Bringing the taste of local oysters to the holiday table isn’t just a good idea for dinner. It’s a way to help Virginia’s aquaculture farmers, whose sales continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
AquaCultured, a grant-funded program by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and Virginia Sea Grant, will spend the next year helping oyster growers transition their business to e-commerce and specialized marketing.
The VIMS extension team will connect aquaculture farmers to complementary industries, such as wineries, breweries and restaurants, in order to create a broader customer base for both businesses.
It also will sponsor three events aimed at…