Seth and Dorothy Garfield started their 1st year of operating the oyster farm and Raw Bar in 1981. The West End pond has been used to raise Belon Oysters (81-89) and now the famous Cuttyhunk Oyster.

The company must apply to the town every ten years to renew it's lease agreement. This allows the company to use the water column in the West End pond, as well as an area of bottom in the harbor at Penikese Island. The bivalves are planted at the size of 2.5 cm in early May; they then sit in nets hanging in the water column, feeding on the naturally produced phytoplankton. This happens 24 hours a day until they reach market size which, for fast growers, may be as soon as four months. During this time, the West End pond crew works five days a week thinning, cleaning nets, and sieving the oysters to give them as much space and food as they need. Techniques are continually improving to keep our overhead low and prices reasonable.

The Garfield's look forward to continuing the tradition of raising the finest oysters in Buzzard Bay and serving them to you on the Floating Raw Bar and at privately catered events throughout the year.

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Cuttyhunk Shellfish Farms, Inc.