- Not all oysters sold in the Big Bend are locally grown.
- Local oyster farmers say they're losing business to out of state oysters
- Watch the video to learn from experts in the industry about local oysters and how they benefit this area
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"It's a challenge but it's fun, look around you get to be outside."
Jack Davis owns Gulf Springs Sea Farm with his family
He says business had been slow for him and other farmers because the market dropped.
"Right now I'm sitting on probably 10,000 15,000 oysters that I've been ready to sell for for months now."
Davis says local oyster farmers have had to compete with out-of-state oysters being bought by businesses here.
"The market dropped out right here because of cheaper Louisiana oysters that are wild and are dredged up or Virginia oysters that are being brought in."
Neighbors like Adrianne Johnson is the Executive Director of The Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Association are trying to promote supporting local oyster farmers.
The association advocates for good policies for oyster farmers while educating the community about the industry.
"Our goal is to ensure that we have healthy and thriving farms in the state of Florida that are producing high-quality product and we can do that if more people are buying local so the problem is that not enough of our Florida restaurants and consumers are buying Florida products."
So what's leading to the local issue?
"The reasons for that is the price you can get a cheaper option in other states and so what you sacrifice going with the cheaper route is quality and the local impact."
Johnson added buying local oysters supports the eco-system because they are sustainable and filter the water.
"When you buy a Florida oyster you're investing in your local environment."
Like many local oyster farmers, Davis has oysters waiting to be used.
"The ideal situation is you grow a quality product and you bring it in to market then it's sold right there so you don't have to sit on it now I have to maintain them hoping the market will pick up."
These high quality oysters require intensive labor, time and resources from the farmers. Davis hopes things pick up so farmers stay in the industry.
"It is a negative impact and there's fellow farmers out there that are wondering if it's even worth it because of all the difficulties.
Some ways to support local oyster farmers would be to ask restaurants or stores where they get their oysters from and buy the local options. By doing this you're investing in the environment and economy here.
