Why We’re Offering Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon

For the first time in our history, Tyner Pond Farm is offering a product that is not local.

That was not a small decision.

We have built this farm around a simple idea: food should come from a place you can understand. Our beef comes from cattle raised on pasture here in Indiana. Our chickens are moved across grass. Our eggs come from hens with access to real forage. Even when we work with partner farms, we keep the source close, clear, and accountable.

So adding wild Alaska salmon took some thought.

This is not a decision we made because salmon is trendy, or because we wanted to become a seafood company. We are still a grass-fed beef and pasture-raised farm in central Indiana. That has not changed.

But over time, I have also come to believe that a healthy diet does not have to be built from one food alone. There is a place on the plate for good beef. There is a place for pasture-raised chicken. There is also a place, once in a while, for clean wild fish.

The question was never whether salmon could be a healthy food. The question was whether we could find a source that fit our standards.

The Risk of Offering Something That Is Not Local

Local food matters to us.

Not as a slogan, but as a way of keeping responsibility close. When food is local, the customer has a better chance of knowing who raised it, how it was handled, and what kind of land or water system it came from.

That is harder with seafood.

Most seafood moves through long supply chains. A fish may be caught by one company, processed by another, packed under another name, distributed through another business, and finally sold by a brand that had very little to do with the fish itself.

That does not automatically make the fish bad. But it does make the source harder to understand.

For us, that was the problem.

We were not interested in adding anonymous seafood. We were not interested in acting like any “wild-caught” label was good enough. If we were going to offer salmon, we needed to know more than the species and the price.

We needed to know who stood behind it.

Finding Captain Tony Wood

That is what led us to Captain Tony Wood and Wild Alaska Salmon & Seafood Co.

What impressed me was not just the salmon. It was how much his way of thinking sounded familiar.

Tony’s company is a small family business. They are not just a marketing brand attached to a seafood supply chain. Their message is built around catching their own salmon, processing their own salmon, and selling it directly under their own name.

That matters.

It is very similar to the way we think about beef. We do not believe food should be pushed through a long chain where responsibility gets blurred at each step. We believe the source should be clear. We believe handling matters. We believe you deserve to know who is responsible for the food they are feeding their families.

That is the ethic we were looking for.

And that is why this specific salmon made sense.

Why Sockeye

We are starting with sockeye because it is a clean, practical fish to add once in a while to a healthy diet.

Sockeye is a wild salmon with a strong nutrition profile. It is naturally high in omega-3 fats, which are one of the reasons many people try to include fish in their diet. Alaska health guidance also lists wild Alaska salmon among fish that are high in omega-3 fats and low in mercury.

That matters to me.

I do not think every “healthy” product deserves trust just because it has the right label on it. I want to know the source. I want to know the handling. I want to know whether the food is simple and whether the chain makes sense.

This sockeye is processed the day it is caught, flash frozen, and shipped frozen. That is the kind of handling we were looking for.

It is not complicated food. It is wild salmon, handled carefully, frozen close to the source, and sold by the people who stand behind it.

Beef, Chicken, and Fish Can All Have a Place

I want to be clear about something.

We are not offering salmon because we think something is missing from our beef.

We believe deeply in 100% grass-fed beef raised on good pasture. Beef is one of the most important foods we produce. It provides high-quality protein, iron, zinc, B vitamins, and other nutrients that are hard to replace.

Pasture-raised chicken has its place too. It is a practical food for families, and when it is raised on pasture, it fits a very different standard than industrial chicken raised indoors.

Wild fish brings something different.

That is the point.

Different foods from different places can contribute different nutrients. Grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken, eggs, raw dairy, and wild fish do not need to compete with each other. They can fit together as part of a simple, real-food diet.

For our family, salmon is not an everyday food. It is something to keep in the freezer and eat once in a while. That is the way we are presenting it to our customers.

Not as a replacement.

As a useful addition.

Why This Matters in a Corporate Food System

A lot of food today is sold by companies that are very good at branding but very far removed from the source.

That is true in meat. It is true in eggs. It is true in dairy. It is true in seafood.

The customer sees a clean label, a nice picture, and a few claims on the package. But behind that label, the food may have moved through a chain that is hard to trace and harder to trust.

We have always tried to move in the opposite direction.

We want fewer layers between the producer and the customer. We want clearer responsibility. We want small farms and small food businesses to survive in a marketplace that is increasingly shaped by large corporations, national distributors, and e-commerce companies that can make food feel personal even when it is not.

That is one reason we wanted to support Captain Tony Wood.

He is doing in salmon what small farms are trying to do in meat: keep the source clear, keep the handling accountable, and sell food under a name that actually means something.

That is worth supporting.

Starting Small

We are starting with wild Alaska sockeye because it is the clearest fit.

We are not becoming a seafood store. We are not trying to offer every kind of fish. We are testing one product from one source because it meets the standard we care about.

The standard is simple:

Know the source.

Keep the chain short.

Handle the food carefully.

Support small food businesses that are trying to do things the right way.

Avoid anonymous food whenever we can.

That is why we are offering this salmon.

It comes from a different place than our beef and chicken, but the ethic is the same.

Good food begins with a place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is salmon healthier than beef?

Both foods offer different nutritional benefits. Beef is one of the best sources of heme iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and high-quality protein. Wild salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids that support heart, brain, and metabolic health. We believe there is room for both in a healthy diet.

Why does Tyner Pond Farm sell wild salmon?

Our goal has always been to connect families with food they can trust. We partnered with Captain Tony Wood because he shares many of the same values we do: respect for natural systems, careful stewardship, and a commitment to quality. His salmon complements the foods we raise here in Indiana.

What are the benefits of wild-caught salmon?

Wild-caught salmon is one of the richest natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids. It also provides high-quality protein, vitamin D, selenium, and vitamin B12.

Is beef a good source of iron?

Yes. Beef is one of the best dietary sources of heme iron, the form of iron that is most easily absorbed and used by the body. Beef also contains vitamin B12 and other nutrients that support healthy blood production.

Why are omega-3 fatty acids important?

Omega-3 fatty acids help support heart health, brain function, and normal inflammatory responses. Many nutrition experts believe most modern diets contain too many omega-6 fats relative to omega-3 fats.

How often should I eat salmon?

There is no single right answer. Many health organizations recommend eating fish once or twice per week. We view wild salmon as a useful addition to an already healthy diet built around nutrient-dense foods.

Can I eat both grass-fed beef and wild salmon?

Absolutely. Beef and salmon provide different nutrients and complement one another well. Beef excels as a source of iron and zinc, while salmon is especially valuable for its omega-3 fatty acids.

Why does place matter when it comes to food?

We believe food reflects the environment that produced it. Our cattle are shaped by the pastures of East Central Indiana, while Captain Tony's salmon are shaped by the cold waters of Alaska. Different places produce different strengths, which is why we value both.