8/10/26

we're getting into the more grueling, fast-paced part of the oyster season now that it's august. this is the time of year where the biofouling that grows on my gear really starts to ramp up it's growth rates (that's all the different kinds fo algae and tunicates, baby mussels and other slime), which left unchecked, starts to crowd out and suffocate the oysters. things are about to get heavy, and i will be spending lots of time air-drying gear and trying to stay of top of it.

the baby oysters are also really staring to take off in their first season on the farm, and i will be spending more and more time in the coming months grading them by size, periodically pulling the biggest of them out and moving them into floating bags with bigger mesh to allow them continual access to as much water (and food) as possible. and of course, it's still summer

in maine, so the harvesting demands remain sky-high thanks to busy farmer's markets and restaurants, so the harvest days are still backbreakers! which, of course, is what it's all for in the end - bringing those oysters in from the farm so they can land on your plate. :)

(all photos in this post taken by Kirby Gamel for Modern Pioneering, PBS)