It’s All About The Oysters This Memorial Day Weekend At Shell It Out – Hamptons

The EHSEED (East Hampton Shellfish Education and Enhancement Directive) will once again ring in the start of summer by hosting its annual gathering, Shell It Out – Hamptons.

“It’s the fourth annual EHSEED (East Hampton Shellfish Education and Enhancement Directive) cocktail party, sponsored this year by a brand new organization called South Fork Sea Farmers!” “Barley” John Dunne, East Hampton Town Shellfish Hatchery Director, relayed. “It usually takes place at Bay Kitchen Bar (BKB) at the end of Gann Road, but due to BKB’s relocation we’re holding it under a tent near our shellfish nursery.”

The spectacular seafood filled soiree will take place at the Town Dock at the end of Gann Road in Springs on Sunday, May 26 from 3 to 5 p.m.

“We’ll be serving oysters on the half shell, Greenport Brewery beer, Channing Daughters wine and other hors d’oeuvres by Hampton Clambake,” Dunne revealed. “Funds go to support the oyster gardening program which aims to educate the public about the benefits of sustainable aquaculture on the South Fork.”

The EHSEED program was established by a group of eco-conscious South Fork residents who wanted to see the shellfish education and enhancement programs in East Hampton (EH) town waters grow, leading to an oyster-growing community cooperative, or oyster gardening program, that allows Town residents to take part in oyster gardening. Through the program, local residents become stewards of the waters that we treasure so dearly. There are many benefits to replenishing these bivalve molluscs, including an improved water quality because an adult oyster has the ability to filter upwards of 50 gallons of water a day, they provide a healthy local food source, by filtering the water, they enhance the local marine habitat, which is beneficial to other local animal and plant species, just to name a few.

“We will offer a tour of the shellfish nursery which will be housing millions of juvenile oysters and clams,” Dunne added.

South Fork Sea Farmers, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, was established with the purpose of collaboratively working with the Town of East Hampton and their EHSEED (East Hampton Shellfish Education and Enhancement Directive) program to champion additional education opportunities and fundraising efforts.

“Funds raised go to supporting educational programs about the importance of oysters in keeping our waters clean,” Marc Miller of Food & Co. and Hampton Clambake added. “This season we’re expanding our reach to new oyster gardens and new oyster gardeners to satisfy the huge demand among Town residents to help in the awesome endeavor.”

Currently, there are 70 gardeners at three Town sites.

Tickets to Shell It Out – Hamptons are $75.

For more information, about EHSEED visit ehamptonny.gov. For tickets, visit www.shellitouthamptons.com.