Welcome back for another episode of Tending the Tides: Stories of Mariculture on the Oregon Coast. In Episode 2, hosts Megan Foucht and Jon Bonkoski explore the history of oyster farming and dive into how oysters are grown, harvested, and eaten in Oregon. Hear from Xin Liu (Oregon Oyster Farms), Jed Bowers (Haystack Shellfish Company), and Alex Manderson (Oregon Department of Agriculture) about the challenges and opportunities facing Oregon’s oyster industry.
Guests: Xin Liu, owner of Oregon Oyster Farms; Jed Bowers, owner of Haystack Shellfish Company; Alex Manderson, Shellfish Specialist at the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
Show Notes & Credits
Note: Ostrea gigas was the original scientific name given to the Pacific oyster, also know as the Japanese oyster, in 1793. The Pacific oyster was later reclassified to Crassostrea gigas, and was reclassified again in 2017 to Magallana gigas.
This episode was hosted and co-written by Megan Foucht and Jon Bonkoski. Edited by Suzie O’Neill. Co-produced by Emilie Chen, Kaitlyn Rich, and Tyson Rasor. Music by Imagined Nostalgia and Boxwood Orchestra. Illustrations by Tony Sterling and design by Heldáy de la Cruz.
This podcast was made possible by our funders at the Builders Initiative; The Builders Initiative invests in and collaborates with nonprofits, businesses, and others working towards sustainable solutions to societal and environmental challenges.
Lastly, this podcast is a production from Ecotrust, where we work in partnership at the intersection of equity, economy, and environment. Learn more about Ecotrust at ecotrust.org.
Discussion about this episode
Tending the Tides: Stories of Mariculture on the Oregon Coast
Along the Oregon coast, a growing mariculture sector—the farming of marine life for food, restoration, conservation, or cultural knowledge—is building community wealth, an equitable economy, and climate resilience. Through an episodic podcast, we explore how “ocean farming” of oysters, urchins, and seaweeds can help develop a thriving and equitable economy and revitalize Oregon’s coastal communities. This podcast aims to build public awareness of what it means to farm in the sea and to share little-known stories about mariculture-based environmental restoration.
Along the Oregon coast, a growing mariculture sector—the farming of marine life for food, restoration, conservation, or cultural knowledge—is building community wealth, an equitable economy, and climate resilience. Through an episodic podcast, we explore how “ocean farming” of oysters, urchins, and seaweeds can help develop a thriving and equitable economy and revitalize Oregon’s coastal communities. This podcast aims to build public awareness of what it means to farm in the sea and to share little-known stories about mariculture-based environmental restoration.
