Grand Isle oyster farmers unite under single brand
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Oysters from Grand Isle are ready to eat. Photo: Courtesy of JEDCO
Oyster farmers in Grand Isle will start branding their oysters as "Grand Isle Jewels," a moniker they hope can spark new demand for their briny hauls.
Why it matters: "Once people start getting a taste of this Grand Isle Jewel, I'm hoping they'll realize the quality is there, and that'll catapult us into the next level," says oysterman Kirk Curole.
Catch up quick: Traditionally, Louisiana oyster fishermen gathered their catch by dredging shallow waters in the Lower Mississippi River Delta, pulling up wild bivalves in the process.
- But in the wake of the BP oil spill in 2010, which wreaked havoc on the state's seafood industry, oysterman Jules Melancon introduced off-bottom oyster farming to Grand Isle, which involves seeding very young oyster larvae in floating cages.
- The process revolutionized oyster production in the area. Where once an oysterman had to wait five years for an oyster to mature, now it took just 10 months, The New York Times reported.
"Grand Isle has a unique position in the Gulf," says Curole, who runs Bayside Oysters. "With the mixture of the river and the salt water, it creates that right formula of nutrients and food for the oyster that's just hard to beat."
Zoom in: Melancon died in 2023, but the number of Grand Isle oyster farmers has continued growing.
- "We've pretty much doubled in the past four years," Curole says.
The intrigue: All those farmers, however, have typically sold their oysters under their own brands, so when Jefferson Parish's economic development group JEDCO suggested an umbrella brand for the region, it took a few years before they seriously considered it.
- "We realized it's going to help our market," Curole says. "We're all gamblers, and we all want that next big win."
What's next: You might start seeing oysters labeled as Grand Isle Jewels — in part a nod to Melancon's innovation — on menus and in markets around the region.