Dogs Head Oyster

04/01/2018

Things are evolving in a very positive way. Trying to measure the time between work and personal time is always difficult. In the next couple weeks I believe there will be a transition that will happen within the best interest for aquaculture and Casco Bay!

03/31/2018

This summer we will, quite literally, be in the water with our oysters! Donnie welded a custom platform that will hang off our workboat. This new tool will help us (and our backs!) clean and handle Snow Island Oysters.

07/09/2017

Well things are progressing. Spent the morning cleaning a cage of oysters and going through them. Brought the first dozen in for a friend to try out. Seeing no reason to wait anymore so I'm going to trickle a few out on a weekly basis.

02/04/2017

Coming this spring!

10/07/2016

09/03/2016

Thank you Steve Alexander for a great and promptly done job! Very pleased!

08/27/2016

The new work boat is finally here. A few last minute rigging things to do and we'll put her through the paces! FV Joyster!

06/23/2016

Great morning to go through 12,000 oysters!

04/11/2016

Christmas in April!

03/30/2016

Well, I came home tonight to an email from The Department of Marine Resources.....I've officially been granted a 10 year lease to expand Dogs Head Oyster ! To be truthful, I find myself sitting here with a slight smile on my face.
To all those involved with the original Aquaculture Class here in Harpswell a huge thank you for exposing me to options on the Ocean. I think this personally a wonderful opportunity for my wife and I to try something different. Just as and perhaps even more important an expanding trend for the commercial fishing community. I hope folks that have grown up here on the coast look long and hard at aquaculture. It might not be the answer but it sure could be an option that will allow us to continue to survive here on the coast!

03/08/2016

Tonight we held a public meeting to hear concerns about our application for a 10 year lease with 8.7 acres. The meeting was attended by DMR, Army Corp, Forecaster, Times Record and 4 members of the public. We started at 6:00 pm with introductions and swearing in of speakers. I believe that the Governing authorities left satisfied and shaking their heads at what one described as some sort of record. Not very often if ever does one hold this kind of meeting with all positive response from the few there but more importantly lack of concern from the public. This has been from the start a good thing in coming and now I believe several months of passing paperwork until completion. So having said this....Dogs Head Oyster will become an important part of the Aquaculture world here in Maine. So I'll thank you in advance for becoming Snobs of Dogs Head Oyster and demand them at you local eateries!

02/22/2016

Looking forward to 2016 ! After a decent grow season last year we've been experiencing a fairly warm winter and minimal icing within the heads of the bays. Although nothing in Nature is ever concrete it would appear that we may experience an earlier warming of the inner waters. I'd expect with less of a snowmelt and therefore less cooling with spring run offs we could possibly gain several weeks of grow season.
It is a work in progress with a lot going on. Next month I'll be having a public hearing on my 8 acre , 10 year lease site to expand Dogs Head Oyster. This will give me the room I need to expand the site and protect it for the next decade.
We have had the site gone over by Department of Marine Resource Divers to check out the location and its ability to sustain this type of project. I have had a couple verbal conversations about the dive which all seemed to be very positive but have not seen anything in print. I'm not surprised by this as it seems to be the way DMR does everything. Although the other day when I purchased a lobster license I recieved an email stating they had processed my check before I got out of Augusta.
Stay tuned, post public meeting and notification of things moving forward will result in more postings here about the progress. We are looking forward to rolling back the covers on our oysters and seeing what we will get for growth in 2016!