Shannon Ford is finally able to sell her very own wild Alaska salmon in Federal Way.
Every summer beginning in June, Ford and a two- to four-person crew catch salmon in Bristol Bay aboard her boat, Paul Revere. Ford sells some salmon to an Alaskan cannery, then brings the rest of the bounty home to the Puget Sound region, where she tours the local farmers market circuit.
Through her business, Two if by Seafoods, Ford sells her salmon at farmers markets in Mercer Island, Renton, Kirkland and Bellevue. On Sept. 7, she will make her debut at the Federal Way Farmers Market’s inaugural Wednesday Night Out, which runs 4 to 8 p.m. at 31600 20th Ave. S. (near the transit center). Expect to find fresh frozen sockeye, coho and smoked sockeye salmon at Ford’s booth.
“When they contacted us about a Wednesday market we were interested. I was pleased to see something in my hometown,” said Ford, a resident of the area for 22 years. “I very much enjoy the farmers market outlet because I actually see the people who are going to eat my fish.”
Aside from farmers markets, Ford generates business through direct sales and custom deliveries, even shipping her salmon nationwide.
“This is what I do year round,” Ford said on earning a living through salmon. “I tell people, all fish all the time.”
Ford has been fishing in Bristol Bay her entire life. The annual fishing season, which runs June through early September, has also given her a few tales to tell. She is involved with environmental advocacy issues, specifically against a company that wants to create North America’s largest open pit gold mine near the headwaters of Bristol Bay.
Last summer, Ford and her crew escaped death after their boat sunk during a nighttime storm.
“We had taken on some water at shore,” she said. “We flipped over and the three of us spent an hour and a half in the water before finding a line.”
She said the water was so cold that their survival rate should have only been about 30 minutes. Her crew’s experience now serves as a case study.
To learn more about Ford and her salmon, visit www.twoifbyseafoods.net.
Check it out
• Starting Sept. 7, the Federal Way Farmers Market will be open 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays at 31600 20th Ave. S. (near the transit center). The market will continue to operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays at the same location through the end of October. Dubbed by organizers as “Wednesday Night Out,” the mid-week market will feature plenty of vendors and food samples along with live music. It will be a slightly smaller version than the mainstay Saturday market. However, different vendors will likely attend the Wednesday market, bringing more variety.
• The Federal Way Farmers Market will host the annual Chili Cook-off from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 24. Federal Way police and South King Fire and Rescue battle for chili supremacy, all to benefit charities. Tickets are on sale now for $10. Visit www.federalwayfarmersmarket.com.
