One of the world’s most charming island destinations, Nantucket is known for its old-world cobblestone streets and quaint shingled homes. Visiting here is like stepping back in time, but what makes it most special is the tight knit community formed by being stranded at sea voluntarily.

Among the famous summer tourists, perfectly manicured privets, and lavish meals lives the lifeblood of Nantucket, members of the community that serve to promote responsible use of the local lands and waterways.

In 2003, the Nantucket Shellfish Association was formed as a collective braintrust of islanders concerned with preserving and protecting Nantucket’s harbors, water quality, and shellfish resources. Serving as an ambassador for harbors and inshore waterways on the island, NSA is a voice in the room whenever activities arise that impact the health and sustainability of Nantucket waters. The group works collaboratively with other organizations across the island to ensure issues such as shellfish habitats, eelgrass decline, and invasive species are met with education and expertise.

We joined our friend, Executive Director of the Nantucket Shellfish Association, Samantha Denette, for a day out with the guys from Grey Lady Oysters.

Originally a local conch fisherman, Matt started Grey Lady Oysters in 2014 with only bags full of seed. Terry joined the next year for the very first harvest and the two have been perfecting their craft ever since using both wind and tide to their advantage.

They’ve begun producing the filet mignon of oysters - a beefy bite of super clean and crisp oyster. Grey Lady Oysters are big and possess a mellow brine that’s incredibly refreshing coming out of the cold, springtime waters of Nantucket Harbor.

Matt, whose wife runs the shellfish hatchery on island, gave us a full rundown of how his oyster differs from neighboring oyster farms. He walks us through different adductor muscles in the organism, the difference between wind-exposed outside cages or more well-protected inside cages, how to achieve a really deep cup on oysters ready for harvest, and a few secrets to keeping his shells really clean and white as has become synonymous with local Grey Lady Oysters.

Samantha works with these guys day in and day out to keep a finger on the pulse of shellfish populations and how they are fairing in current water conditions. She was recently involved in passing Article 79 at Nantucket’s Annual Town Meeting, an effort to ban lawn fertilizer on island, where runoff (over time) has lead to a decline in water quality within Nantucket Harbor and has largely affected both eel grass and bay scallop populations.

After shucking a bunch of fresh oysters, talking harbor conditions and how all of the island’s elements are related, and washing it all down with a couple cold ones of course we then headed back to the beach where we were picked up on the sand by boat.

A huge thank you goes out to Matt and Terry for playing host and to Samantha for organizing this unique opportunity as well as to the entire Nantucket Shellfish Association. Without their tireless effort, expertise, and awareness, these maritime traditions and industries would be lost forever.