Oyster growers work to expand oyster farms

Every year, the state celebrates North Carolina oyster month in October. The oyster industry in North Carolina continues to grow and is expected to be worth $100 million by 2030. Meet oyster growers trying to expand their farms in the effort.
Posted 10/24/2023, 3:02:50 PM Updated 10/24/2023, 5:58:05 PM

ON SPECTRUM AND THE WRAL APP ON

YOUR TV OR STREAMING DEVICE,

RIGHT? LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM

EVERY YEAR. THE STATE

CELEBRATES NORTH CAROLINA.

>> WE STIR MONTH IN OCTOBER,

THE OYSTER INDUSTRY IN OUR

STATE CONTINUES TO GROW.

HE'S EXPECTED TO BE WORTH GET

THIS 100 MILLION DOLLARS BY

2030.

>> COASTAL FEDERATION STATION

STRONG HAS MORE FROM LOCAL

GROWERS TRYING TO EXPAND THEIR

FARMS IN THAT EFFORT.

>> WE ARE A FUNDAMENTAL SPECIES

UNASH WHERE IT'S PROVIDING

SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS TO THE

ECOSYSTEM. OYSTERS ARE GREAT

FOR EVERYBODY. THEY'RE GREAT

FOR ECONOMY. THEY'RE GREAT

WATER, QUALITY AND HABITAT.

AND FOR OUR THE MORE THE BETTER

IT WAS WITH THAT IDEA THAT THE

NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL

FEDERATION AND PARTNER GROUPS

CAME TOGETHER TO DEVISE A PLAN

TO EXPAND THE OYSTER INDUSTRY

IS PLAN SET A VERY AMBITIOUS

GOAL FOR THE STAGE TO GROW THE

MARKET VALUE OF ITS SHELLFISH.

MICHAEL TRAIN, THE STREET TO

100 MILLION

DOLLARS BY.

>> 2030 TO REACH THAT LOFTY

GOAL WITHIN THE NEXT 7 YEARS.

IT TAKES OYSTER GROWERS LIKE

COUNCIL MCGLADE SLASH CREEK

OYSTERS.

>> BUT GROWING OYSTERS IS A

LABOR INTENSIVE PROCESS WHICH

MCGLADE SAYS MEANS IT CAN BE

TOUGH TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS.

I WAS IN A VERY FRUSTRATING

POINT BECAUSE

>> I HAD A LOT OF DEMAND.

I WORKED HARD TO DEVELOP A GOOD

NETWORK OF CUSTOMERS THAT

WANTED MORE OYSTERS. BUT I WAS

HAVING DIFFICULTY SCALING UP

NOW WITH THE LATEST TESTING

OUT A NEW EQUIPMENT SYSTEM

CALLED A FOOT FARM THAT SHE

HOPES WILL HELP HER KEEP UP

WITH THAT DEMAND JUST SEEMED

LIKE IT SOLVED. SO MANY OF THE

ISSUES THAT I WAS HAVING ON MY

FARM TO FARM IS DESIGNED TO NOT

LET THE OYSTER CAGES GET

TANGLED UP FOR FLIPPED OVER

BY THE WIND.

>> THAT CAN HAPPEN WITH

TRADITIONAL CAGES AND THE

PLATES AS THIS SYSTEM TAKES

AWAY, SOME OF THE MORE

STRENUOUS WORK INVOLVED, THE

POLICE TO FARMING WITH THE WITH

THE ATTACHMENTS FOR FILLING

IN FOR AND SEEING.

THE OYSTERS COME UP OUT OF THE

WATER AND THE BASKETS AND THEN

THAT WASTE AND THEY COME TO

WAIST HEIGHT.

>> NEVER HAVE TO LIFT THEM UP.

YOU NEVER HAVE TO BEND DOWN TO

PUT THEM IN THE WATER.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT A PLACE

FOR YOUR BODY ISN'T A GOOD,

STRONG NEUTRAL POSITION WHILE

SHE IS JUST USING THIS

EQUIPMENT ON PART OF HER FARM.

MCGLADE SAYS SHE'S EXCITED AT

HOW WELL IT'S WORKING. WHAT

THIS COULD MEAN FOR GROWING

HER BUSINESS. I THINK THAT IT

COULD MAKE A HUGE

>> IN TERMS OF THE SMALL

FARMER. PRODUCING MORE OYSTERS

WITH LESS LABOR.

THAT'S THE NAME OF THE GAME.

OYSTER FARMERS AND ANOTHER

REGION OF THE STATE WILL ALSO

BE GETTING A HELPING HAND SOON

IN THE FORM OF A FACILITY THAT

COULD PROVIDE GROWTH

OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL. THE

SHELLFISH AQUACULTURE HAVE.

>> THIS HAVE IS A FACILITY THAT

ONCE BUILT WILL PROVIDE THE

GROWERS WITH CRITICAL

LOGISTICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, SUCH

A STATE OF THE REFRIGERATION

AND STORAGE ROOM FOR THE

PRODUCT PLACE TO WORK PLACE

TO STORE THEIR GEAR. YEAH.

CULTURE HUB IS SET TO BE BUILT

IN 2024 AND READY FOR USE BY

2025. REPORTING FOR THE COASTAL