Norumbega Oysters from Damariscotta, ME

Harvest location: Damariscotta River, mid-coast Maine

How they’re grown: The oysters start as seed grown in floating bags on the surface for the first year, then bottom-planted for another 1.5-3 years. No dredging on this farm, you could say they are much more “hands on” than that. Once the oysters have reached market size, they are pulled from the water by scuba diving. Yep, even in the winter. The diver carefully selects what is harvested, leaving the thinner oysters in place to continue to grow and pulled at a later date.

Why they’re unique: These oysters come from four different lease sites totaling 11 acres, growing at depths ranging from 5 feet at the shallowest to 28 feet. 28 feet is some seriously deep water, which would explain the need for a scuba harvest!

Story: The Damariscotta River is known for its oysters, and growing up in an area surrounded by rich aquaculture history, Eric knew as early as high school that a career in aquaculture was right for him. He and his wife Kellie bring with them over 20 years of expertise growing and harvesting shellfish on their family run farm. Norumbega Oyster Farm was started in 2006 and has managed to grow in size every year 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.