Dana Morse held three oysters in his hand. The oysters, about 24 months old, were coated in mud, with seaweed lazily hanging off the side.
Morse, co-owner of Iron Island Oysters, was standing on a boat docked on the New Meadows River. A crowd was listening to him explain the process of farming oysters, from picking up seeds at the hatchery to harvesting them once fully grown.
Iron Island Oysters was one of 10 farms on the New Meadows River opening their metaphorical doors to the public on July 20 as part of the fourth annual Oyster Farms Day hosted by the New Meadows River Shellfish Co-op.
“We were all on the phone last night doing last-minute freak-out stuff. It is nice to have a bunch of people who are all in the same boat working together,” Morse said. “It’s nice to represent the river together.”
The co-op wants the public to meet farmers in order to build community and educate them about oyster farming.
“When we’re out working, sometimes people don’t want to bother us,” said Max Burtis, co-owner of Ferda Farms. “We want them to visit, and to learn.”
This year’s event was spearheaded by Lili Liu and Blake Civiello, owners of Gurnet Village. The two attended the event in its first year, 2020, and fell in love with it. This year, they wanted to help expand it.
“We went to as many farms as we could and it was just such an amazing event. We’ve always just loved the idea of being out on the water, meeting the farmers. You learn a lot,” Liu said.
While the event typically occurs on the water, this year included two land points at Gurnet Village and Holbrook’s Wharf, in Cundy’s Harbor, where people could meet farmers, try oysters and buy merchandise. Gurnet Village also hosted a water shuttle for those who wanted the full experience.
On the water, participants were able to float up to the farms and interact with farmers. Morse told participants about the growing cycle, while Randy Hamilton, of Getchell’s Ledge Oysters, explained the process of tumbling oysters so they grow a deep cup.
Lauren and Brian Greenberg saw a flier about the event and decided to attend, taking a trip on the water shuttle.
“It was great to be out on the water and to see the oyster fishermen hands-on, doing their job, and getting a little bit more of an appreciation of what goes into it,” Lauren Greenberg said.
The co-op hopes events like this one will grow the New Meadows River’s reputation for fine oysters, giving it a reputation similar to that of the Damariscotta River. Oyster taste is dependent on environment, and the co-op’s oysters have a powerfully briny taste that comes from the river’s lack of freshwater influence.
Oysters have only been farmed on the New Meadows River within the last 20 years, Burtis estimated. He said the industry’s novelty makes events like this important, since many community members did not grow up with it and may not know the farmers.
Burtis said farmers must navigate a public process to secure a lease, making it even more important to educate people about what they do.
“If they’ve never heard of the farm before or they haven’t talked to any farmer, this unknown thing could be scary,” he said. “After you build that community, it’s a much easier ask to allow people to make a living out here.”
The growth of aquaculture in and around Harpswell has elicited concern from some in the community. The town appointed a working group in May to review those concerns.
Burtis, who has a background in clam digging, said one reason for the rise of aquaculture is uncertainty about the future of commercial fishing because of factors that include climate change.
“Personally, I can’t really count on making a living the way I have in the past,” he said. “This is a diversification, a hedge against the uncertainty of the future.”
As for Oyster Farms Day, Lincoln Smith, owner of Long Reach Oysters, said the event gets “a little bit bigger each year.”
Heidi Coffin, who helped captain a water shuttle, wondered if this year’s success could lead to a full-day or multiple-day event in the future.
“It is kind of the future,” said Liu, from Gurnet Village. “Not saying that lobstering isn’t going to persist on in the future, but I think aquaculture is something that Maine is pushing and creates a lot of on-the-water jobs.”
