# Oysters Direct from the Farm



## Oyster Chef (Nov 27, 2018)

Do any of you all order oysters directly from aquaculture farms? And if so, what is the price range? I'm trying to figure out how much of a market there is for them for our farm.


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

I got all of my seafood direct from the coast of Kansas.


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## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

Welcome to chef talk. Most places get their oysters from a seafood supplier. Where is your farm and we might be better help.


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## Oyster Chef (Nov 27, 2018)

jimyra said:


> Welcome to chef talk. Most places get their oysters from a seafood supplier. Where is your farm and we might be better help.


Gloucester, Virginia. I'm the Corporate Chef / Oyster Farm Manager for a large oyster aquaculture farm. We ship all over the country through different suppliers, but we're trying to figure out if there is a demand to ship directly to restaurants. So, I guess there are basically two questions. 1) is there an interest in something like that and is it being done already? and 2) what would be the price point for that? It seems that a lot of oyster farms sell online, but the pricing is definitely aimed at the public and not wholesale. No one could afford to buy at those prices.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Could you do a direct flyer to local restaurants or a personal visit to likely places in the nearby area? 
I would think prices would depend on whatever price you are willing to sell your oysters at for wholesale plus shipping expenses. If your overall price is cheaper with no middle man, there must be a market out there. 
What else is the selling point for your oysters? Type, taste, order filled faster than competition?


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

I agree with chefwriter. Oh my gosh.....I have been in that frustrating situation where I would have like to have my fish, mollusks, and seafood shipped directly to me. 
I have used SYSCO's fish suppliers that do just that using FedEx. It was great.
I do use suppliers for lobsters, both live and or tails sent to me directly from Maine, again using FedEx.
Any advertising you'd do would probably be very useful....I know I would use you in a heartbeat.


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## Oyster Chef (Nov 27, 2018)

One of the things we have found out is that we can ship anywhere in the Raleigh NC to Washington DC corridor using ground and it gets there the next day, which would keep the costs down. I'm thinking we may want to target that area first. As far as advertising, I'm guessing social media would be most effective for the money...


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## capecodchef (Jan 19, 2014)

The freight charge is the killer. Locally, farmed oysters sell for 35- 50 cents generally, but that may be because there's an abundance of farms in my area, plus those wild caught. And we have some of the best oysters in the world IMO.


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## Oyster Chef (Nov 27, 2018)

capecodchef, I agree with you. We were at the Boston Seafood show last year and I got to try a bunch of different kinds from the area. I think we are looking at around 58 cents delivered in the Raleigh to Washington area. We have sold through Sea to Table, but they seem to be concentrating on fin fish now.


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## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

Times are changing. We used to buy a sixty pound bag on the dock for 16 to 18 dollars. I would love to order but we are closer to the Gulf coast. Try a yelp search for seafood or fine dining restaurants for cities in range then target them with online marketing.


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## peachcreek (Sep 21, 2001)

I live in Vermont. We have a local seafood company that gets trucks from Boston every day. The going rate for an oyster from them is about 75 cents each or more depending on the variety.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

sgsvirgil said:


> I got all of my seafood direct from the coast of Kansas.


:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

How many oysters in a sixty pound bag?


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

chefwriter said:


> How many oysters in a sixty pound bag?


Around 100, give or take depending on their size.


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## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

sgsvirgil,
Your Kansas coast oysters must be huge. A sixty pound bag unsorted on the Gulf coast average twenty five dozen.


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

jimyra said:


> sgsvirgil,
> Your Kansas coast oysters must be huge. A sixty pound bag unsorted on the Gulf coast average twenty five dozen.


Shucked, perhaps. In the shell and again, depending on size, there are roughly 100 oysters in a 60lb bag.

https://www.fresh-seafood.net/fish-shellfish/oysters/


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## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

sgsvirgal,
your website is BS I am talking about bags of oysters off the boat. I have been buying oysters off the boat for fifty years, from Key West to Brownsville,TX. You apparently have no knowledge of the oyster business on the gulf.. A web site does not the knowledge make. You need to go to the coast and educate yourself about oysters. The web won't help educate those that have not been there. Where have you bought oysters ? What amount and where in Kansas? What restaurant have you served them in? If you have been buying a sixty pound bag with 100 oysters of non select you are getting screwed. Stick to Rocky Mtn. oysters in Kansas.


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

jimyra said:


> sgsvirgal,
> your website is BS I am talking about bags of oysters off the boat. I have been buying oysters off the boat for fifty years, from Key West to Brownsville,TX. You apparently have no knowledge of the oyster business on the gulf.. A web site does not the knowledge make. You need to go to the coast and educate yourself about oysters. The web won't help educate those that have not been there. Where have you bought oysters ? What amount and where in Kansas? What restaurant have you served them in? If you have been buying a sixty pound bag with 100 oysters of non select you are getting screwed. Stick to Rocky Mtn. oysters in Kansas.


A bushel of oysters weighs 45-60lbs and contains between 100-150 oysters in the shell depending on size. If you do not agree with this fact, that's fine. But, there is no need to be rude. If you cannot interact with me in a respectful manner, then, please do not interact with me at all. Please and thank you.


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## Chef Smyth (Nov 25, 2018)

My restaurant owner has been buying direct from farms for 5 years. We’ve actually started a wholesale side business to cut down on shipping costs and also to increase company profits. We typically run Canadian East Coast varieties but also bring in stuff from Maine and British Columbia. Price point varies quite a bit depending on shipment size and origin. We typically run 12-15 varieties on the bed each day and of course only purchase selects. Costs start at roughly 60 cents per, Canadian and goes up from there. We’re based in Ontario so our costs are higher due to shipping. We offset this by also bring in live lobster, scallops, shrimp, fish, etc.


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