Sales of Farmed Virginia Oyster On The Up

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Oysters are kind of a thing right now. First I saw them getting served up to a healthy sized crowd in the blazing heat of Brooklyn’s Smorgasborg, and now they’re popping up at fancy new D.C. eateries like Lincoln and Blackbyrd Warehouse.

All of this even though it’s August, and if my grandfather has any say in the matter, by God it’s too hot for oysters, s’wrong with you?

Regardless of what grandpa had to say, sales of farmed Virginia oysters jumped up 34% in 2010, according to a report from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Between 2009 and 2010, sales of Bay oysters went up from 12.6 million to 16.9 million, and the Daily News’ Deadrise blog reports, watermen suspect an even bigger jump in sales this year.

There are a few factors contributing to the increase in oyster sales, and their current status as the hip bivalve of choice isn’t one of them. The first is the tough nature of the farmed Chesapeake Bay oyster, which are fast growing, disease resistant and protected from predators (except us). Lingering damage from the BP oil spill has also contributed to the increase in sales, as Gulf oyster reefs have still yet to fully recover from the damage wrought on them last year.

I also suspect that that episode of Mad Men where Roger Sterling eats two dozen oysters and then throws up has something to do with it, but that’s just a hunch.

- Kris King

Tags: Chesapeake Bay, Gut Check, Kris King, no R in August, oysters, Sales, watermen