Available for a limited time only.

Farmer: Ben Hamilton and Cameron Barner

Location: Middle Bay, Harpswell ME

Size: 2.5"

How They’re Grown: These babes are grown in floating cages that are flipped once a week to guarantee strong shell growth and fouling removal.  The oysters are between 18 and 30 months when brought to market.

How They Taste: They have gorgeous clean shells reminiscent of Italian marble.  The meat fills the cup and is full of bright cucumber flavors and a delicate brine.  The leases proximity to a steady freshwater stream brings a sweetness to the oysters like no other.  Meat is juicy, with an impressive adductor mussel to add to its toothsome bite.

Why They’re Unique: This special location in Casco Bay is not easy to get to, but worth the ride.  They have a 6 mile run in their 19’ Carolina Skiff (named Ralph) which is no joke – especially in intense weather.  They also do all of their work on their boat – culling, cleaning, sorting, bagging – again, seriously hard work.

Story: Cameron, Island Creek farm alumnus, was an important member of our farm team for several years.  We were sad to see him leave, but excited for his future as he embarked on a Master’s Degree in Aquaculture.  While in school, Ben reached out to Cameron to help with a school project.  Their relationship grew from there and now they are the farm’s two-man team, beginning their first season in 2019.  They are also involved in the local shellfish community, Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition and most proudly, they are members of the environmental non-for-profit 1% of the Planet, where they donate 1% of their total revenue annually.