The birth of Indian River Shellfish was a modest one to say the least. We started with no business plan, no inventory, extremely limited funds and no where to grow oysters; just a passion for the water, its creatures and a dream to make a living out of something we love. So, with salt in our veins, we took our first lease (knowing next to nothing about the site itself), got our first permit and proceeded to spend the next 4 years learning the industry, understanding the science, and killing hundreds of thousands of baby oysters in the education process. To say we learned slowly and the hard way is an understatement, however, we would not have had it any other way. Rowing an aluminum boat down a river and hauling oyster cages half filled with mud, with no winch or hydraulics, will forever be a reminder of how hard we have worked to get to where we are. Cleaning, by hand, a bag or cage of oysters completely inundated with sea grapes is not for the faint of heart and certainly not a quick job. I often think of a lyric from a famous Bob Dylan song when considering our evolution as a company. From the song, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall", the lyric “And I’ll know my song well before I start singing” has always resonated with me. As a company, we certainly took small steps to get to where we are today and in doing so, learned a great deal about one of the most amazing little creatures on the planet, the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica). We have worked tirelessly, but finally feel as though we are starting to learn “our song” and bring a great oyster to market!

We sold our first oyster in 2012 and that year only 1200 in total. Through trial and error, spending a lot, saving a little and continuously plodding forward, no matter the obstacle, we have graduated to an 11 acre farm at the mouth of the Hammonasset River (Clinton/Madison CT), where we maintain 3-4 million oysters of all ages, all the time (except for the dead of winter, where we can be found at the dock praying for mercy from mother nature!). We have become farmers in the truest sense; constantly playing a game of chess with natures elements, rotating crop, maintaining the health of our crop, planting seed and harvesting sweet, mouth-watering adult oysters when ready. Constantly growing and evolving, we have become a company with high expectations of ourselves and our product, and pride each other on working hard to produce an oyster that can rival the best in the world!

Cheers

Let’s Get Shucking!

Our Mission

We dedicate ourselves daily to growing the best oyster possible while making sure to preserve the habitat and environment that has so graciously allowed us to grow this organism in it.