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Monthly Newsletter October 2010
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Greetings
| This month we have a special interview with Mike Barrett, the Meat and Seafood Manager at New Leaf Community Market in Felton, CA, we place our species spotlight on U.S. Farm Raised Catfish and Black Cod and we explain the differences between Rainbow Trout and Steelhead.
As always, feel free to email any topics or news that you would like to see in our newsletter!
Enjoy! |
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Partner Spotlight: Mike Barrett from New Leaf Community Market - Felton, California
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Recently our Business Partnership Program Manager, William (Bill) Wall, interviewed Mike Barrett - the Meat and Seafood Manager from New Leaf Community Market in Felton, California.
Mike was born in Fort Bragg, in Mendocino County and has lived in Santa Cruz since he was 13. For the last year, he has been the Meat and Seafood Manager at New Leaf Community Market, Felton which makes up one of six New Leaf locations in and around Santa Cruz, California.
What do you like about New Leaf? In what ways does New Leaf differ from other retailers?
The main thing I like about New Leaf is that I am constantly learning from my customers. At a lot of places I have worked before, customers would come in to order some meat and leave, but my customers at New Leaf are much more knowledgeable about how their purchases affect their own health and the health of the environment. This approach has kept me on my toes and encouraged me to learn more about the product I am offering them.
What is your favorite type of seafood and how do you like to prepare it?
My favorite recipe is one my girlfriend's dad taught me - "Salmon with Bacon Leeks and Lemon". You take a filet of salmon, wrap it in a few strips of bacon, squeeze half a lemon over the top and place a half lemon on top of the filet. Next you place leeks alongside the salmon and wrap it all up in foil. Put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes and you're done. It's really good.
When did you personally realize the importance of sustainable seafood?
I love to fish. Up in Mendocino, there are still lots of fish to this day, and I used to be able to say the same for Santa Cruz. I used to catch salmon, lingcod and rockfish pretty regularly. Unfortunately, I have noticed that over the last 8 years or so, it can take a whole season to catch 2 fish. People are taking more fish than they need or fish that are too small and this is unacceptable for the long-term health of the oceans. I want my son to be able to enjoy fishing as much as I do.
What role do you feel consumers play in advancing the sustainable seafood movement?
I really believe that consumers have the power to make changes on a large scale. In simple terms, if customers stop asking for unsustainable fish, stores will not stock it. Of course, it is up to the stores to listen to customers and order accordingly. At my store, we won't stock unsustainable species, if we receive fish that can't tick all the boxes, I will send it back. One of our major distributors, Lusamerica Fish (a FishWise Distributor Partner) works closely with us to make sure we avoid all red-ranked product.
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Species Spotlight: U.S. Farm Raised Catfish
| U.S. farm raised catfish is a green ranked "Best Choice" fish according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program and should not to be confused with Basa/Swai, a member of the Pangasius family which is typically farm raised in Vietnam.
Commercial catfish production is responsible for half of the aquaculture production in the U.S.
They are grown primarily in freshwater ponds using closed containment systems that have very little impact on the environment and are fed on a high protein pellet, rich i n soybean, corn and wheat products.
Catfish is a very lean, firm and high protein fish with a mild flavor perfect for grilling, deep frying and broiling.
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Species Spotlight: Black Cod
| Black cod from Alaska and Canada is a green ranked "Best Choice" fish according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program. The wide ranging, deep water fish is popular in Japan, where most of the catch is sold, however the fish is gradually becoming more popular in the U.S.
Known for its velvety, rich flavor, delicate texture, and high oil content, black cod lends itself to a wide variety of cooking methods including baking, poaching and steaming. Black cod is similar in taste and texture to unsustainable Chilean sea bass, and should be used as a substitute whenever possible.
Black cod populations are healthy, and the fishing method (bottom longline) results in little bycatch and minimal impact on seafloor habitat. |
Rainbow Trout and Steelhead Trout - What's the Difference?
| Steelhead and rainbow trout are exactly the same species: Oncorhynchus mykiss. However, as a dingo is the same species as a wolf, they are biologically different and have contrasting life history characteristics. Rainbow trout live permanently in freshwater, however, steelhead are anadromous, meaning they live in the ocean but spawn in rivers and streams. Steelhead are known for rapid growth and can achieve 7 - 10 kg within three years, whereas rainbow trout can only attain 4.5 kg in that time.
Steelhead is cultured extensively around the world in saltwater. Steelhead is generally raised in net-pens, similar to Atlantic salmon culture, and this production method carries inherent risks. Net-pens are uncontained systems that directly impact  the natural environment. Waste flows out from them untreated, escapes are likely to occur regularly and there is no barrier to prevent disease transfer between farmed and wild animals.
Rainbow trout is also farmed extensively throughout the world in freshwater. In the U.S., almost three quarters of rainbow trout production comes from Idaho. Production systems for rainbow trout do not impact the environment as much as net-pen culture, because waste is treated prior to its release, and stricter mechanisms reduce the risk of escapes and disease transfer. As a result, rainbow trout is listed on Monterey Bay Aquarium's 'Super Green List'.
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If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for the FishWise newsletter please don't hesitate to contact us!
 Sincerely,
The FishWise Team
newsletter@fishwise.org
(831) 427-1707 |
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