Thank you to everyone who turned out and made the last open farm day of 2013 a shucking good time! We really ‘got into the fat oysters’ on Saturday as an otherwise rainy Memorial Day weekend held back the tempest until the very end of the day for the folks who came out for a chance to fill their own baskets with fresh oysters and clams.
Great fun was had by all of us here at Hama Hama who got to spend the day debating the perfect oyster with folks and discussing everything from clam digging strategies to moon snail recipes. We really enjoyed giving you a chance to ask us all kinds of great questions about just what it is we do here at the Hama Hama Oyster farm. It is always fun to see the diversity of the people who come to these open farm days; from the novice who isn’t too sure how deep they need to dig to find the oysters (they are always surprised to learn they just walked past about a million of them, lying right on top of the beach!), to the veteran who knows just where to dig to find the big manila clams they are after. Everyone is welcome at these open farm days, and we enjoy having you come out and teach us a few things, too. We came away with new ideas and a few lessons learned:
1. Judging oyster cooking competitions rules!
2. Freshly painted nails and flip-flops do not deter the inquisitive mind. (Go Cougs!)
3. Just because the river is fresh, cold, clean and sweet up the valley, way out on the beach at low tide it is a bit salty. (“Little” cousin Jesse was determined to learn this for himself.)
Don't worry, he also drinks kombucha. (All jokes aside: we do not recommend drinking unfiltered river water. By now, this little guy probably doesn't, either.)
4. It is a long ways back up the beach with a full basket. Somehow the return trip seems much further than the walk out did. (We have never measured, but we have been noticing the same thing for years).
Thanks again to everyone who came out to see us for out open farm days 2013. We will post dates for 2014 some time this fall so you can get them on your calendars. We look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new folks in 2014! -Jesse, Lissa, Clara, Emma, and little Jesse, on behalf of all the rest!