If you’re near Back Bay at lunchtime, head to Dartmouth Street: today, Friday, November 6, the Copley Square Farmers Market is handing out fresh Massachusetts oysters for free to mark the start of Massachusetts Oyster Month.
The official proclamation is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at the market, at 227–230 Dartmouth Street. Ashley Randall, Commissioner of Agriculture, will declare November Massachusetts Oyster Month. The proclamation recognizes what oyster aquaculture contributes to the state’s coastal economy, its working waterfronts, and its culinary heritage.
What’s on at the market
Free oyster samples are open to everyone, not just invited guests. They will be available until approximately 2:00 p.m., while supplies last, so earlier is safer.
The program also includes:
“Learn to Shuck” demonstration. Barnstable County Cooperative Extension and Woods Hole Sea Grant will show how to open an oyster, a skill that looks easier than it is.
Live shucking and a recipe demo. The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel will present an oyster recipe demonstration.
Who will speak
Besides Commissioner Randall, the invited speakers are Dan McKeirnan, Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries; Seth Garfield, President of the Massachusetts Aquaculture Association; and Rick Grudzinski, Director of Programs at Mass Farmers Markets.
The Massachusetts Aquaculture Association and state agency partners organized the celebration with oyster farmers and industry leaders. Their aim is to spotlight the farmers and producers who bring this locally grown seafood from Massachusetts coastal waters to the table, and to support the local businesses and coastal communities that depend on it.
The event is organized by Mass Farmers Markets, a nonprofit that runs five Boston-area markets and supports more than 200 markets statewide. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel also take part. For questions, contact Copley Square market manager Zoe Salvato-Cutter at (857) 939-6508.
