Mainebiz

V O L . X X I X N O. X I I M AY 2 9 , 2 0 2 3 18 L O C A L LY G ROW N F O C U S "e next day, I showed up with a case of beer and, as they got out of their boats, I started tossing cold cans of beer at these guys," he says with a laugh. "ey grabbed them. en I heard in perfect English, 'What are you doing here?' We started to talk. e next day, I'm out on somebody's farm and learn- ing how it works." Soon, he bought some grow cages, contacted Maine Sea Grant and Dana Morse, and took the Aquaculture in Shared Waters class. Henninger selected three small sites off Yarmouth that were out of the way of other maritime users and had differ- ent characteristics, so he could test their efficacy. He shared the project with local biology classes and recruited students to help figure out optimal spots. "ey came up with all kinds of ways to test the rate of growth," he says. It wasn't just about the fastest grow- ing oyster, but also the tastiest — and the ability and sensitivity to work alongside other maritime users. Echoing the responsibility theme mentioned by Morse, Henninger says that, before applying for a standard lease site, he spent two years observing potential spots to make sure he wouldn't be interfering with other maritime users, particularly commercial fishermen. "As an oyster farmer, I need to com- municate with lobstermen in the area, with scallopers in the area, with pogie fishermen in the area — and make sure that I'm putting my standard lease in a place that doesn't keep them from their traditional spots," he says. "And that's absolutely possible. ere's more room out there than people think. But an aquaculturalist needs to take the time and the effort to find out who is fish- ing in that area." Trial and error e operation unfolded with a lot of trial and error. "We learned as we went. We made mistakes. We killed a lot of oysters," he says. But, again echoing a common theme, Henninger found lots of help from oth- ers in the industry help each other out. Today, he has about 1.5 million oysters in cultivation and expects to sell about 100,000 this season. "e first year, when I grew 300 or 400 oysters a week, I remember thinking I was the oyster king of the world," he says. "Now it's 6,000 oysters per week." e industry in general? "I see it growing in leaps and bounds," says Henninger. "I see an incredibly diverse group." Still, "I don't think there are many industries where the learning curve is as steep as it is here. We're all learning all the time and we're sharing our mistakes and our triumphs." Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz WANT TO BUILD A BUSINESS YOU LOVE? TOWARD A MORE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY From business loans and advice, to credit building and policy advocacy, CEI is here to help Maine's food and farm businesses thrive. 207.504.5900 ceimaine.org Nominate an outstanding young Maine leader today! Mainebiz seeks to honor the young professional and rising stars of Maine's business community for our second NextUp: 40 Under Forty Awards. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z / N O M I N AT I O N S N O M I N AT E BY J U LY 2 1 ! S PONS OR ED BY F O L L O W U S @ M A I N E B I Z #MB40u40 » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E The first year, when I grew 300 or 400 oysters a week, I remember thinking I was the oyster king of the world. — Thomas Henninger Madeleine Point Oyster Farms Thomas Henninger started Madeleine Point Oyster Farms in Yarmouth as an environmentally friendly business that he and his wife could run with their sons. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F M A D E L E I N E P O I N T O Y S T E R FA R M S

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