Something Smells Like Fish

Posted on December 7, 2023 Updated on December 7, 2023

Hello everyone! As some may know, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to live at this awesome farm in Oregon. This farm has so much good stuff going on and I’m beyond grateful for the opportunities that it has given me.

We run a non-profit out of it called Good Neighbor Food Pantry. There are dams built in the rivers in the Pacific Northwest which prevent salmon runs from occurring naturally. For the First Nations people in these areas, this was their sacred food that they lived on. We partner with hatcheries that work directly with the local First Nations people to both restore/protect the naturally diverse salmon populations AND give back to the people who, for generations, lived in a reciprocal relationship with the salmon. The tribes get the first pick of the salmon while we pick up the rest to give away for free to families in need.

A big part of the Good Neighbor Food Pantry is intercepting the food waste and getting it to the people who need it the most. With food costs going up, we can’t afford to keep throwing out food that someone could eat. What’s leftover we give to our livestock. What this also does is decrease the chances that these fish (which were raised as a gift) stay out of the commercial fish industry. They are fully released into the wild, live their fishy lives, and make their way back to the hatchery since that’s where they were born.

If you feel called to give back, we are in need of a new box truck since the one we have now is on its last leg. We were hauling way over capacity what we should be and it’s getting to the point where it’s dangerous. Any amount you donate to the GoFundMe will go directly to helping make sure that families in need get this salmon.

We were able to give away 52,000 lbs of fish this salmon season. Every $20 donated makes sure that 500 fish get to people (especially since we plan on doing this for the next 10 years and a new truck will help us accomplish this mission). Even though the salmon event is complete for this season, the rest of the Good Neighbor Food pantry still runs events 3 times per week to serve families in need. We will be hosting a free Christmas tree giveaway since the prices for those have increased to $200 per tree in some areas.

It was a humbling experience to be part of this, and I look forward to continuing these events and participating in them for years to come. It feels good to make sure these beautiful gifts get to where they are received gratefully.