Wakulla County Special Report
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Oyster growers pivot in response to pandemic BY LAZ ALEMAN
50
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SPRING 2021
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850businessmagazine.com
Jennifer and John Fountain own Nature Coast Oyster. A self-described “newbie” who has been in business since 20ı8, Jennifer sells her oysters to a Panacea processor, who in turn sells them regionally and across the Southeast. Besides the pandemiccaused drop in sales, the Fountains’ oysters suffered high mortalities. “I’m fortunate my husband works full time and has a good income so that I’m able to keep going,” Jennifer said. “If this were our livelihood, I don’t know how we would have made it.” Partners Tim Jordan and Walt Dickson run Saucey
PHOTOS BY ERICH MARTIN
F
arming is a risky enterprise, and aquaculture — a form of farming — no less so. Besides the common culprits of weather, markets, diseases and government regulations, oyster growers were dealt two extraordinary blows in recent times. First came 20ı8’s Hurricane Michael, and just when the industry was recovering, the 2020 pandemic hit. Aquaculturists, however, are a resilient lot as they must be, if they are to cope with the capriciousness of nature and the marketplace. The oyster companies that are pulling through the pandemic — however battered — are those that adapted quickly to the “new normal.” “The innovative ones found a way around the coronavirus,” said Bob Ballard, director of the Wakulla Environmental Institute (WEI), which teaches aquaculture. “Those who sat around hoping things would return to normal without being proactive are probably not in business.” Among the survivors are OysterMom, Saucey Lady Oysters, Nature Coast Oyster, Outlaw Oyster and Oyster Boss. OysterMom and Nature Coast are small, mostly retail operations that farm single leases, whereas Saucey Lady, Outlaw Oyster and Oyster Boss are larger growers that farm multiple leases, process their own and others’ oysters, and largely wholesale their products. Outlaw Oyster additionally sells aquaculture supplies. When the pandemic closed bars and restaurants, these companies pivoted rapidly and turned to or intensified retail and direct-to-consumer sales. “I accelerated retail marketing,” said OysterMom’s Deborah Keller, whose business is solidly grounded in retail. Customers order from Keller via phone or text and pick up their oysters during designated hours. She also sells oysters online and at several Tallahassee open markets, as well as operating a catering service. “I survived because I was established in retail,” Keller said. “The other reason is I’ve stayed small.”
