From Robert Whitcomb's "Digital Diary,'' in GoLocal24.com
Oyster aquaculture has been expanding at a good clip in New England in the past couple of decades, often in the face of nimbyism, much of it by affluent owners of shoreline summer places. But oyster farming is good for the coastal environment (shellfish filter the water) and this high-end food is good for the region’s economy, too – especially, of course, the restaurant sector. Thus it was pleasant to read that the U.S. Agriculture Dept. and the Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management are working together to restore oyster beds in the state in a program called the Rhode Island Oyster Restoration Initiative. The Feds are making $500,000 available in grants to Rhode Island oyster farmers this year to boost their business.
To read more about this program, please hit this link.
