Owner Ken Beebe founded his oyster farm on the Mill Pond in Harpswell’s Basin Cove in 2008. He says the cold water, refreshed twice daily by the tides, contributes to the sweet flavor of his oysters. While Beebe is retiring from oyster farming as an occupation, he intends to keep his lease.
This gallery is part of “Cultivating the Coast,” a special report that explores Harpswell’s rapidly growing aquaculture industry.
Ken Beebe uses a pocket knife to scrape barnacles off oyster shells on his wharf on Mill Pond in Basin Cove on June 21. (Bisi Cameron Yee photo)
Ken Beebe opens an oyster cage on his wharf on Mill Pond in Basin Cove on June 21. Beebe’s aquaculture operation in the cove dates back to 2008. (Bisi Cameron Yee photo)
Ken Beebe brushes an oyster clean of algal growth in Harpswell on June 21. “They’ve gotta be cleaned — it’s a labor of love,” he said. (Bisi Cameron Yee photo)
Ken Beebe shows off the deep cup that is a hallmark of the oysters he grows on Mill Pond in Basin Cove. He describes his oysters as “very, very salty and buttery (with) lots of meat.” (Bisi Cameron Yee photo)
An orange tag identifies an oyster cage belonging to Harpswell aquaculturist Ken Beebe on June 21. (Bisi Cameron Yee photo)
