightened regulations along with declines in fishable locations and species has forced many small fisheries out of business. Much like with the family farm Americas small seafood producers have been struggling over the last few decades but, change is coming. With the unsustainable fishing practices of large companies coming to light, many families are turning to alternatives for there seafood. Unfortunately the community supported seafood movement has yet to take off. Though it is successful in some areas most are extremely localized and when you look at some of the roadblocks being faced its easy to understand why.

One of the largest challenges this up and coming industry will have to face is uniformity. People have added prominence to farmers markets and co-ops because of the local food movement, but these ideas have been around for a very long time so, people know what to expect. Unless there are some nationwide practices for safety, storage, shipping, refrigeration, and cleaning of these products people will feel uncomfortable buying them. It will also limit the amount of possible “pick up locations” if business owners don’t know how to store the merchandise.

Another potential issue is that most people do not know what kind of seafood is local to them or when it’s in season. If the effort is not made to educate clientele, people may feel mislead when they pick up their order or even worse, not buy into a CFS because they do not believe they can get seafood they like. During special occasions people may want to buy a certain type of seafood such as lobster or salmon from a CSF that’s not local, but without a buyer’s club type of option, people may end up resorting to unsustainable sources for their seafood.

Because of the sometimes extreme variances in fishing regulations from area to area people may become confused about what fishing practices are sustainable. Unlike the CSA movement there is very little in the way of third person watchdog groups who can certify fisheries for sustainable practices. There will also be questions of what equipment is being used to catch the fish and how much harm is it doing. People may want to purchase seafood not available in there location through a CSF that offers frozen seafood or a buyers club option.

Lastly and probably the most significant issue facing this movement is location. All over America people are used to eating whatever seafood they want with no thought to where it came from or if it’s in season. There may also be questions about how far fishermen are willing to travel for a catch. For example, can a client in New Jersey purchase Maryland crab or Main lobster on their plan? These and a multitude of other questions will need to be raised and answered before CSF’s can become the nationwide movement CSA’s are today.

Despite these challenges I believe that with some American ingenuity, the fishing industry will push past these challenges and create a vibrant new seafood economy. At the end of the day a CSF share will be a way for fishermen to increase their profits by up to 300% while consumers get fish half off. I know fishing and farming weren’t the idea’s most people had when Obama talked about green jobs but they will make a huge difference in America’s carbon footprint. Soon we will be able to purchase affordable local seafood directly from the men and women who caught it and revitalize a once dying industry and strengthen the small businesses that fuel America.

10 Simple ways to green up your neighbors

2009-10-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

10 Simple ways to green up your neighbors

With the green movement being politicized and commercialized average people are finding it more and more difficult to “convert” their neighbors to green while not seeming like they’re supporting an agenda. Because this is such a common issue I’ve compiled a few simple steps that have served me well in the past. I hope they are of some use to the rest of the earth conscious crusaders out there.

1 Get to know your neighbors

While this appears simple enough not many people do it. Unfortunately most people preach the gospel of green, wave there hybrid car and fluorescent lights in front of their neighbors then go home. Hey when I want to be preached to I go to church, so trust me unless you’re a deacon you won’t get far with this strategy. A better idea is to build a lasting relationship with your neighbors. Once you are part of their life it will be much easier to explain how green can work for the family.

2 Lead by example

Don’t let your neighbors see you leaving the hose on over night after you just explained how conserving water will protect to ecosystem of the delta smelt. I’m not asking you to sort through your neighbor’s trash for cans, but make sure that you’re providing a clear example of what can be done on a day to day basis that is eco friendly.

3 Show off

Why are you parking that beautiful new Toyota Camry hybrid in your garage? Who told you to deliver your new energy star washer and dryer set at 10am when no one is around? Show off, when you do things in plain sight people get curious and ask questions. This is one of the best ways to prove that going green can enhance everyday life, not to mention its super fun.

4 Be engaging

Don’t shy away from questions about how, what or why you’re going green. Act like a salesmen for every green product you use people are much more likely to listen to you when they understand your reasoning.

5 Carry extra

One of the easiest ways to get your neighbors to use green products is to give them green products. Most people will buy the same things for years unless they are introduced to something better. I’m not asking you to max out the credit cards or anything extreme, but if your neighbor’s light bulb goes out and you have an extra florescent lying around you may be able to convert them forever.

6 Keep it local

Most people could care less about environmental catastrophes 2000 miles away, but the park where their kids play is a different story. Remember to keep your efforts local because when people can see the difference they’re much more likely to care.

7 Keep things simple

You don’t have to be a know it all to make a difference, keep things basic or you’ll turn people off of your cause.

8 Hold people accountable

One mistake a lot of people make is being too shy, they’re afraid to speak up if there neighbor’s wasteful ways are harming their property. If the chemicals they are washing there car with ends up hurting your lawn bring it up and try to come up with a solution. Most products that aren’t eco friendly also have a short term affect on the people, pets or local wildlife in the area.

9 Invite people over

Many people have the idea that doing anything so called green requires tremendous sacrifice on their part. While that may be true in some instances, technology has taken us to the point where green products can be often more luxurious than their counterparts. If you can get your neighbors over to see all the great green products in your home you may be able to break some of the caveman lifestyle stereotypes.

10 Keep it sexy

Don’t try to get your neighbors to buy all organic or to bike everywhere they go before they’ve learned the basics of recycling. Living green can represent a significant change of habit for many people and we must respect that. The best way to go about things is to show how green lifestyles can save money, make life easier, and increase health. If you’re talking about anything else you’re wasting time

Building a greener city one block at a time

An Uphill Swim

10 Simple ways to green up your neighbors