Exciting news about Clinton’s Oyster Farm Share Program – Community Supported Aquaculture (CSA)
Indian River Shellfish (IRS) and your Clinton Shellfish Commission are teaming up to deliver locally farm-raised oysters directly to the residents of Clinton. Making good use of a portion of the recent Unilever settlement, the Shellfish Commission, IRS, and energetic volunteers, will prepare targeted areas within Clinton’s three rivers to receive oyster seed. Select areas of these river bottoms will be covered with boatloads of recycled shell to make a suitable habitat for the oyster seeds. Oysters cannot attach to a muddy bottom, they need rocks or shells to latch onto. Once the river bottoms have been prepared, purchased oyster seed will be cast out into the rivers so they can seek out the new shell beds laid out for them.
Oysters aren’t just a delicacy, they serve a very important role in cleaning our water. A single oyster is capable of filtering up to 50 gallons of water each day. With potentially millions of oysters in and around Clinton Harbor, just do the math.
What is a Farm Share, or CSA?
Clinton’s Oyster Farm Share is a CSA (Community Supported Aquaculture) program that will allow participants to buy shares of the harvest. In this case, those shares consist of LOCALLY grown and harvested FRESH oysters.
If you are interested in the farm share program, or volunteering to help or join the Shellfish Commission, please register on our website to receive email updates. Also keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter.
The program will be open to Clinton residents. If you are interested in supporting your local sustainable shellfishing industry, and enjoy delicious, fresh off the boat oysters: