Oyster Farmers
I was in a romanticised state of love for oyster farmers and their way of life. As the sun was rising, we were on a boat going to the farm itself. In my naivety, I had no clue oysters were grown for at least a year, especially in a cultivated “farm”. It was fascinating and exciting to watch the process unfold. The oysters were grown on ropes that hung down off of a webbing of other ropes, into the ocean. They are grown for at least a year before being harvested. The farmers drag line by line of oysters up into plastic baskets and arrange them accordingly. A fisherman comes along to help catch the fish that eat the oysters. It’s a network of people helping each other to protect their food chain from natural predators. After each basket is full of oysters, the boat continues back to the harbour where they are immediately shuffled into an oyster shack where they are shucked. As the colours from the morning sun rise fade, I can’t help but think how much time and commitment comes to growing the crop of oysters.