Oyster Blog — Farm work

2011 started on the rocky side, when we accidentally deleted all blog posts back to April Fool's Day 2007, but we quickly recovered and ended up having a fantastic year, minus the truck theft. We bought a new truck, built a Flupsy, built a downweller, attended the first ever Meritage Oyster Fest in Saint Paul, had lots of fun here on the farm, and nursed babies of all shapes and sizes into 2012. Here's a recap: Blue Pool Oysters hit the shelves. We're really proud of these little jewels, and can't believe we've only been selling them a year. First...

On Halloween the Culinary Institute of America stopped by for some delicious treats, and one unexpected trick. The school visits almost every year while on a culinary tour of the West Coast. They first meet up with wild salmon activist Amy Grondin and folks from Long Live the Kings to learn about salmon restoration, and then gather on our beach for raw oysters, barbecued oysters, and a delicious meal prepared by Seattle's Flying Fish restaurant. James Beard award winner Christine Keff, chef at the Flying Fish, is a pioneer in the sustainable seafood movement and cooks up a mean lunch....

Today was a fantastic day for a barge ride. When it's calm, you can really notice how clear the water is. The lack of algae makes Hood Canal  a relatively lean place to grow shellfish... but that's o.k. because growing slow helps with oyster deliciousness, giving them a clean yet complex flavor. The beach crew picks oyster clusters for shucking into the metal tubs. Single oysters are picked by size into 10, 5, or 3 dozen color-coordinated bags. Barge operators dunk the slings several times to wash away mud and any hitchhikers, but still hermit crabs, sculpin, and shore crab...

Going to work with your dad is fun... provided you can swim all morning.