Crowes Pasture Oysters from Dennis, MA

Harvest location: Quivet Neck Beach, Dennis, MA

How they’re grown: This crew does not need a boat to access their grant In the sandy open water of Cape Cod Bay, they can just ride out there in a truck! Trucks do not float, so these can only be harvested at low tide. Don’t worry, with a farm crew of 4-6 full-time employees they can cram a lot of oyster harvesting into a small window of time! Everything is grown off the bottom in elevated trays and tumbled periodically throughout their 3-year grow out. Oysters are removed from the farm in the winter months because of the threats of ice and freezing temperatures and over-wintered in a storage shed before being returned in the water in March.

Why they’re unique: In a town of 32 farms, this venture is on the smaller side, even by boutique standards—clocking in at a single acre bordering their namesake Crowes Pasture Conservation Area. These are a limited seasonal offering, we only wish they were available year-round!

Story: Gary has spent more than 40 years out on the water doing both recreational and some commercial shell fishing, it even helped him to pay for college once upon a time. He waited more than 8 years for his own shellfish grant and retired from his job teaching high school science to get out on the water full time. He has had his eyes on expansion ever since!

Consuming this product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.