This July, we spent two beautiful mornings on the shores of Little Bay during our sold-out Live Free & Shuck workshops with local oyster farmer Laura Brown of Fox Point Oysters. Held on July 12 and 26, the workshops brought participants out into the estuary to learn firsthand about oyster farming, water quality, and the art of shucking fresh oysters.
This wasn’t our first time partnering with Laura, and after overwhelming interest in previous years, we knew it was time to bring this workshop back!
Laura founded Fox Point Oysters in 2012 and what began as a new adventure in unfamiliar waters has grown into a thriving oyster farm in Little Bay. Today, if you drive across the Scammell Bridge at low tide and glance toward the water, you might spot Laura’s oyster cages, along with those of other local farmers, quietly working to improve the health of the bay.
Oysters provide remarkable “ecosystem services” that help keep our coastal waters healthy. As filter feeders, oysters receive their food and nutrients from the passing water, both adding to their health and flavor while improving water quality with every gallon they filter. A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water each day, removing excess nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorus) and microscopic pollutants from the surrounding water. In fact, shellfish aquaculture is considered one of the most environmentally beneficial uses of our local waters. Unlike many forms of food production, oyster farming requires no fertilizer or feed. Instead, oysters thrive on naturally occurring plankton and algae.
After learning about the ecology of Little Bay, we gathered around Laura for one of the workshop’s most anticipated lessons: how to safely shuck an oyster! Laura demonstrated how to insert the oyster knife into the hinge of the oyster, gently work it back and forth until the shell begins to give, twist the knife to pop the shell open, and carefully cut the muscle free.
One participant summed up the experience perfectly: “Fabulous host, fabulous presenter, fantastic information. It was so interesting and inspiring… I really enjoyed every aspect of it!”
After the workshop, participants traveled just one mile down the road to the Market & Cafe at Emery Farm in Durham, where Laura stocks a self-serve refrigerator with oysters harvested fresh from Little Bay. Many attendees took home a dozen (or two) to practice their newly learned shucking skills and enjoy some of the freshest oysters our area has to offer.
As someone who has had the opportunity to attend this workshop multiple times, it’s always inspiring to see how Laura blends science, stewardship, and local food into such an engaging experience. Thank you to Laura Brown for once again sharing your knowledge and incredible oysters with our community. We also want to extend our thanks to Emery Farm for allowing us to meet at their store.
Interested in keeping up with Laura and Fox Point? Follow her on Instagram for farm updates, and be sure to check out Laura’s upcoming oyster shucking events.
Workshops like Live Free & Shuck embody Seacoast Eat Local’s mission of connecting our community with the people, places, and stories behind local food. Are you a farmer or food producer interested in hosting a workshop with us? We’d love to hear from you! Email me, Naomi, at [email protected] to learn more.