Our Story
From One Fly Rod to a Global Movement
Fly Fishing Collaborative began with a question:
”What if fly fishing could help prevent human trafficking?”
In 2014, our founder Bucky Buchstaber gathered a few close friends and shared a vision that felt impossible but urgent. They believed their shared passion could create real change by funding sustainable farms, empowering vulnerable communities, and fighting food insecurity at the root.
Since then, that spark has grown into a proven model of prevention. We've built aquaponic farms in 11 countries, mentored foster youth, and helped families find freedom through food and opportunity.
A Decade of Impact
14 Farms Built
11 Countries Served
33,620 lbs of Fish Produced
6,024 lbs of Vegetables Grown
16,055 sq ft of Greenhouse Space
2,609 Children Fed
What We’ve Learned
Farming is hard.
Farming in the developing world is even harder.
Limited resources, harsh weather, and lack of access to training can slow everything down. We’ve made mistakes. We’ve failed forward. And we’ve kept showing up.
Today, our newest farms are producing more than the first fourteen combined. That kind of progress takes strategic investment in people. The decision to bring Alyson Wells onto our team almost five years ago changed everything. It also takes trust, consistency, and strong local leadership.
Alyson brings more than a decade of hands-on experience in aquaponics, organic farming, food distribution, and system design. From Costa Rica to Colorado, she’s built and managed farms in some of the toughest growing environments. Her leadership has helped us move from survival to scale.
Real impact doesn’t come from ideas alone. It comes from grit, long-term relationships, and shared ownership.
“Sustainable farming takes time. It’s an ecosystem. Every part costs money to build right. Not all seasons yield fruit, but when they do, it’s worth it.
In Belize, I watched trees I planted bear fruit in sandy, infertile soil. It shouldn’t have worked. But with care, it did. That’s the kind of resilience we grow.
Since I was young, I’ve known my purpose is to fight global food insecurity. Teaching others to feed themselves and steward the land is a powerful gift.” — Alyson Wells, Farm Director
We’ve learned that lasting change takes time.
Trust matters more than speed.
When communities are empowered, hope takes root.
What’s Next?
We’re just getting started.
Farms are ready to scale. Foster kids are waiting for fishing camps. Global partners are standing by to launch in their regions. The next decade is about depth, scale, and shared ownership.
At our ten-year mark, we took time to reflect. What’s working? What needs to grow? And how do we build something that lasts?
We are moving toward a model where 100 percent of public donations go directly to the field. To make that possible, we are inviting private donors to help fund the leadership, operations, and innovation that keep the mission moving.
We have helped our global partners build sustainable systems. Now we are doing the same for FFC by reducing donor dependence, growing earned income, and strengthening the foundation that supports long-term impact.
This includes launching the Fish Well. Do Good. platform this fall and partnering with Fly Fusion Magazine on their Trout Tour, which will feature Fish Well. Do Good. in cities across the country. The tour was just picked up by Orvis and will now be shown in more than 50 of their stores nationwide.
If you want to help scale this vision, we are hosting small gatherings across the country to share what’s ahead. These conversations offer a closer look at our path to a 100 percent giving model and full transparency.
The next ten years can be even more transformative than the first.
We would love to build it with you.
We’d love to connect and share where we are headed.
Be Part Of The Solution to Stop Trafficking Before It Starts
Give once. Give monthly.
Every dollar fights upstream.