Natural grocery chain MOM’s (Mother’s Organic Market) got into the oyster farming business in quite a roundabout way. Scott Nash, founder of the Rockville, Md., USA-based 12-store chain, began growing oysters off the dock of his house on the Chesapeake Bay around five years ago as a hobby.
Then, three years ago, MOM’s executives went on a sustainable seafood tour during the Natural Products Expo East trade show in Baltimore. They suggested that MOM’s farm its own oysters for sale in its stores, and Nash thought it was a great idea.
In the spring of 2013, MOM’s began leasing ocean bottom acreage off the coast of Fleets Island, Va., from a farmer who now raises the oysters solely for the grocery chain. While the farm started out with 500,000 oyster spats, it had nearly an 80 percent mortality rate because some of the cages were submerged in the mud. After learning more about what it takes to grow oysters, including ocean currents and soft mud bottoms versus firm sandy bottoms, MOM’s executives believe they will have a much bigger crop next year.
“We put in another 500,000 [oyster spats], which will hopefully be ready for next year,” Nash told SeafoodSource. In addition, the farm is trying out 50 floating cages to gauge whether the oysters grow faster.
Meanwhile, MOM’s will sell its current crop of 30,000 oysters in three of its stores, along with educating shoppers about the sustainability, affordability and ease of preparation of oysters. MOM’s is working with the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) on an oyster shell recycling program, and MOM’s is donating 5 percent of its 5 December store sales to the ORP.
“We will have a table where we will be roasting the oysters and will have an individual talk to shoppers about oyster farming and how great oysters are. We have educated our entire staff on why we are doing this and why it is beneficial,” Nash said. MOM’s has also put together a video on oyster farming for its shoppers, and is communicating the environmentally friendly benefits via in-store signage and social media.
Even more importantly, Nash wants to educate shoppers about what a healthy, easy-to-prepare and affordable protein oysters are. “We are trying to take the whole ‘chic’ thing out of oysters. I had three Oysters Rockefeller at a restaurant and it was USD 12 (EUR 9.68),” Nash said. Conversely, two dozen MOM’s oysters, which will be delivered on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through December, will sell for a mere USD 14 (EUR 11.40).
On those three days, staff will show shoppers how they can easily prepare oysters at home. “They can put them in the toaster oven for a few minutes. They poach in their own juice and easy to open up,” Nash said.
The three MOM’s stores will also feature farmed trout from Limestone Springs Fishing Preserve in Richland, Pa., alongside the oysters. Shortly thereafter, the trout will be featured in all of MOM’s stores. Again, Nash wants to show consumers that seafood can be affordable: The trout will sell for around USD 9 (EUR 7.26) a pound.
