Southern Oyster Company
Discover the story of how we're bringing back the Florida oyster industry. With the wild oyster population in decline, we're taking a greener approach to oyster aquaculture in Florida. Join us in our journey to restore this essential mollusk in our bays and savor the unmistakable flavor of an Oyster Bay oyster.
Company History
As a founding farmer in the Florida oyster aquaculture business, Deborah Keller, also known as Oyster Mom, established the OysterMom oyster farm in Oyster Bay and has been bringing fresh oysters to Tallahassee and surrounding areas of the Florida panhandle since 2016. OysterMom is also the founding co-chair of the FL Shellfish Aquaculture Association and a board member representing FL on the East Coast Shellfish Aquaculture Association
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In 2022, one of OysterMom's students and former employee, Cole Hall purchased her farm and established what is now know as The Southern Oyster Company.
Marine Ecosystem
Our dedication and commitment to our process of preserving the ocean's ecosystem produces high-quality oysters and is evident in every oyster we grow, harvest, and sell. We know that oysters are a key species in marine ecosystems; therefore, our oysters are not only delicious, but they are also an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint. Whether you’re a chef, a food lover, or just looking for something different, our oysters are the perfect choice for any occasion.
Oyster Farming
We believe in using sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices to achieve the best possible results. Our top-water farming method generates an optimal environment for our oysters to grow, with fresh and nutrient-rich water constantly circulating around the cages. This approach not only produces a healthier, more sustainable crop, but also results in an oyster with a truly fresh taste. We take pride in our process of flipping cages once a week to ensure our oysters remain clean and healthy all throughout their growth cycle.
Oyster Sales
Our Oysters are harvested from the pristine waters of Oyster Bay Florida - the area with a long history known for producing some of the finest oysters in the world. Just right for eating on a cracker or raw from the shell, our oysters are known for their medium size, and offer a perfect balance of sweet, buttery, and succulent flavors. Enjoy these freshly harvested oysters from our online store today.
Clam Farming
Aqua-cultural Clam farming is an off-bottom process. Bottom cultures use the natural sea floor as the base for clam farms. Bottom culture leaves clams more exposed and often not all survive. There are many forms of off-bottom culturing, some of which include cage culturing, rack, and bag culturing, and tray culturing.
Clam Sales
Since we have recently purchased our first clam farm, we are experimenting with the type of system that we will use. Therefore, we are currently gearing up to offer our clam sales in 2025.
Future Growth
We are currently in the business planning stages for both oyster and shellfish seeding operations, as well as our in-house post-harvest processing operations. Our team is in the process of acquiring all relevant food safety and logistical certificates to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirement in the industry.