Get to Know Citizen Salmon Alaska

Have you ever tried freshly caught fish straight from Alaska? Being nearly 3,500 miles away here in Kentucky you might assume that it would be a rare or even unattainable luxury but we are so very fortunate to have an “in” in the form of Citizen Salmon Alaska.

Owner Aaron Sechler likes to do things a little differently than most. Citizen Salmon Alaska is considered a Community Supported Fishery which means that they work with and directly support small boat fishermen, mostly based in the rural Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet of the Southern Kenai Peninsula, to sell the freshest wild caught seafood to customers weekly throughout the season across the country.

Oftentimes companies like this will delay getting whatever is caught that day into the freezer, sometimes by two or three days due to the fishermen still being out at sea. Then the seafood is shipped from Alaska to China for processing before being shipped out to customers, going through multiple cycles of freezing and thawing that severely affects the quality of the catch.

Citizen Salmon Alaska on the other hand meets the fishermen at the dock, prepares the catch at the peak of freshness, vacuum seals and then blast freezes. This whole process takes less than six hours which means that the integrity of the fish is maintained and the flavor really gets locked in!

Here’s where we come in: we met Aaron as he was partnering with another farm and as is so often the case with our partners, we became fast friends and built our own working relationship together. With a chef/restaurant background Aaron understands the vital role that small farms play in local and larger food economies, especially through CSA. By partnering with him and making his world-class, wild-caught seafood available to our CSA members we all benefit. Our CSA members get to enjoy the freshest sockeye salmon, king salmon, halibut, Alaskan side-stripe shrimp with roe, yellow-eye rockfish, scallops and Alaskan king crab at a discount (CSA members, you should have received your discount code already) while we in turn get a portion of sales back in the form of a commission in order to help support our daily operations. A portion of sales in turn goes back to the small Alaskan fishermen that provide the catch. We’ve learned so much from Aaron and have loved getting to work with him and be part of such a mutually beneficial partnership for all.

If you’re not a CSA member, fear not! We sell smaller, individual portions of Citizen Salmon Alaska as stock allows in our farm store which is a great way to sample their offerings before making a larger order. For more information on Aaron and Citizen Salmon Alaska and to place an order, check out their website.

To become a CSA member and get a discount on orders from Citizen Salmon Alaska (plus other perks) sign up here. A few shares remain and you can join on a prorated basis!