Cuttyhunk Shellfish Farm is located on a pristine 30 acre Great Salt Pond on the West End of Cuttyhunk Island.
Surrounded by conservation land and punctuated with a historic monument commemorating Bartholomew Gosnold’s landing in 1602, Cuttyhunk oysters grow undisturbed except for the wind, waves, striped bass, crabs, eel, and a variety of migrating shore birds. The Pond is refreshed twice a day by the tides of Buzzards Bay.
How they are grown:
Every March while the water temperature is still below 45 degrees F, a team of hardy workers plants 200-300,000 baby oysters by scooping 100 at a time into 3 tiered lantern nets. These nets will remain suspended in the water column year round while oysters feed and grow in the plankton rich waters. Nets are cleaned and oysters sorted by hand on a regular basis to thin the density of the crop and provide optimal growing conditions until they are ready for harvest and consumption 12-24 months later.
Taste
Merroir refers to the distinctive flavor oysters take on due to the environment in which they are grown. Rain, tides, soil composition, water salinity, temperature, and the local ecosystem are all factors impacting an oyster’s merroir. Cuttyhunk oysters are known for their signature fresh, briny flavor.
The people:
Considering its proximity to New Bedford (14 nautical miles) Cuttyhunk is a remote rural community and the oyster farmers are also island EMTs, volunteers on town committees, and advocates for our industry. Cuttyhunk Shellfish is the only year round business on island, so we know what we do matters to our local economy and environment. We have employed and mentored generations of kids; we have matched students with academic opportunities, jobs, and research grants; we strive to always give back to our communities in which we live and work.