August 2017 — Kristen is a rising junior at UNC- Chapel Hill, where she is majoring in Environmental Science, with a focus on Energy Management. She became involved with local foods when she joined a student organization at UNC called Hope Gardens, which focuses on food access. She met her apprenticeship mentor, Ann Simpson, Director of NC Catch, at a conference at UNC, and the two have enjoyed working together this summer, as they are both natives of Eastern North Carolina with strong ties to the fishing industry.

“I grew up here [in Morehead City] and fishing is such a part of this economy and place… It’s been cool to see the supply side of this business” says Kristen. “I work at a restaurant too and I’m used to seeing [seafood] on a plate, but to see the guys fishing and the guys in between, it’s given me appreciation for what it takes.”

Through her apprenticeship this summer, Kristen has practiced new skills in Excel, Publisher, Canva, and other online resources to create flavor profiles of fish that are available on the NC coast.  This guide will be important to educating both consumers and chefs about the flavor, cooking methods, and availability of different species harvested at different times of the year. Especially important is having chefs utilize local fish that are in season, rather than defaulting to the same, typically imported, species of fish (like salmon) all year long.

Kristen has also learned a lot about the challenges of getting local seafood into the hands of chefs and consumers. “Local regulations make local fish more expensive than imported fish, because the fishermen are protecting the environment and labor.” Kristen’s passion for local seafood has been reinforced by her interactions with local fishers.  In order to create fisher profiles for the NC Catch website and other marketing materials, Kristen visited with fishermen to hear their stories and take photos. “If people could just see the guys doing this, they’d be so much more inclined to buy local seafood.”

This article originally appeared in the August 2017 NC Growing Together Newsletter.