Last week? West coast. This week? East coast!

After a long two day drive from Pennsylvania, I arrived in Cape Cod to complete the second leg of my research trip. The next few days will be filled with interviews. Today—thanks to my sister Kate who connected me with this aquaculture site—I spent time on a shellfish farm and interviewed a world famous oyster shucker, Chopper Young. He’s literally the fastest shucker in the world. He won the title in the international championship in 2008 in Galway, Ireland.

Among other things, I learned that an oyster is handled individually at least 8 times before it reaches your plate. Like hibernating bears, the little ones are stored in underground pits on land over the winter when they go dormant. It’s clear Wellfleet shellfish farmers work really hard for the money!