DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE UP TO $100 WORTH OF SAVINGS INSIDE?
save big!
PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID BEAUFORT, SC PERMIT NO. 92
POSTAL CUSTOMER
JANUARY 26 - FEBRUARY 1, 2017
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
fresh, local oysters available YEAR-ROUND
Digital corridor gets first technology startup
Officials and guests get together for a ribbon cutting at the Beaufort Digital Corridor on Carteret Street.
Staff reports
Frank Roberts, center, watches as as two employees sort oysters destined for a restaurant dinner plate in the Lowcountry. Photos by Bob Sofaly.
Beaufort County oyster farming year-round plan receives approval by the SC Department of Environmental Control, expected to pass legislature By Kat Walsh
As locals know, oysters have traditionally only been available during months with an “r” in them. But that’s about to change. This will be the first year in which local oysters will likely be available year-round, bringing millions of dollars into the county economy. It’s exciting news, but it begs the question, why now? And how? Legislatively, it all began in our own backyard. Two local politicians, Reps. Bill Bowers and Shannon Erickson, wrote and co-sponsored a bill to allow local oyster farming yearround. The SC Department of Environmental Control has OK’d the plan and it is expected to pass the legislature. Local oyster farms have long been advocating for summer harvest, as do customers who continue to crave them. After all, even though oysters were not harvested here in the summer, plenty are consumed. The problem is they come from out of state, meaning the resulting business and profit went out of state. “Right now, restaurants in South Carolina are paying for out-of-state oysters during the summer,” said Frank Roberts, who owns Lady’s Island Oyster Farm and which supplies dozens of restaurants with oysters, including Old Bull, Saltus and Wined it Up. “By allowing for a safe and year-round oyster supply, we are keeping South Carolina money
Above left: Frank Roberts, of The Single Lady oyster farm in Seabrook, stands in the nursery where oysters are spawned in rows plastic containers. Above at right: Tiny bits of ground oyster shell give the newly spawned oysters something to attach themselves to.
– and jobs – in South Carolina,” he said. Resource-wise, there’s room for the growth as well. “Our fisheries are pretty much maxed out in terms of growth potential,” said Mel Bell, the SC Department of Natural Resources director of Fisheries Management. “The mariculture industry and way of farming is where there is room for growth.” Clam mariculture has been taking place here for years, but the market is dominated by Florida and other Gulf states. “Specifically, the area in South Carolina with the most growth potential is the oyster mariculture industry,” he said.
BRINGING FOLKS TOGETHER Pluff Mud Coffee Company in Port Royal is a place where folks come together in a variety of ways. PAGE B1
CYAN-AOOO
MAGENTA-OAOO
YELLOW-OOAO
The move makes sense from a business perspective as well. “At the end of the day, this is a $40 million industry in other states,” said Catherine Templeton, former head of the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control. “Our oyster farmers are losing millions every summer.” Oysters: An overview A little oyster education goes a long way in explaining how summer harvest will work both effectively and safely. The oysters in South Carolina and Georgia are unlike other oysters. Everywhere else, oysSee OYSTERS page A7
GIRLS NIGHT OUT The ladies had a fabulous time at Island Girls Night Out held at Flashback Gear in Beaufort. PAGE B3
BLACK
012908
See CORRIDOR page A7
INSIDE Lowcountry Life A2 Business A3-4 In Other News A5 Health A6 From The Front A7 Community B1
The Beaufort Digital Corridor has snagged its first tech startup. Vireo Labs will be the first technology company to move into BASEcamp, Beaufort’s business incubator and co-working office designed to meet the transitional professional office needs of technology- and knowledge-based entrepreneurs seeking adaptable, affordable office and conference facilities. The Beaufort Digital Corridor is an offshoot of the Charleston Digital Corridor, which in 15 years has seen its tech economy grow from 18 companies in 2001 to 350-plus companies in 2015. With an average wage of $88,066, pay at tech companies is almost twice the average of regional and state wages. Located at 500 Carteret St., the remodeled office space targets small businesses focused on technology. Another spinoff is the city of Beaufort’s branch of the Don Ryan Center of Innovation, based in Bluffton. It will be housed in the first floor of Beaufort City Hall and will assist non-technology businesses in starting up. (For more on the Don Ryan Center, see page A4). “Between our preserved history and our protected environment, we have the ability to attract small and new businesses, especially those in the knowledge sector,” said Beaufort City Manager Bill Prokop. “Sometimes all they need is a guiding hand to get started, and that’s what the Beaufort Digital Corridor and Don Ryan Center will provide.” “It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, but once we committed to making it happen, it’s happened very quickly,” said Stephen Murray, a Beaufort City councilman who spearheaded the Digital Corridor project. “Now the real work begins.” Vireo Labs is a career-focused
Lunch Bunch B2 Sports B4 Schools B5 Events B7 Directory B8 Classifieds B9