9/28/26

fall is a mad dash! i've got hard dates in sight on my calendar now of the lowest tides this month and next during which i'll be aiming to start sinking the farm to keep it safe for the winter months, and it feels like there's still a million things to do before then. because i harvest all winter, there's a lottttt of grading and sorting to do now in order to put aside all of the many oysters that are big enough and ready to go to market over the winter. sorting those out and sinking them in such a way that they're easy to access down the road is key to making the winter harvest manageable for me, by myself in my little boat. 

aside from all that sorting, i'm also trying to cycle as much of the crop as i can into relatively clean, dry gear that's free of pesky fouling organisms (primarily mussels) so that i

don't leave myself with a super messy, heavy jumble to haul back up in the spring. this effort also ensures that the oysters stocked at a proper density (not too many per bag) so they have as much access to water cycling through the gear while they sit on the bottom as possible. we don't want any of them to suffocate down there! october weather can vary widely in terms of temperature and wind conditions, which will dictate how hard or easy this work is for me to complete - keep your fingers crossed for favorable and relatively comfortable weeks ahead!