While in Boston for the recent Seafood Expo, the Seattle Fish crew was fortunate enough to visit some fisheries and farms including the infamous Island Creek oyster farm. We left Boston at about 6:30AM and went south to Duxbury Bay on the west side of Cape Cod, about 45 minutes from Boston, where our premium Island Creek oysters are farmed. We spent some time in the hatchery getting the 101 of oyster farming from the two scientists who do the leg work before the oysters go into the bay for grow out. We also had a behind-the-scenes tour of their state-of-the-art facility. Pulling into to Duxbury, you wouldn’t imagine it any other way; beautiful cottages right on the shoreline, and Island Creek skiffs out on the water dredging oysters. From hatchery work to harvest, Island Creek takes every measure possible to produce the finest oyster on the planet resulting in a product in which you can taste the difference. The cold waters and 12-foot daily tidal exchange harbor ample food supply for these filter feeders. Moments before we arrived a dredger came into offload an oyster harvest. As you can imagine we were anxious to eat the oysters right out the water. You can’t get fresher than that. We spent some time in their make-shift oyster hut and experienced first-hand how they sort and size the oysters. Meanwhile, Chris Sherman, president and Skip Bennett, founder of Island Creek Oyster Co. shared tales of from the sea. There really is nothing better than the ambiance of water, smell of the sea, and an amazing oyster at 8:00AM in the morning. Well, a cold beer was in order, but it was a little early.