It trains and assists farmers in implementing a mixed farming model that adds seaweed, sea vegetables, mussels and other marine crops to an oyster operation to better deal with fluctuations in the market and the weather.Ī pickup truck, a small work boat and a dock will get your farm started. Some hatcheries want all their oysters back, so you might not get to eat them (darn!), but you do get a low-cost education in oyster management before taking the next step.Īnother option: Look into a sustainable franchise model called GreenWave. Many extension oyster hatcheries give away button-size baby oysters to people who commit to growing them for a year so they can repopulate depleted oyster beds with juvenile oysters. If you have access to a dock, you can start increasing your aquatic mollusk knowledge inexpensively by working with your local ag extension and doing what’s called oyster gardening. In some states, you can’t sell directly to the public, so learn about local wholesalers and restaurants and ask them what they want in terms of quantity, quality, seasonality and price. They can often help you with a business plan, too. Ag agents also visit sites for specific technical feedback on what you need to succeed. Many coastal ag extension offices offer one-day workshops on farming oysters. Contrast this with the 5 pounds of fish that it takes to raise 1 pound of farmed salmon. Because oysters filter the water for their food, you’re helping the environment while spending nothing on feed. Just an acre or less of shallow water is enough to start an oyster farm. Check with your local ag extension office or wildlife agency. If you have access to clean salt water that has historically supported Atlantic oysters ( Crassostrea virginica) or West Coast oysters ( Ostrea sp.), you can probably get a lease for harvest rights below the low tide line and a permit for oyster farming. Oysters are a more resilient shellfish than clams or scallops for farming. With oyster farming, you don’t need much land, and you needn’t feed your crop. That accelerates profitability for farmers. Without spending energy on producing the next generation-extension oyster hatcheries take care of that-these oysters come to maturity in two years rather than the three it takes wild oysters to reach harvest size of 3 inches long. Because they don’t reproduce, oysters are still fat and tasty in the summer months, which extends the season for farmers. Researchers have bred oysters that are sterile and resist disease. The research and extension services of many states’ agricultural universities have risen to the challenge. Wild oysters in summer often taste thin or muddy.īut the depletion of oyster beds from overharvesting and disease, as well as pollution from cities, industries and intensive livestock operations, has created an incentive for farming these sea creatures. They reproduce in summer, spitting out gametes (reproductive cells) that deplete their heft and tastiness. Wild-caught oysters generally grow in clumps of long, thin, flat shells. What’s going on?įarming-that’s what’s going on. But that doesn’t seem to be the case these days. Most people know the rule that oysters are best in months that have an “r” in them, meaning that one avoids oysters in the spring and summer months of May, June, July and August. To me, oysters are out of season and not as tasty then. Most curious is that oyster bars now offer oysters in summer. It seems that oyster shells have gotten deeper and the oysters, fatter and tastier. For commercial growers, we recommend triploids due to their significantly faster growth.Eating oysters on the half shell out with friends, I’ve noticed a few changes over the years. Contact us if this is something your organization is interested in! A 25% conditioning fee will apply. These spawns generally consist of wild oysters harvested from the body of water being restored. In the past we have partnered with a variety of non-profit environmental groups to provide wild diploid larvae spawned specifically for oyster restoration efforts. These oysters have a degree of disease resistance, robust shell growth, and favor moderate salinities. Ware River- Wild oysters from the Ware River, a tributary of Mobjack Bay. Lolas- Selected for fast growth in low-salinities.Ĭross Breeds- (XB) Good all around oyster, seems to do better in higher salinities We offer customers a selection of broodstock to suit the needs of any particular grow-out site.ĭebys- An excellent, proven all around performer, good across a range of salinities
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