Crowes Pasture Oysters from Dennis, MA

Harvest location: Quivet Neck Beach, Dennis, MA

How they’re grown: The farm crew doesn't need a boat to access their grant, they can ride out to their meticulously arranged trays in a truck! Since trucks don't float [yet...] , these oysters can only be farmed at low tide, which gives the crew a tight window to harvest as many as they can. The grow-out process takes about three years, and everything is grown off-bottom in elevated trays and tumbled regularly. In the winter, they're removed from the farm and kept in a storage shed, safe from storms and freezing temperatures, until they're placed back in the water in the spring.

Why they’re unique: In a town of over 30 oyster 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. The combination of fresh water from Quivet Neck Creek and saltwater from Cape Cod Bay create ideal conditions for growing oysters.

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.