-
Brendan Parsons
Owner
Born and raised in Damariscotta, Brendan first worked on a farm on the river in 2008. From there, he ran raw bars catering at weddings and all kinds of events. In 2015, after graduating from the University of Maine (and a short stint as a ski bum out west), Brendan started his first business: BP’s Shuck Shack. By retrofitting an old Oscar Mayer hotdog cart, Brendan created the first oyster food cart in Portland, Maine. He started the farm In 2016 and opened a restaurant, the Shuck Station Raw Bar in Newcastle, Maine, in 2017. Find him at the restaurant, with friends, solving problems, slinging oysters, or, of course, out on the water.
-
Ryan Saul
FARM MANAGER
Ryan grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He headed north to attend the University of Southern Maine where he earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in Chemistry. Always enjoying working with his hands and boating on the Chesapeake Bay, he chose to work in aquaculture right out of college—at Mook Sea Farm, as a hatchery technician and farm hand, starting in 2017. Next, after a short stint at Running Tide Technologies, Ryan joined Blackstone as the farm’s first farm manager. Find him fishing for striped bass at the end of the day with friends on the river, searching for ducks and deer in the Fall, catching an occasional wave, or shredding the pow at Sugarloaf when he has time in the winter. And, of course, out on the water.
-
Anna Drzewiecki
Lead Farm Hand & Outreach
Originally from Peaks Island, Anna took the long way home, studying in France, California, Morocco, and New York before moving back to Maine in 2021. She has worked on the nursery crew and farm crew at Muscongus Bay Aquaculture, and in the retail shop at Glidden Point Oyster Farms. On the farm, find her sorting and packing oysters, grading seed, hand-harvesting at low tides, designing merchandise, writing grants, and running the crew with Ryan. Off the farm, find her in faraway places, and, of course, out on the water. Ask her about her latest writing projects, her former street pup, Sauvage, and why she’s obsessed with oyster farming.
She loves questions from friends & future friends of the Blackstone family. Drop her a line on our IG.
our story
We started with a small “LPA” south of Blackstone Point, a peninsula at the southern end of the Great Salt Bay. Since then, just like our oysters, we have grown in scale (and flavor). While we now operate on one standard lease, one experimental, and one LPA, our commitment to quality, care, resourcefulness, and ingenuity is as strong as it ever was.
Our oysters are both distinctive and characteristic of this river oyster-fans & others know so well.
Curious about this river & it’s history? Check out Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust and the Darling Marine Center for more information. Or, of course, ask a local.
We recognize and honor that we farm in waters that the Abenaki people called home for many generations before us. We are doing our research and hope to share a more thorough statement soon.
Make it
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world.