Summer Job

This will be my new home come June.

Many of you know, but I will be leaving the farm this summer to make some cash and enjoy yet another "youthful experience". I have been trying to land this job for about three seasons now...my cousin Molly's husband, Steve, has been a commercial salmon, halibut, and dungeness crab fisherman for over 20 years, and this summer, his only crew position opened up. I jumped at the opportunity to join him for 10-12 weeks fishing in Southeast Alaska. The days will be long (about 20 hours), but the scenery will be dramatic. About 20 years ago the National Park Service closed Glacier Bay National Park to commercial fishing but said that anyone holding a permit could continue fishing until they either die or quit. No transfers and no new permits have ever been issued, and Steve was one of the youngest guys holding a permit at the time. This means that I will be fishing in one of the most pristine environments in the country without any other boats in sight! I am looking forward to Steve's humor to carry me through the exhausting twilight nights of unloading thousands of pounds of fish and crab (he is one of the funniest people I have ever met). The boat is docked in Juneau, which lies about 900 miles north of Seattle, Washington. The Southeast Alaska salmon fishery has been managed extremely well over the past 30-40 years. Each week's opening is entirely dependent on how many fish swim upstream, meaning that fishing is not permitted each week until enough numbers have entered their spawning grounds. This ensures sustainable salmon populations for the future.

The biggest question of all remains: what about the vegetables? I have worked it out so that all of the cultivating will be finished by the time I leave. I have arranged for a few friends and a few chefs to come harvest for me. There is also a non-profit called Fields To Families that delivers left over produce from farms to needy families, so I plan on telling them to stop by maybe once a week. This spring was all about installing the garden and starting to improve the soil for the future. I feel pleased with my progress.

Steve sent me the pictures from previous seasons (he is the goof ball driving the boat).