Falling for Oysters
This fall, our work with Jasper White’s Summer Shack took us to the oyster farm in Duxbury, MA that supplies the delectable bivalves to Jasper’s many restaurants. In fact, they’re harvesting a special oyster – the South Bay Blonde – just for the Summer Shack.
We arrived at Duxbury Harbor just in time to witness a spectacular sunrise.
It pays to wake up early
Shellfish farmer Mike George of Powder Point Oysters then took us on his boat to the flat where the oyster seeds are planted and then carefully tended to until they grow into the beautiful and delicious oysters we love to order up and eat by the dozen.
Mike shows us how his oysters grow
One big beautiful oyster
Powder Point oyster beds
Neal and I took turns on the camera – shooting from the boat on our Canon C300 as Mike and his assistant Chris worked in the oyster beds. (Check out the blog tomorrow for a video journal as Mike shows us how little seeds become plump, juicy oysters!)
On days like this it’s hard not to love what we do
Mike was kind enough to bring an extra pair of wading boots in case one of us wanted to try our hand at harvesting. Never one to shy away from a new experience, I donned the boots (which were several sizes too large for my ladylike feet) and hopped into the water.
Oysters are grown in shallow, muddy waters and Mike instructed me to turn me feet as I took each step so as to not get my feet stuck in the muck. I learned the hard way that that’s easier said than done. And lucky me – Neal was rolling the whole time.
Julia Falls for Oysters from Good Life Productions on Vimeo.