What began here two years ago as a booster for beleaguered fishermen, Cape Ann Fresh Catch is now a million-dollar baby, with more than 1,000 customers from Needham to Lincoln, Sharon, Lowell and Boston.
The cooperative, modeled on the trend of community-supported agriculture, is a program of the 42-year-old Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association. The goal was not just to provide a bigger market for local fishermen, but spread awareness of the many types of local fish, felicitous from fin to fork.
A recent survey of customers — sharemembers, to be exact — seems to show the outreach effort is working.
"Some people think we're dead and gone," said program director Angela Sanfilippo, referring to the shrinking fish industry. "This puts Gloucester right out in front."
Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.