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Tag: oyster farming

  • NYS awards $1.2M to boost Long Island aquaculture | Long Island Business News

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    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • 17 businesses awarded $1.2M in funding.

    • Grants are designed to support equipment upgrades, production and operational efficiency.

    • adopts digital grading technology to boost oyster throughput.

    • Next funding round of $3M opens Nov. 3 for aquaculture infrastructure projects.

    New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball visited Hampton Oyster Company in New Suffolk earlier this week to announce that 17 Long Island small businesses will receive a combined $1.2 million to expand the region’s aquaculture industry. The grants will help producers purchase and upgrade equipment, streamline operations and increase production capacity, reinforcing the area’s role in New York’s growing seafood economy.

    This initiative is part of the Long Island Aquaculture Infrastructure Grant Program, which is part of the state’s Initiative. First announced in 2024, the program aims to reinvigorate New York’s aquaculture and wild-caught seafood industries while strengthening to support a economy.

    Now, the program is gearing up for its second round of funding. An additional $3 million for infrastructure projects will be available, with applications opening on Nov. 3.

    “New York State is home to a rich, diverse agricultural landscape that doesn’t stop at the shoreline,” Ball said in a news release about the funding. “Long Island’s aquaculture producers work tirelessly to raise the fresh, abundant seafood that make the region so beloved by residents and visitors alike.”

    Both the funding awarded this week, as well as the next round of funding, he said, “will help these businesses make much-needed upgrades to their equipment, so they can continue bringing the very best seafood New York State has to offer to tables across the state.”

    The funding comes at a time when is flourishing, experts say. Commercial fishermen on Long Island sustainably harvested over 16 million pounds of finfish in 2023, worth over $28 million dollars, according to New York State. According to the most recent USDA Census of Agriculture, the aquaculture industry accounts for over 25 percent of Long Island farms, with 155 operations in Suffolk County and 15 in Nassau County.​ Combined, the two counties generated over $14.5 million in sales in 2022.

    “Aquaculture, especially oyster farming, is booming on Long Island, with consistent double-digit growth and over 10 million oysters harvested in 2024,” Eric Koepele, president of the Long Island Oyster Growers Association, said in the news release.

    “We have the talent and expertise, from hatcheries to sales, to scale our industry from 10 million to 100 million oysters annually, rivaling Chesapeake and Canada,” he said. “The challenge? Securing the capital to expand our gear and infrastructure. The New York Department of Agriculture and Markets sees our potential and our hurdles, and today’s announcements are bold, meaningful steps that will accelerate the growth of Long Island’s aquaculture industry.”

    Hampton Oyster Company received funding in the first round to adopt digital grading technology that automates sorting oysters by size, shape and weight. The system uses high-speed imaging and sensors, allowing the company to nearly double its throughput—the number of oysters it can process and prepare for sale in a given period—without adding labor or operational overhead. The technology is designed to improve consistency, helping Hampton Oyster meet growing market demand and appeal to wholesale and high-end customers.

    “Aquaculture is one of New York’s most promising blue-economy opportunities,” Joe Finora, co-founder of the Hampton Oyster Company, said in the news release.

    “Every oyster we grow filters our bays, supports local jobs and strengthens our working waterfronts,” he said. “We’re grateful to New York State Agriculture and Markets for recognizing this potential and investing in the future of our industry – an investment that will serve as a catalyst for meaningful growth and position Long Island as a national leader in sustainable seafood production.”

    Additional awardees include Long Island Shellfish Company, Scrimshaw Enterprises, Widow’s Hole Oysters, Davy Jones Landing, Little A’s Oysters, Great South Bay Oyster Farms, North Fork Big Oyster, Remsenburg Project Managers, Montauk Shellfish Company, Bombshell Oyster Farm, Oyster Bay Shellfish Company, Neguntatogue Oysters, Violet Cove Oysters Co., Cornelius & Little Ram Oyster Co., Ockers Oyster Co., and Spinelli’s Sea Farms.

