Gay Island Oyster Farm

Barrett - Gay Island Oyster man

"The Big Oyster" is what foodwriter and prolific historian Mark Kurlansky called New York City in his terrific book about what the Times reviewer called "the mollusk that made Manhattan".   New York is no longer the big oyster but up here on the Mid-Coast of Maine despite the cold water the oyster farming trade thrives.


Wednesday at high tide I took the boat through Pleasant Pt. Gut and headed south about a half mile to the Gay Island Oyster farm, where I was served by the oysterman.  Barrett keeps his seed stock in the Meduncook River a mile and a half north - near our house.  (That's a flooded dock at the new moon on the Meduncook.  People call it the Friendship River too.)


If Barrett's not there you just pull your oysters from the crate at the corner of the float and put $1.00/each in the little black can  at the bottom of the ramp.