NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC • July 26, 2021
Oyster farm tours, like one led by Love Point Oysters on Casco Bay in Maine, and self-guided bi-valve trails are cropping up throughout the United States. COVID-19 stalled the trend but with travel restrictions loosening, oyster enthusiasts are once again back on track. Along the Maine Oyster Trail tasting tourists can earn swag by “checking in” at various experiences and sites along the trail. The ecological benefits of oyster agriculture are numerous, starting with a growing process that uses almost no greenhouse gas emissions, water, feed, fertilizer, or food. Oysters can filter 50 gallons of water a day from pollutants such as nitrogen, a result of agricultural runoff and climate change. “Oysters ask so little of their natural surroundings and they give back so much in return,” says Ben Hamilton, co-owner of Love Point. “That’s a story that deserves to be celebrated.”