Community-Supported
Shrimp Sales Kick Off

by Laurie Schreiber

It's shrimp time again.

On the morning of Saturday, January 8, customers with the Penobscot East Resource Center’s (PERC) “community-supported fishery” were lining up in the parking lot of the Town Hill community hall to receive pre-ordered “shares” of the tasty critters.

It was the first day of the shrimp CSF, which is now in its third year. CSFs are similar to the more widespread community-supported agriculture, or farm share, programs. Customers commit up front to purchasing a full- or half-share to be picked up every week from a fixed location. Last spring, PERC also offered a groundfish CSF.

About 80 customers on Mount Desert Island are signed up for the CSF, said CSF manager Evelyn Smith.

Smith said. “Things are going well and we’re actually growing from last year.”

Pick-ups are on Saturdays Town Hill, as well as Stonington, Blue Hill and Ellsworth. The CSF will run for eight weeks, end Feb. 26. Whole shrimp will be offered in full shares of 10 pounds at $2 per pound, $160 for the season; or half shares of 5 pounds at $2 per pound, $80 for the season. Picked shrimp will be offered in 2.5-pound shares for $7 per pound, $140 for the season.

This year, two fishermen based in Stonington have signed on to provide the shrimp. Last year, four MDI fishermen participated in the CSF, in addition to two Stonington fishermen.

The picked shrimp is processed by a small, new facility in Stonington, said Smith.

Although the income is a drop in the bucket for fishermen trying to make a living, said Smith, it helps.

“CSF members not only receive fresh, high-quality local shrimp, they also support fishermen by supporting an important winter source of income at fair prices,” she said. “The CSF links fishermen directly with the customers who are eating their shrimp, promoting understanding and exchange.”

Smith is a College of the Atlantic student who is developing a thesis that explores CSFs. According to information from her research, communication between fishermen and CSF members is one of the most important aspects of the CSF concept.

At the time the PERC CSF started, the price per pound of shrimp was about 25 cents, a record low.

“The CSF offered fishermen an alternative to the traditional market,” Smith wrote. “By selling their product locally, fishermen were able to receive an equitable winter income while building a local customer base.

“As the price per pound of shrimp has grown over the past two years, the CSF has evolved. The project was originally introduced to provide financial support to fishermen. We achieved this goal and continue to provide above-market prices to CSF fishermen.”

PERC’s CSF efforts, Smith wrote, have become an integral piece to the organization’s educational and conservation efforts, which are aimed at securing a future for fishing communities in eastern Maine.

“Fishermen and customers can learn from one another,” she wrote. “Through partnership, both groups have the potential to refresh their views of seafood and the fishing industry.”

Each week, customers are also provided with a new shrimp recipe. The first week’s recipe taught customers how to cook shrimp and make a cocktail sauce using one-half cup of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of horseradish and 1 squirt of lemon.

To become a CSF member or for more information, contact Evie Smith at 367-2708, evie@ penobscoteast.org. To learn more about Penobscot East Resource Center and the CSFs, visit penobscoteast.org.