Senior Project
5/15/19
Today we went on a field trip to Gloucester! Our drive up had us exploring one of the food systems in Gloucester, the fishing industry. When we arrived we went straight to the Fisherman’s Wharf to learn about the current state of the fishing industry.
From what we learned, there is still a strong industry in Gloucester, but the tourism industry has taken away a lot of focus from it and has negative impacts on the culture of the town. One anecdote we heard was how some people would buy second homes in Gloucester as a getaway in a fishing town, but then complain about the facilities being loud, or smelling, or being unsightly. It is conflicting ideals like these that disrupt the current industry. We watched as fisherman brought in their catch to be sorted and weighed. Crates upon crates of fish were being stacked and filled and the scale of the industry in Gloucester was revealed.
We were also shown an in progress version of their delivery program. This company hopes to be able to process and package fish in house, and then deliver it to peoples homes. This is done by taking the fresh fish and vacuum sealing it and putting it on ice before trucking it out. There are challenges associated with this as it is hard to predict what catch will come in that day, making advertising challenging. However there is currently a functioning site and service so if you’re near Gloucester give it a try.
Our next stop was Virgilio's, a local sandwich shop. We interviewed them and asked similar questions about the dynamic in Gloucester between tourism and the popular fishing industry and found they had similar opinions. We then asked about their establishment and their history in Gloucester. They originally opened in 1934, and then began to expand all over Cape Ann. In 1954, they moved locations to where they are now on Main st. The business has always been a mom and pop run take out Italian restaurant. For three generations the shop has been passed down through the family. Their sandwiches and other foods have found them acclaim from large tourism companies such as Lonely Planet.
Hours for the Day: 6 Hours
Commute: 3 Hours
Tour: 2 Hours
Virgilios: 1 Hour
Total Hours: 76.75 Hours
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