Nonesuch Emerald Oysters from Scarborough, ME

Available for a limited time only.

Farmer: Ryan McPherson

Location: Scarborough, ME

Size: 3"

How they’re grown: Emeralds are the Nonesuch bottom cultured oysters and the entire lease is sub-tidal.  They’re spread across the bed of the river and harvested by a small drag, either with a rake or everyone’s favorite technique...swimming with a snorkel!  The oysters are placed in crates for a week on the surface to purge any extra sand or silt.  This extra step ensures that the shells are squeaky clean, inside and out! 

How they taste:  Being bottom planted in the riverbed, they develop great shell consistency and hearty, rich meats with distinctive brown edges. As estuarial oysters, they have a fantastic balance brine and sweetness with hints of earth, and a silky, smooth texture.

Why they’re unique: Emeralds are named for the distinctive green hue given to them by a specific benthic algae that only exists in areas of very high water quality.  The Scarborough River boasts a Grade A water classification due to its "outstanding natural resource waters", which is why Nonesuch has such great-tasting, healthy oysters!

Story: Maine native Abigail Carroll describes her entrance to the oyster trade as accidental.  She lived in Paris for several years, trading stocks, consulting on business plans, dating a French Count, and living what she describes as a ‘clean and easy life’.  After returning home to Maine, she agreed to help a friend write a business plan for an oyster farm with the caveat that she would NOT be getting her hands dirty--famous last words, as they say.  After the business plans went awry, Abigail ended up owning the property, and much to her own surprise, she ‘cowboyed up’, bought a pair of waders, and started farming oysters.  In 2021, Abigail passed the farm on to current owner, Ryan McPherson, who has big plans for the future of the farm.

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