Summer 2026 Newsletter: New Hires, Oyster Party, and More!
Two participants displaying their oyster shell art at the Oyster Shell-ebration with Latino Outdoors Philly and Fishadelphia.
Fishy Business
This past spring has been a time of change and growth for Fishadelphia, and we’re excited to tell you about it! Here in Philly the weather is finally staying warm after months of cold nights and fluctuating temperatures. The summer flowers are beginning to bloom, and fireflies are making an appearance. We hope that wherever you are, you’re able to take some time and visit with your local plants and waterways this season.
Save the date for our summer party!
Our annual summer party will be taking place on Sunday, July 26 at Pentridge Station. Expect good music, delicious food from Chef Nia Minard, and an oyster shucking learning station!
Surf clam updates
We have continued to explore community interest in surf clams with support from the Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center. In collaboration with the Rutgers Extension and New Jersey clam farmers, we've given away over 1,200 surf clams and are planning to share about 1,500 more.
Through this project, we have partnered with local chefs and organizations to teach youth workshops, curate dinners, and hold educational events centered around surf clams.
Some highlights from the Spring 2026 season of the surf clam project:
- Ronnie organized a surf clam dinner series featuring local chefs
- Chef Nia Minard led a surf clam cooking workshop at Simon Gratz High School
- Tasha and other team members did surf clam giveaways at the People’s Kitchen, FDR Park, and Gratz High School
Top left: Chef Valerie Erwin. Top right: Chef Boo. Bottom left: Chef Nia Minard cooks with students at Simon Gratz High School. Bottom right: Darren, feini, and Tasha at a surf clam distribution event.
Philadelphia Food Summit
On June 5, we attended the Philadelphia Food Summit to connect with others who are working to create a stronger local food system. We participated in workshops and roundtables, and ran into our friends Chef Valerie Erwin and Alethia Erwin!
New team members
This spring we said goodbye to our lovely interns Darren, Natasha, and CJ. We also hired two new team members, and welcomed Zoe as our summer intern! Read about the newest Fishadelphians below.
Vaughn Campbell
Director of Seafood Distribution
Vaughn (he/him) is a service designer who works to develop sustainable food systems. He’s been a seafood lover since he was a small child growing up on the Gulf Coast, and is incredibly excited to join Fishadelphia’s mission to expand access and connections to local seafood in Philly. Outside of Fishadelphia, Vaughn enjoys performing music, mending and dying clothes, and getting outside to kayak, run, or hike.
Bitter Kalli
Director of Storytelling and Communications
Bitter (they/them) is a writer and ecological storyteller who is passionate about the intersection of food justice and cultural work. They grew up frequenting immigrant-run fish markets in New York City, and are proud to come from a lineage of island-dwelling, seafood-loving people. When not working with Fishadelphia, Bitter is reading, biking, or running their small plant nursery in West Philly.
Zoe Lin
Summer 2026 Intern
Zoe Lin (she/her) is a rising senior at Haverford College, where she is double-majoring in Environmental Studies and Education with a minor in Child and Family Studies. She loves marine life and environmental conservation. Outside of academics and environmental work, Zoe enjoys crocheting scarves, experimenting with new recipes with family members, biking around her neighborhood, and watching movies.
What's Swimming? What we're reading, watching, and listening to
Attracted by warming waters, green crabs in the Gulf of Maine pose a threat to local clams and lobsters. To help keep Maine’s ecology and fishing industry in balance, chefs and fisherfolk are working to put green crabs on restaurant menus. A Cambodian-led nonprofit called Khmer Maine has also created a traditional salted crab product using the green crabs. Read about Khmer Maine’s efforts to preserve the marine ecosystem while creating a source of culturally significant food.
In honor of Juneteenth, we are revisiting these videos with Black Southern chefs sharing recipes for festive Lowcountry seafood dishes and the stories behind them.
The Iran War has devastated the fishing industry along the country's Southern coast. The war is also threatening the livelihoods of Filipino fishermen, who are struggling with fuel shortages and skyrocketing prices.
On the blog, Talia wrote an ode to butterfish, the delicious silver fish featured in our logo!
Follow the Outlaw Ocean Project for investigative reporting about human rights and ocean-related industries.
Shoutouts
Philadelphia-based Chef Boo is available for private dinners, events, residencies, and more. Their food is inspired by Bengali, East Asian, and South Asian flavors.