In Alaska, during the winter, the long hours of darkness make the moments of light all the more magnificent. The oblique rays of sunshine cast otherworldly colors upon the mountainsides and formations of clouds, painting every sunrise and sunset in a uniquely Arctic palette: fiery oranges, pastel pinks, and glacial blues. These skies are a truly resplendent moment to reflect upon at the end of another journey around the sun.
I’d like to offer my own sign-off for another year with Wild Alaskan Company. To honor this year’s journey around the sun, I’m highlighting some of my favorite moments in which this fish family has connected even more deeply to Alaska than ever before.
Giving Back
As a third-generation Alaskan, Arron has seen what a community can do when they pull together to weather a storm, whether it’s a tough fishing season or a long-standing challenge like food insecurity.
So this year, to support the greater Alaskan community through the work done by WAC, the company donated 95,000 pounds of sockeye and coho salmon to the Food Bank of Alaska. This donation was something we had the opportunity to do, inspired by both the heart and mission of the organization, and by Arron’s history with Alaska. As he so beautifully put it, “There would be no Wild Alaskan Company without Alaska.”
It’s also worth adding that there would be no Wild Alaskan Company without you, the members! We’re fortunate to be in a position to give back this year, and couldn’t have done it without you being an essential part of the WAC fish family.
Caption: The WAC team, gathered together in Homer in August.
Taking Root
Alaska is the kind of place that insists that you understand what it means to live in concert with nature, and this is a vision that has guided WAC from the beginning.
There’s incredible value in being able to understand what this means, together — as a team, as a community, and as a fish family. So, in August the WAC team convened as a company for an unforgettable gathering in Homer — Arron’s hometown and the heart-center of WAC.
If you’ve ever been as far north as latitude 59, you know I’m not exaggerating when I say that it’s a life-changing place that puts into perspective how far away we’ve come from living in concert with nature in so much of the Lower 48. Alaska is defined not by the trappings of civilization but by nature and the endless cycles that generate its bounty, beauty, and chaos — all of which we fully embrace as a way of life.
Gathering together in Homer, we had a chance to break bread with one another at a shared table. The entire team works remotely from across the country, so being able to connect in person with one another, with wild Alaska as a backdrop, was a truly unforgettable experience. I keep returning to something WAC Digital Product Manager Lauren C. told us: “I loved experiencing Alaska, but the most impactful part [of the gathering] was hanging out with my colleagues… This shouldn't have surprised me, but it did!”
This was a sentiment felt by many, and one that for me exemplifies the connections that were deepened by a shared Alaska experience. A big part of the WAC workday revolves around fish — more so than the average person’s — and though we draw lots of energy and inspiration from nature, I believe it’s the heart and humility of the team that really keeps us going.
Caption: Arron Kallenberg (center) and Walt Kallenberg (top right) leading a tour on board the Mary K, the family fishing vessel named after Walt’s sister.
Looking Forward
As many of you know, we’re expecting a new addition to the Kallenberg family. While this thrilling life shift deepens our connection as a family unit, it also deepens our connection to WAC in vital ways that I know will help shape the years ahead of us.
Knowing that we’ll have not one but two new Kallenbergs under our wing is something that has us doubling down on our commitment to the WAC mission: to accelerate humanity’s transition to sustainable food systems by fostering meaningful, interconnected relationships between human beings, wild seafood and the planet. In honoring this mission, we hope to honor the foundation laid before us by Arron’s father and grandfather before him — both commercial fishermen in Alaska. Committing to this mission is how we protect and sustain Alaska’s epic legacy for the future.
Caption: The Kallenberg Family; three, ready to become four.
Each box of wild-caught seafood that finds a home in your kitchen is a celebration of Alaska’s uniquely wild brand of sustainability. I hope to have the pleasure of cooking and sharing more seafood with you in the new year — because a delicious, home-cooked meal is always a rewarding part of what brings us back to the fish.
I look forward to seeing what we can do together in the coming year.
Live Wild,
Monica
Pictured above: Lena Cove in Juneau, Alaska colored with a late August Sunset.
