Archive for the Process-Slider Category

Harvest

After a year or more of life on the bottom or in a growout tray, its time to harvest. The farm crew goes out at low tide to pick oysters off the flats or out of trays. At high tide we drag a basket dredge to harvest

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Growout

Once the oysters reach about a half inch in size–usually in July or August–we either plant them on the bottom or put them loose into trays. Broadcasting them is great because it creates a rugged shell and complex flavor, but results in lower yields. Tray grown oysters

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Nursery

At about the a quarter inch or the size of an average pinky nail, we transfer the seed into mesh bags and deploy them further out into the Bay. Here at Island Creek we have the benefit of a floating nursery. We stick the bags into cages

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Upwellers

Pepper-flake-sized oysters are put into FLUPSY’s (floating-upweller-systems) under our docks in May and June. At this point, they are officially input free! No feed, no fertilizer, no pesticides, no nothing (other than elbow grease and sleepless nights). They are growing on pure unadulterated Duxbury Bay salt water

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Hatchery

The hatchery is where we make oyster babies. It resembles any other livestock rearing here in New England–think spring lambs or chicks–where we need to breed the babies and keep them warm, sheltered, and fed through the late winter and early spring so they can get right

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