It鈥檚 a snowy winter morning and 海角换妻 oyster farmers Kim and Gretchen Granbery are setting out for their last harvest of the year.
The couple owns and operates . They start their oysters from seed in the wild in Branford鈥檚 Hoadley Creek. The oysters are then moved to the Thimble Islands to age for three years.
Since travel by boat is difficult when this inland estuary freezes, this is the pair鈥檚 last trip of the winter. The break providing them a chance to 鈥渆xhale鈥� before resuming operations in the spring.
But today鈥檚 trip is filled with hard work.
As their boat bobs, fresh oysters are hauled out of the water and dumped aboard a small table.
鈥淭his is where we wash their face and brush their teeth,鈥� Gretchen jokes as she sprays, scrapes and sorts the oysters.
Kim says he 鈥渄id a stint鈥� with a local oyster company in the 1990s, but credits the founding of Leetes Island Oysters to a 2017 effort directed by David Carey, director of the 海角换妻 Bureau of Aquaculture.
The department created the Branford Aquaculture Initiative, which seeks to 鈥渞evitalize a dormant tradition, promote restoration and provide local employment.鈥�
Today, hundreds of acres of land within 海角换妻鈥檚 Thimble Islands are growing shellfish. In 2023, the state's oyster beds generated more than $14 million in annual sales, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
