Salty Farmer Stories – Coming Soon to Prime Time Thanks to Good Catch
Note: The following is a guest post by Heidi Hanson of Warner Hanson Television. Heidi is currently in production on Good Catch, a national Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) series and educational outreach campaign to promote sustainable seafood. GAA is a proud key sponsor of this initiative.
Hungry for the stories of our salty farmers? Good Catch has you covered.
The giant doors swing open to reveal an old brewery transformed into a high-tech haven for the city’s top chefs. Giant blue tanks filled with striped bass happily swimming are surrounded by bright, bursting produce growing floor to ceiling.
“What have I gotten myself into,” exclaims the James Beard award-winning Chef Gavin Kaysen of Spoon & Stable in Minneapolis as he attempts to net the fast moving fish. Then it’s on to harvest watercress and basil, plucked from the gently flowing waters that are being pumped from swirling pools of striped bass – it is the perfect symbiotic relationship. No waste. No additives. No chemicals. Healthy protein and produce. Minimal water use. “Is this some sort of magical farm?” Chef Kaysen wonders out loud.
Chef Kaysen bravely nets a plump striped bass. Then it’s a quick trip to his 4-star restaurant, where he is eager to sample the catch of the day. A few slices of his knife, a quick squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of salt, and striped bass crudo is on the plate. “This is the best piece of fish I have ever eaten – amazing,” he says with a smile, reaching for one more bite.
Chef Gavin’s discovery was not exactly an accident – but one stop along a journey that will take some of the country’s most acclaimed chefs out to meet the world’s fishermen and fish farmers. And they will be taking millions of worldwide viewers along. It’s all part of Good Catch, the upcoming PBS television series and national educational outreach campaign to promote consumption of sustainable seafood. The stories of the world’s farmers and fishermen are the centerpiece.
From coast to coast and places in between, Good Catch takes the world’s best chefs out to get their feet wet as they explore aquaculture farms and fisheries of all kinds. Our chefs meet the farmers, explore the landscape, discuss innovation in aquaculture, and then take the catch of the day back to the kitchen to show people just how easy it can be to create sumptuous seafood dishes. Good Catch will be hosted by more than a dozen passionate and acclaimed chefs, including Kaysen, Michael Cimarusti, Niki Nakayama, Renee Erickson, Kerry Heffernan, Jeremiah Langhorne, Spike Gjerde and a growing list of fish-centric celebrity personalities.
We are all quick to say that aquaculture holds the key to feeding our future. And while this is certainly true, we can all admit that aquaculture has an image problem. People are confused. A negative narrative has dominated the aquaculture story. How can we dispel these myths? Storytelling. People are hungry for the story of their food. There are countless positive stories to tell and images consumers could never imagine — recirculating tanks, floating spheres, bobbing cages. There are endless species to be had — seaweeds, finfish, shellfish and fascinating farmers that grow them.
We think that our salty farmers have a fishy tale to tell and we want to begin to change the narrative around farmed fish. Just as diners discuss the farmer that grew their tomatoes or raised their free-range chickens, our fish farmers deserve a place at the table where positive stories are shared and celebrated.
As part of our effort to educate people about where their seafood comes from and to empower people to cook and eat more seafood, Good Catch is launching saltyfarmer.com, a consumer-friendly website dedicated to showcasing the stories and innovations of aquaculture.
At saltyfarmer.com we’ll transport visitors to aquaculture farms across the country, offer them cooking advice, recipes and video to encourage consumption of responsible aquaculture, and offer them a glimpse into the world of aquaculture. Dedicated content will showcase innovation, nutrition and the importance of certification.
From a college campus tour to social media campaign, events, screenings and resources for our fishermen and fish farmers, Good Catch wants to hook the world on sustainable seafood and help grow a movement in which our fishermen and fish farmers are celebrated.
Do you have a salty farmer story to tell? We’d love to hear it. Hook up with us on social media @goodcatchfilms or visit goodcatchfilms.com and of course, saltyfarmer.com
We are welcoming new partners and sponsors to help us spread the sustainable seafood and aquaculture message. Let us know if you would like to be a part of the movement. Drop us a line at @goodcatchfilms or heidi@warnerhanson.com.
There is a blue revolution making waves. People are hungry for the story… make it human.
Heidi Hanson
