Sconticut Neck Oysters from Fairhaven, MA

Harvest location: Jack’s Cove in Nasketucket Bay in Fairhaven, MA

How they’re grown: Matt purchases his seed from a hatchery in Maine. He uses floating gear which helps deal with predatorial problems that can be found on the ocean floor. He sinks the floating gear to the ocean floor in the winter to protect the oysters from ice. It takes around 18-20 months to reach market size.

Why they’re unique: Matt Loo is the only farmer in this area. Starting his farm was a 2-year process where the Town of Fairhaven, the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries, the Army. Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard and three Native American tribes had to be consulted before he was given his grant. Whew! In 2012, he officially started his farm. He has grown from 1 acre to 3.

Story: Matt has loved aquaculture since his Environmental Science in High School. During high school he found himself assisting the local shellfish warden running an upweller to grow Quahogs. Post high school, he attended the University of Rhode Island where he received in a degree in fisheries and aquaculture. He spent several post-college years in Alaska trapping and growing sockeye salmon, but soon he knew he had to come back home. The Fairhaven waters are a challenging place to grow oysters but he has seen his hard labor pay off. He is also a new Dad, so we hope to see a second generation oyster farmer in the works!

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.