Buttercup Oysters from Yarmouth, ME

Harvest location: Yarmouth, ME

How they’re grown: Nestled among the islands of Casco Bay between Little Moshier and Moshier Island, Butterfield Seafarm has a unique mix of protected and exposed growing waters. The crew moves the oysters between calmer water sheltered by the islands and the cooler, choppier water farther out in the bay, helping manage their growth, shell quality, and appearance. Using the FlipFarm system, Buttercup oysters grow in floating baskets along 500-foot lines, rising and falling with tides that can swing as much as 13 feet. The constant movement naturally tumbles the oysters throughout the year, encouraging a beautiful shape and strong, durable shell.

Why they’re unique: There’s a lot packed into these oysters beyond what’s inside the shell. Their distinctive shape and sturdy shells are the result of Casco Bay’s dramatic tides, the farm’s unique location, and a growing method that keeps them moving with the water year-round. But we also love the story behind them. Buttercups represent the legacy of a farmer who helped move Maine aquaculture forward, now carried on by the people who worked alongside him and know the farm best.

Story: Butterfield Seafarm was founded by Keith Butterfield, a pioneer in Maine’s aquaculture community known for his generosity, mentorship, and willingness to push oyster farming forward. He became the first farmer in North America to implement and distribute the New Zealand-designed FlipFarm system, helping introduce a new approach to oyster farming in the region. Keith farmed oysters in Casco Bay for more than a decade before his passing in March 2026. Today, longtime co-farm managers Hadlee and Nate carry on the operation and the farm he built.

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.