At the beginning of the season
(Nov to Feb) we are
placing approximately 10 dozen Sydney Rock Oysters onto an individually
numbered tray for you. At this stage the oysters are about 3 years old
and they could be eaten but we recommend that you leave them until the
next season (Nov to Feb of the next year) and if the season goes well some
of your oysters could be huge. No matter what, we will notify you when
your oysters are in their absolute prime condition and deliver them to
your door.
On your doorstep you will receive approximately 10
dozen unopened oysters. They will come in a specially designed container
to hold their best possible temperature and condition.
Inside will be an oyster knife, gloves and all the
instructions you will need to enjoy some of the best oysters in the world
at their best.
Why unopened? For the best possible flavour, quality
and freshness, of course! An oyster should be eaten within an hour of
opening or shucking, the French would not consider them any other way!
They will also last longer, an unopened Sydney Rock Oyster can last up to
two weeks out of the water, under the appropriate conditions.
For the ultimate experience, why not come and visit
your oysters and maybe even eat a few off the side of the boat. We would
love you to come and visit our area but please call and make an
appointment first as we don't want to disappoint you because of tides,
weather or pressing work demands.
"Time and tide wait for no man."
If you can't come and visit why not visit The
Oysterfarm from your desk via web site! Each week of the season we will
take a photo of the oyster lease and someone's tray of oysters. There will
also be comments and updates from the oyster farmers on how your oysters
are doing and what is being done to them.
This page is for the exclusive use of owners and will be password protected.
Introductory Pack Contains
- Certificate of Ownership
- Video CD About The Oysterfarm
- Introductory Booklet
Our
aim is to notify you about 7 days before you are due to get your delivery
of scrumptious oysters. But even after we notify you of the delivery day
we may have to change that date. This is because if it rains and the
oysters spawn unexpectedly we will hold onto them until they are at their
peak again. We will certainly let you know if this happens. What
it means for you is that you will only receive your oysters in their best
possible condition.
The Final Pack Contains
- 10 Dozen Oysters
- Purpose Designed Oyster Container
- Gloves
- Oyster Knife
- Care and Handling Pamphlet
From
the time a crop of oysters is first caught to the time it goes to market
3-3 ½ years later almost 50% of that crop have been lost. There are no guarantees with
oyster farming - it can be as unpredictable as Mother Nature herself.
Through our years of experience we have gained extensive knowledge and
developed numerous methods to limit the number lost and ensure that the
best quality and most delicious oysters reach our customers. What's more,
your oysters have already gone through the most vulnerable periods in their
lifecycle. Having said that, there are still some things to be consider
when oyster farming.
Rain
Rain can work with or against the oyster farmer. Rain gives the oysters
nutrients to make them grow big and strong. Rain can also cause oysters to
spawn, which is necessary for the next years catch, but if they spawn
before you want to eat them they won't be as big, sweet, juicy and fat to
eat - we will only deliver oysters when they are in the perfect condition.
Rain can also cause a "fresh in the river" and can stunt an
oyster’s growth. Of course, there are ways to prevent this such as
moving the oysters around or raising or lowering rack heights. Which is
why you want your oysterfarmers to have extensive experience – we have
been growing oysters for over 30 years.
Size
The size of your oysters will be controlled by the weather conditions
during the year. The oysters need rain for nutrients and, as strange as
this sounds, an oyster farm can have droughts. A drought causes high
salinity in the river which encourages other ocean marine life to encroach
into the estuary and compete with the oysters for food. It doesn’t harm the oyster
or prevent them from tasting delicious when they come into season, they
just don’t grow quite as big.
Predators
Like humans there are many animals that like the taste of a fat juicy
oyster. There are a number of birds who like to wade through the water and
snatch the oyster while it has its mouth open drinking in some of that
fresh clean water. The large and clever bream hover nearby to catch out
the lazy oyster farmer not covering their oysters properly. The crabs and
stingray are equally as wily in trying to eat our delicious oysters. We
hand feed our bream otherwise they would starve!
Delivery
Our aim is to notify you about 7 days before you are due to get your
delivery of scrumptious oysters. But even after we notify you of the
delivery day we may have to change that date. This is because if it rains
and the oysters spawn unexpectedly we will hold onto them until they are
in the peak condition again. We will certainly let you know if this
happens. What it means for you is that you will only receive your oysters
in their best possible condition.
Water
Pollution
We are lucky at The Oysterfarm because there is no industry on our river
and being part of the Marine Park ensures that
threats are limited. As oyster farmers we are obligated to and also
voluntarily monitor the waterways in which our oysters are grown. We do
tests of the water and tests on samples of the oysters themselves. If
there are any abnormalities a river is closed. At the present time all
oysters must be purified before being sold to totally ensure that there
are no impurities. The
One
bad apple...
does not spoil the whole lot. It is not uncommon to find a dud oyster in a
batch. A dud oyster does not cause the others to turn at a quicker rate
(such as apples). Oysters are fully self contained
and all of the other oysters are perfectly fine.
Theft
It is unfortunate, however some people don't realise they are
doing the wrong thing, seeing them just sitting there in the river. There
are others who believe we won't miss a few oysters, probably not
understanding the amount of hard work and effort that goes into each and
every oyster. Whatever the reason theft is always a concern to
oysterfarmers. Luckily we live in a wonderful community of people who tend
to report any unusual activity on our leases and we are able to rectify
any misunderstandings pretty quickly.
We believe that you will end up with about 10 dozen oysters at the end of the season. We take great pride in being able to deliver delicious tasting, high quality oysters to the market - as we have done for the past 30 years.
About 30 years ago in an effort to bring their family
up away from the hustle, bustle and pollution of the city life Brian and
Diane Shanahan searched for something better. So, of course, they brought an
oysterfarm and moved to a little place called Wooli.
The early years were not easy, oyster farming doesn’t follow dates and times but more a series of natural environmental forces and learning to interpret them takes a lot of time, and a LOT of hard work. Over the years they have taken great pride in providing great quality oysters from our river.
Developing the idea of The Oysterfarm was a way for their children to join them in business with their own particular skills and talents.
Brian & Diane Shanahan
Louise Shanahan
Phone: 9399 3599 or 66497 355
The Oysterfarm
Riverside Drive
Wooli NSW 2462