    The funding “will help support critical infrastructure and equipment enhancements for our aquaculture farmers, ensuring that they can continue to thrive for years to come,” Juan Miceli-Martinez, president of Long Island Farm Bureau, said in the news release.

    Earlier this year, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the Long Island Seafood Cuisine Trail, also funded by the Blue Food Transformation Initiative. The South Shore Trail, running from Bay Shore to Montauk, aims to boost business and tourism at locations serving locally raised and sustainably harvested seafood while promoting Long Island’s . The North Shore Trail, stretching from Oyster Bay to Greenport, is expected to launch in the coming months.


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    Adina Genn

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  • Toasted Oysters heading to 2025 Ryder Cup showcase | Long Island Business News

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    Toasted Oysters, an Islip-based company founded in 2023, will showcase its harvests to a national audience at the 2025 Ryder Cup. The local Blue Point oysters from the Great South Bay will be featured in New York State’s Taste NY tent on Friday, Sept. 26.

    Founded by longtime friends Mike Miezianka and Ray Smith, the company is rooted in post-retirement transitions and a newfound passion for oyster farming. Miezianka, approaching retirement from the NYPD, was seeking something farming-related, having grown up in Speonk in a agricultural community. Not yet ready to retire, Smith continues to work in healthcare, and both had served together in a side gig with a private ambulance company. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a conversation with Smith — who had recently taken an oyster farming course — sparked the idea that eventually became Toasted Oysters.

    Both partners spent several years learning the trade, including the wholesale operation, volunteering on established oyster farms in the region and gaining the practical experience needed to launch their own firm.

    “We thought, ‘This is an ideal business venture we should do.’ It’s a very labor-intensive job, but the end result is so rewarding,” Miezianka said.

    Those rewards include the flavor and quality of the Blue Point oysters.

    “They’ve got that sweet salty flavor from the Great South Bay,” Smith said of the oysters, adding, “we have a good run of water that’s ripping through that area.”

    These oysters, Smith said, are “overwintered,” where they hibernate during the winter months, and are often meatier as a result.

    Miezianka and Smith became part of a close-knit community of roughly two dozen oyster farmers operating in that area.

    “It’s definitely relationship-based,” Miezianka said of the community. “No one’s undercutting each other and trying to get more sales – that really doesn’t happen in the Great South Bay.”

    The partnerships enabled the farm to gain traction. The company has gradually begun expanding into the direct-to-consumer space.

    The farm is certified under the New York State Grown & Certified program, and monitored by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. This includes regular inspections of harvest logs, temperature records and product handling. The certification gives consumers confidence in the safety and sustainability of the oysters and positions Toasted Oysters as a trusted supplier within both wholesale and markets.

    The farm’s participation in the Ryder Cup emerged through the Taste NY program, which periodically highlights regional food producers at high-profile . Toasted Oysters applied through an open call shared with Grown & Certified vendors and was selected to represent the state at this international tournament. The opportunity offers exposure to a global audience and provides a platform to introduce their oysters, and Long Island’s shellfish heritage, to a wider market.

    At the Ryder Cup, Toasted Oysters will be stationed at the Taste NY tent near the Cup Pro Shop on Friday, Sept. 26, from 3-7 p.m. Visitors will be able to sample freshly harvested oysters, meet the founders and learn more about the company. The event also allows Toasted Oysters to distribute marketing materials and build connections with chefs, consumers and potential partners beyond the New York region.

    “The Ryder Cup is more than just a world-class sporting event – it’s a major economic and cultural moment for the entire region,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine has said about the event.

    Toasted Oyster expects to bring about 1,500 oysters.

    “We’ll be bringing the oysters there – freshly harvested. We’ll be shucking them. There’ll be some accoutrements,” Miezianka said.

    The accoutrements are Smith’s creation.

    “I serve the oysters a little bit differently than some other people do,” Smith said, adding that one sauce has “a little bit of kimchi,” another features raspberry jalapeño, and there are two other varieties.

    Looking ahead to the Ryder Cup, the partners are eager to share their knowledge about their oysters to those stopping by the tent.

    “We’re ready for the stage,” Smith said.


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    Adina Genn

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