By HEATHER RUPPE
Slurping on slimy, salt and tasty oysters from local waters might have taken a back seat last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Lowcountry’s oyster roast season, a time when a backyard-get-together can draw big crowds. The pandemic also punched the pocket of many local business owners, including local oyster farm Owner Trey McMillan, who owns and operates the Green Pond-based oyster farm, the Lowcountry Oyster Company.
Those hard times are hopefully behind him – and us – as McMillan says this year’s oyster season and its sales are already looking up.
“COVID definitely impacted our sales last year,” he said, on Tuesday. “This year is looking better.”
From a harvesting point of view, McMillan says his oyster beds in Bennetts Point are “healthy” and “full,” meaning Colleton residents who want oysters this season have plenty to choose from.
He also believes that more people have learned how to safely mingle and gather, to enjoy local traditions, like oyster roasts, without impacting their safety or their health.
“We have a lot of oysters in the water this year and they are looking great,” he said. McMillan is also vice-president of the S.C. Shellfish Growers Association and is the state’s representative for the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association. An avid deep-sea fisherman and Charleston native, McMillan has been an oyster farmer in Colleton County since 2017, when he opened Lowcountry Oyster Company. He uses the local and pristine waters of the ACE Basin to grow oysters.
The Colleton-based oyster harvesting company does a year-round harvest with singles, sending these oysters to restaurants and to retail giants throughout the Lowcountry. He keeps oyster season open year-round by using a sustainable cage farming technique. Oyster growers use cages to protect shellfish from predation and reduce the farm’s footprint.
Helping to avoid the COVID outbreaks by shopping for oysters on site, McMillan is now mailing Colleton residents their oyster orders, having them shipped from online orders. Of course, you can still pick up your oysters in-person. Visit www.lowcooysters.com to place an order or call 843-844-2400.
