We wanted to take our sustainability commitments to the next level. We were curious: Where do we, as an oyster farm, fit into larger sustainability communities and metrics? So we decided to go on a BCorp journey. Stay tuned for updates.

What is BCorp? Learn more at BLab.

What’s at the source? We are committed to sourcing at least 50% of our inputs from other local (within 50 miles) suppliers and businesses and selling 75% to local and independent clients/customers as well. As a small-scale oyster farm, when we say “inputs,” we mean our gear, equipment, repair services, fuel (gas for boats & snacks for crew), and most importantly our oyster seed. We do our best to give back to our local communities, too. We sell a majority of our oysters back into local markets. We buy local, sell local, live local. That doesn’t mean we don’t love visitors (or seeing our oysters shucked in faraway places).

Who keeps this river clean? The oysters play a big role, of course. But so do we. Oysters can do a lot, but they can’t pick up bottles, wrappers, old line, and all the other things we find on shore at high tide. Our Cleaner River Policy is a commitment, signed by our crew, to do our part. From participating in community river clean ups, to keeping our eyes peeled during the work day. We’re on the look out.

We know there are different ways to get the energy we need to operate the farm. Like solar! Stay tuned as we plan for solar alongside our new building in Nobleboro, Maine.

Did you know? We don’t have a land-based facility; we do all our work out on the water or in shared facilities. This means we only use electricity during our nursery season (May-July).

What does “shared waters” mean? As oyster farmers in Maine, we lease the area we farm from the State through a thorough process taking into consideration the environment and community. We share these waters with other farmers, fishermen, wild harvesters, recreational boaters…and plenty of seals, birds, and fish! Questions about how we farm? Where we farm? Why we do it? Come find us at the Shuck Station, the Damariscotta town landing, on the water, or drop us a line here.

Oyster farming, unlike farming on land, uses no inputs (like fertilizers, pesticides, or feed), no fresh water, and no arable land (whoa). We do still use plastics, currently essential to a lot of gear (even our boots and bibs!) and day-to-day operations. We’re exploring alternatives like MycoBuoys and the Ocean Harvest bag, both created by Maine innovators.