3 Days at Subsistence Salmon Camp on Alaska's Copper River

The spring salmon run has begun its long journey up the Copper River, and for us that means it's time to start putting food away for another year. This isn't recreational fishing for us. These fish are an important part of how we live off the land and feed our family through the long Alaska winter. Last year we smoked, canned, dried, and froze enough salmon to carry us all the way to this season. Now it's time to fill the pantry once again. Salmon is one of the foundations of our homestead. It provides much of the protein and healthy fat our family relies on throughout the year. As rural Alaska residents, we're able to begin harvesting fish earlier and take a larger harvest than most Alaskans, helping bridge the gap until our fish wheel is operating later in the summer. Every salmon we bring home reduces what we need to buy from a store and strengthens the food security we've worked hard to build here. We are beyond grateful for the opportunity to live this way, work as a family, and live with the seasons in this beautiful place. The first fish of our season won't stay with us—it will be given to an elder in the community. Sharing the first harvest is a reminder that food is more than something we put in the pantry. It's a gift from the river, and one that is best shared. With the first fish of the season in hand, it's time to start processing. Nothing goes to waste—heads become stock, bodies scraped for meat, and the tails are dried for the dogs. Time to get to work! Til next week, -Dennis, Amy & Lena End Music By: @HawkenHorse, who wrote us "Holdfast". Frontier music and history. Become a Channel Member for homestead happenings:    / @holdfastalaska   Get in Touch with Us: Westerlind Family P.O Box 906, Slana, AK 99586 We are also on Instagram & FaceBook @holdfastalaska Support the Homestead if you wish | https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted... If you wish to be notified via email for future book releases, merch, or events shoot us a message at: [email protected]