EASTHAM – Over the town line a mere two miles away, world-famous Wellfleet oysters are planning a huge party for this weekend. It is called Wellfleet Oysterfest. Bands are invited. Thousands of other humans are too.
But here at low tide on the Eastham flats off First Encounter Beach, the sweet succulent oysters of Samoset Seafarm are growing slow and steady, waiting their turn to go to other parties in other places.
The start of the workday on the flats. CAPE COD WAVE PHOTO
“I don’t think they allow an Eastham oyster” at Wellfleet Oysterfest, said Alison Bissett, co-owner of Samoset Seafarm. “It’s just funny, I don’t get that,” she said. “I used to be almost envious.”
On the other hand, said Bissett, “I totally respect the Wellfleet oyster. After eating it, and knowing how famous it is all over the world,” Bissett said she realizes that Oysterfest actually helps all Cape Cod oyster farmers.
KC Power, her boyfriend and her partner in Samoset Seafarm, said of the Oysterfest, “I’m grateful. They made the name. The market started super humble, and now it’s worldwide.”
“I’m totally in support of Oysterfest,” said Bissett. “As an oyster lover,” she said they may go to festival this weekend, depending on the surf in Rhode Island.
Power is avid surfer, recently reticent to surf on Cape Cod because of sharks, who said he has heard “there’s going to be pounding surf this weekend in Rhode Island.” If it changes, he said they would would probably go to Oysterfest.
“Oh yeah, we’ve been a bunch of times,” said Bissett. “Before we had our oyster farm, we actually met our landlord at Oysterfest. It was his birthday,” she recalled. “Oysterfest is awesome.”
An October Afternoon On The Flats Off First Encounter Beach
For this interview, Cape Cod Wave was greeted with oysters in the parking lot of First Encounter Beach. Bissett and Power meet here to work on their farm multiple times a week, when the tide, daylight, and their full-time work schedules coordinate.
A snack before work. CAPE COD WAVE PHOTO
It was a perfect way to start a couple hours of walking on the Eastham flats at sunset on a 70-degree evening in mid October. Is this heaven? Nah, just Eastham. The oysters were topped with a homemade cucumber (no onions) mignonette sauce.
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