Why The Barnegat Oyster Collective Really Gives A Shuck
The Barnegat Oyster Collective. Maybe you’ve seen them on social media inviting you to one of their oyster pop ups. Let’s find out more about them. Let’s check out who are they, and what are they doing to ensure oyster lovers can enjoy not only the freshest oysters from our waters, but also some species they may not be familiar with.
What is The Barnegat Oyster Collective?
According to their website, The Barnegat Oyster Collective is a farm-to-table shellfish aquaculture organization dedicated to connecting oyster lovers to the diverse products of New Jersey’s pristine Barnegat Bay.
The Collective is compromised of independent oyster farms from around the Barnegat Bay region. These include:
- The Blood Point Oyster Company, with their Jersey Devil Oysters
- Forty North Oysters, and their Sugar Shack Oysters
- Laughing Gull Oyster Farm, and their signature Laughing Gull Oysters
- Matthew Matusky who grows his Love Oysters
- Schramm’s Shellfish with their Violet Sky Oysters
- Sea Meadow Oysters known for their Beach Blossom Oysters
- Valhalla Oyster Co. famous for their Dune Fox Oysters
- Sloop Point Oyster Farm’s Sloop Point Oysters
- and Tuckers Island Shellfish Company growing their Tuckerton Island Oysters
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The Barnegat Oyster Collective isn’t just about selling oysters and promoting local Oyster Farms. They want you to really learn about the farm to table aspect of the business the collective is all about. They have special pop up events at restaurants and breweries, and even have shucking classes. By the way, one time I won an oyster shucking contest. I got a hat. But that’s a story of another day.
If you love Oysters, and you are a fan of local farmers and businesses, you should look more into the Barnegat Oyster Collective. They can even teach you about how to properly eat and enjoy the subtle differences and qualities when eating oysters. It’s on their website and it’s called Oysters 101.
You can also purchase oysters from all of the farms listed here right through the Barnegat Oyster Collective website.