Peep the Tin

In this episode, we chat with Call Nichols—osyter advocate at the Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition—gives us a deep dive into the shellfish industry, including the relationship between shellfish and climate change, public policy, and what you can do to make a healthy impact on the shellfish industry.

In this episode, we chat with Zach Koehn—an Early Career Fellow at the Stanford University, working primarily on the Blue Food Assessment: a coalition of international researchers working to put “Blue Food”—which the coalition describes as food from marine and freshwater systems—in the center of the global food policy agenda.  With a PHD focused on how sustainably harvested seafood and improve public health, Zach advocates for a timely message in the commercial seafood game as individuals and governments alike consider how food sytems contribute to the resiliency of our communities.    In this episode, Zach gives listeners an inside look into the sustainable fishing industry and much more, including what sustainable fishing looks like from sea to plate, the difference between low bycatch fisheries and traditional commerical fisheries, and why you should still eat fish—despite your friend's obsession with the Seaspiracy documentary.

Readers deep in tinned fish media may know David's writing: Peep Scout Canning's excellent blog or the Medium's Heated Publication—co-created by the Mark Bittman—and you'll find several fascinating bylines from David, all of which I recommend you peep in the show notes below. In this episode, however, we show love to David's latest gig: Cueva Nueva—the most dope conservas club in the game right now. My man David straight up samples tinned fish from around the world, curates the products he thinks will most intrigue his customers, and ships it to people around the world—even my humble college town in Denton, Texas. It's a great story, ya'll—enjoy. 

Liz Pettigrew—co-owner at Sardine Head in Portland, Oregon—shares the inspiration behind the natural wine dive bar, its challenges throughout the pandemic, and the role small businesses play in the prosperity of their neighborhoods—both economically and socially.  

Mathew Scaletta—Director of Facilities and Operations at Wildfish Cannery in Klawock, Alaska—has been in the tinned fish game for a bit. Flashback to the late 80s when his grandmother started Wildfish Cannery and you’d likely find a young Mathew working the slime line, prepping the day’s catch for smoking and canning. Today, following several productive years as a chef in Portland, Oregon, Mathew has returned to his hometown of Klawock to reimagine the Wildfish Cannery brand while staying true to its hyper-local, neighborly roots. In this episode, Mathew shares the history of Wildfish Cannery and how he hopes to complement the groundwork created by his grandmother—enhancing the tinned fish experience both new and old.

Caputo’s gets tinned fish. Or, as Caputo’s calls them, conservas. Visit their online store at caputos dot com and you’ll find over three hundred variations of tinned fish products—ranging from the sardines in extra virgin olive oil to razor shells in brine—a favorite of Matt’s, as you’ll learn in this episode.  Caputo’s has offered tinned fish to its tight-knit, Salt Lake City community since it opened in 1997 and, today, inspires customers near and far to explore the beauty of tinned fish.  In this episode, Matt gives us an inside look into the conservas culture at Caputo’s and how interest in the tasty treat will continue to evolve across the United States and beyond.  And the best part: stick around to the end and, you’ll discover a deal exclusive to Peep the Tin listeners that you won’t want to miss.