Shannon Ford, the captain of the “Two if by SeaFoods” ship and business owner, explained her journey to her company’s first Pullman Farmer’s Market. After relocating from Seattle to the Palouse, Ford said she found Pullman as “friendlier to businesses and promotes small business.”

Ford skippers the ship based out of Bristol Bay, Alaska, that catches Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon and typically sells the product at $16 per pound. Her products range from lox to smoked salmon, bacon and caviar, she said. The fourth generation fisher has been on her family company’s payroll since she was 9-years-old, making fishing her American Girl doll as a child.

“I feel fortunate to have been born into a fishery that is managed so well,” Ford said. Her company is “pulling in record numbers every year,” she said.

Hoping to continue her family’s fishing tradition for centuries to come, Ford said she will be bringing her 6-month-old to Bristol Bay this summer, although there will be no baby seat allowed on the ship.

Alaska’s top notch management of their natural resources from wood to water to fish to hunting and its focus on sustainability, Ford said, contributes to Alaska’s prosperity in the fishing industry.

Ford also endorses the cleanliness of the Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon she catches in Bristol Bay, pointing to their lack of metals and toxins.

Whether it is live music, a pound of delicious salmon bacon or just a sack of fresh apples, the Pullman Farmer’s Market supports local business through residents of the Palouse.