Morning inspiration — read this


The following profile appears on the Fogo Island Co-op's website:

“In 1967, we had to make a life-altering decision on Fogo Island.

Leave our beloved island home and resettle on the mainland of Newfoundland and Labrador. Or stay and find a way to make it on our own. We stayed. And we made it.

To ensure our survival, we turned to what we knew best for hundreds of years — the sea. Following a process of community self-discovery now known worldwide as the Fogo Process, our fishers formed the Fogo Island Co-operative Society, a community-based enterprise on which we built the economy of our island.

We built more boats. We built bigger boats. We took over processing facilities abandoned by private enterprise. We built more plants. We sought new markets. And the Fogo Island Co-op has not only survived, it has succeeded.

Today, Fogo Island and the Co-op are a major force in the international fish harvesting community. We have a fleet of 30 longliners, three fish plants, two buying stations, a laboratory, welding shop and a marine service center complete with fishing supplies outlet.

We have markets in the United States, Japan, China, Taiwan, Sweden, and Germany. And we have developed a rock-solid reputation for honesty, integrity, pride in performance, and world-class quality.

Just ask our customers.

Anchored in the North Atlantic, Fogo Island remains totally focused on the harvesting and processing of ocean products.

With dockside landing, our product comes direct from the sea, to the plant, to the package — in a matter of hours. Crab, cod, capelin, sea cucumber, turbot, herring, mackerel, and shrimp — as fresh as you can get without catching it yourself.

We have no choice but to excel at what we do.

For our island home to survive, there can be no other way.

We believe that is what sets us apart from our competitors.

And that is why you can depend on the community-owned Fogo Island Co-op.

Because the future of our community depends on us.”
•••
Truer words have never been written.

Comments

ViewPoint2010 said…
Talk about inspiration. So many people would have folded their tents and slipped away ... but the Fogo Islanders are made of better stuff and they have proven it. Thanks for sharing their story.
May 9, 2010 at 11:49 AM
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