Growing Our Oysters
Growing oysters in Prince Edward Island can vary based on the bay or river they grow in. Each area has unique characteristics, such as tidal flow, water depth, and salinity levels in the water. Each bay/river produces its own distinctive taste in the oysters, making each area unique!
Our Oysters
Our oysters are grown in Stanhope Bay, using the cage system. Each cage holds six bags of oysters, and the cages sit just under water level, which is ideal for feeding, as most of the nutrients the oysters feed on are just below water level. The oysters take roughly three to four years to reach market size.
Baby Oysters
Every summer, when the water temperature heats up, the oysters will release larvae. After the oysters release their larvae, there is a very tight window to get your oyster collectors out. After about two weeks, you can start to see small specs on the collectors, and the oysters start to show up.
Years 1-2
The following spring, we bring in the oysters to tumble them to give them the ideal shape, and take out any that do not meet our quality needs. We then put them back into bags at a lower volume. Each year, as the oysters grow, we lower the volume in each bag because, as they grow, they take up more room in the bags, and the oysters thrive when there are not too many in a bag!
Years 3-4
After three full summers of growing, our oysters are ready to head to the market! We bring in our oysters and divide them into three different sizes: cocktail, small choice, and large choice. Anything that doesn't quite meet these sizes will go back out into a cage and continue growing until it reaches market size!
