We all know that fish is good for us in so many ways, but in many regions overfishing is tainting the benefits. Also, as the “locally-sourced” and “farm to table” movements continue to grow (as they should), knowing where your food comes from is more important than ever.

Fortunately, our Cape Cod neighbors at Chatham Harvesters are working on solutions that are beneficial to all involved!

As Massachusetts’ only fishermen owned-and-operated cooperative business, the Chatham Harvesters process, pack, cook, and deliver their own catch, encouraging people to not only stop avoiding fish but to try more varieties so the population of each breed can be maintained and sustained. As they only sell to local mongers and restaurants and offer a direct-to-consumer “Fish Share,” they also keep the local bounty local and so support the area economy and our friends and neighbors in the fishing industry. They even put the name and photo of the fisherpeople that brought the fish right on the label so consumers can get to know the sources of their food!

In addition to catching local fish, the Harvesters are also looking to reduce waste and make use of the entire fish by offering their own value-added products, like a monkfish burger product that they plan to release in March.

In late March, they are also planning a special “Sip o’ Science” event at Aquatic Brewery in Falmouth where guests will be invited to learn more about the Harvesters’ eco- and econo-friendly practices while enjoying local fare and local beer.

As if all that local support were not enough, the Harvesters have been working for over a year with their friends and neighbors at the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension to feed Cape residents who are dealing with food insecurity while also supporting the local fishermen who make the partnership possible.Fish is apparently good for your brain and the folks at Chatham Harvesters are finding smarter ways to procure and protect our local fish while caring for our oceans and helping educate others about it as well.