Last month I went out to Duxbury, MA to shadow an oyster farmer for a day. All in the name of journalism, of course. Not at all because I’m partial to oysters and will seize any opportunity to eat them.
Getting out into the field is one of my favorite parts of being a writer. I get to experience so many different worlds and then relay them to my readers. I spent the day at Island Creek Oysters shadowing Ursula, a female oyster farmer on site. As you may imagine, oyster farming is a lot of physical labor, and also a lot of waiting. It can take a year and half for oysters to fully grow so it’s a lot of assisting them during the growing process before you harvest.
As you can see, I took my exploration very seriously. When we went out into the ocean to check on the oyster crop I had to wear a pair of men’s XL waders. Not my most stylish sartorial choice, but when in Rome! I only fell once which felt like a victory.
While I chatted with Ursula she revealed that she fell into oyster farming out of a need for a job. A few days in and she was in love with the craft. It’s clear from the comfort she feels in her space that this is her calling. That’s how I feel about writing. Spending the day in someone else’s territory learning their story and photographing their experiences, that’s my calling.
To read my full piece snag the June issue of Exhale Lifestyle magazine when it hits the stands.