The History and Future of Shucked Oysters

This four-part report details the history of oysters and provides suggestions on how the Massachusetts oyster industry could diversify markets and be more resilient to future market interruptions. This report first highlights the vibrant and often tumultuous history of oysters followed by a summary of six semi-structured interviews with individuals with different lived experiences in the marine foods space. Takeaways from the interviews were combined with marketing reports to create a portfolio of specific value-added products that the industry could consider as they envision and pursue a more diversified marketplace for their oysters.

Overall, this report is meant to identify the key aspects of oyster culture and history that we should avoid, resurrect, and celebrate to ensure oysters are enjoyed well into the future.

Support

Support for this report was provided by the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and Cape Cod Buy Fresh Buy Local.