Grant #855
Field Point Oyster Farm is proud to keep up the 30 year family tradition of growing oysters on grant 855. We handle our oysters with care, and raise them sustainably. After two to three years we hand select each oyster to be sure that we sell the finest, freshest, most delicious oysters on the market. We plant 400,000 oysters per year and at times have over a million oysters in the water.
Meet the Crew
Michael and Katie
Founders
Field Point Oyster Farm is located on a grant that has been in Michael's family for nearly three decades. Michael, who has a background in fine art, and Katie, who has a MS in Natural Resources and a background in economics, founded the farm in 2011 with a focus on sustainability, quality and freshness.
Growing an oyster is just as much an art as it is a science.
The Team
Cast and Crew
Although the crew changes and new faces come into the fray year to year, we always have great cast with returning stars and cameos.
Fox, Cedar & Zepplin
Cast Aways
Fox and Cedar helping to bring the farm back out of the pits. Braving the cold, and keepin it real.
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Boutique Oysters
Field Point Oyster Farm is located off shore of Fox Island Wildlife Reservation in the pristine waters of Wellfleet. This puts us in the narrow channel between the Blackfish Creek Estuary and the open waters of Indian Neck and gives our oysters their perfectly balanced brine, buttery flavor, and crisp clean finish.
Grow Out Methods
The Rack and Bag System: How To Grow the Perfect Oyster
We use the traditional French rack and bag system to grow out our select and petite oysters. If done correctly, this system can produce oysters that thrive and grow to their maximum potential. We start the process by purchasing tiny seed from a local hatchery. In their first month, oyster seeds are kept at a density of only 1500 per bag; this number decreases incrementally as they grow. By the time they reach their final grow-out, there are less than 250 oysters per bag. We never allow our oysters to be over-crowded.
During each transfer the oysters are tumbled by hand and placed at their optimal density. Our hand-selected boutique oysters are plump, round, healthy oysters with a deep cup and perfect brine. Oysters are live animals and that's how we handle them- because a happy oyster is a healthy oyster!
Our HDPE oyster bags are UV resistant and made in France. Our steel racks are locally crafted and galvanized for longevity. We believe that our impact on the environment matters and we take every measure possible to ensure we have a positive impact on the waters and world in which we live.
Bottom Cropping: Where the Wild Ones Grow
Field Point Oyster Farm has spent years cultivating a wild oyster reef. We recycle shells each year to catch native seed on the bottom of the sea floor. This method of farming is called bottom cropping and it replicates an oyster's natural environment. Each year the set varies and a different amount of seed will attach to the shells and grow into another generation. This truly is where the wild ones grow.
We take care in managing the reef so it remains a self-sustaining ecosystem. This has a positive impact on the water quality of the harbor because each oyster filters up to 60 gallons of water per day. There are very few natural oyster reefs left in the world as most of them have been decimated by overfishing. Even though our reef is relatively small it ensures that there is natural seed that will be released into Wellfleet's waters, helping to propogate oysters for the wild fishery.
Our bottom crop oysters are hand selected at harvest and tend to have a hard shell and unique shape reflecting their difficult life on the sea floor. They are just as briny, sweet, and delicious as their upstairs neighbors.
Check out our Photo Gallery to see how it all works.