Mainebiz

V O L . X X I N O. X X I V O C T O B E R 1 9 , 2 0 1 5 24 M I D C O A S T & D OW N E A S T M A I N E F O C U S "We literally lost a $1 million contract overnight," Amy says. "We didn't switch immediately. It took us a while to fi gure things out." "We just barely escaped fi ling for bankruptcy," Tim adds. "Lots and lots of people stepped up and helped us and essentially saved our business. Machias Savings Bank went the extra mile for us … [also] the Finance Authority of Maine." e pivot to becoming a wholesale shellfi sh busi- ness in 2012 came after one of the two local clam dealers closed. e Sheehans already knew some local clammers who had supplied snails, crabs, clams and other invertebrates to their marine specimen business and thought they might be able to fi ll that void. It was a slow take-off : Only a dozen clammers deliv- ered their clams to them that fi rst year. "At fi rst they were very hesitant," Amy says. It didn't help, she adds, that they closed the business during their fi rst winter — reasoning that the lower seasonal price for clams and the considerably fewer clammers willing to work the fl ats in frigid weather wouldn't make it worthwhile for them to stay open. " e diggers' big risk is losing their access to the market," she says of that fi rst-year mistake and its important lesson. Since a dealer's price is largely set by the mar- ket, the Sheehans soon realized that their business's success hinged on increasing the volume of softshell clams they handled. at would ensure that their buyer's margin on each purchase eventually would add up enough for them to meet their family's needs and make a profi t. By the end of 2013 a few dozen clammers were regularly delivering clams to the former marine spec- imen warehouse building on Route 1 the Sheehans had converted into a shellfi sh weighing-and-buying station. e number grew to more than 100 last year and now stands are well over 200 regular and part- time clammers from Pembroke, Perry, Robbinston, Edmunds, Eastport and the Passamaquoddy reserva- tion at Sipayik who dig in the roughly 4,400 acres of productive clam fl ats in northwestern Cobscook Bay. Almost two-thirds of their regular clammers are from Sipayik, a community with historically higher unemployment than the rest of Washington County. "We're here all day long," Tim says. "We'll buy at 8 o'clock at night, or midnight if we have to." is year is shaping up to be the breakthrough year for the Sheehans: Coupled with an average price paid to clammers that's been 50 to 70 cents higher than last year's average, they anticipate Gulf of Maine's gross sales will be $2 million, or roughly double last year's sales. "Last summer, a big day for us was 30 to 50 bushels," says Amy. " is summer, some days we had up to 150 bushels being delivered here. We've seen a big increase this year." e best of Gulf of Maine's clammers might deliver a bushel (roughly equal to 50 pounds) or more of clams that are at least two inches in diameter. Based on this summer's average price of $2.25 a pound and assuming 50 clammers deliver a bushel apiece to earn a little more than $100 for a half day of back-breaking labor in Cobscook's tidal fl ats, that's at least $5,625 fl owing into the local Washington County economy on a typical day during the peak summer season. " ere is a bit of a clamming frenzy" during the summer, Tim admits. "Weather is nicer, diggers enjoy the camaraderie of going digging together and the promise of making $100 to $200 for a few hours of work is quite exciting for young and old alike." Removing barriers Early on, the Sheehans realized their success hinges on improving Cobscook Bay's clam landings by encouraging young and old alike to rethink their notions about the industry. In part because by nature they are problem-solvers — and in part because they weren't fettered by what Tim calls "the past is the future" attitudes about trying new approaches — they've taken a number of creative steps to build up their supply base of regular clammers. Using the "microloan" community development model created by the Grameen Bank to fi ght pov- erty in Bangladesh, the Sheehans have fronted the money some would-be clammers needed to pay for the required $133 state and $100 town commercial shellfi sh licenses. e new clammers then repay the loan by having a portion of their earnings deducted over the fi rst few weeks. Likewise, he says, if a new clammer can't aff ord to buy a roller and hoe or boots, he'll fl oat them a loan. He fi gures the business has loaned more than $12,000 in three years through its rotating microloan fund — with another $3,000 likely to be loaned by year's end. "We've lost some money on bad loans," he says. "But overall it's working well." He's even taken to making the hand-held clam hoes in various sizes and selling them at cost, proudly noting, "I've made and sold more than 300 over the past two years." ey also sell locally made rollers — the half-bushel baskets that are used to carry the clams off the fl ats and hold them for rinsing off . e business also has given away 1,000 clam gauges made by Tim and his children out of two-inch PVC pipes, helping new clam- mers who can't aff ord to pay the $10 to $20 cost of a standard metal gauge. Another innovation is using social media tools like Twitter and Facebook to create a daily message, letting up to 150 clammers know about local closures and reopenings. ey've also made customized harvesting tags with each clammer's name and license number already printed out, along with abbreviations for each local cove where harvesting is permitted. ose tags are easier for the diggers to use than the standard forms and they enable the Sheehans to build a database iden- tifying each day's haul, with locations and quanti- ties also identifi ed. And they've created a youth program in which Gulf of Maine Inc. helps young diggers get set up with everything they need to earn money during their summer vacations. is past summer 14 ele- mentary students, 25 high school students or recent graduates and fi ve college students participated. "All these issues are completely solvable," Tim says. "No money for the license? Loan them the money to pay for it. No jobs for our kids? Get them a license and let them dig clams. No transportation? Use an old school bus to pick up the diggers." » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Average clam-digger's yearly income Dig 300 tides/year (65 days off) Dig 1 bushel/tide (50 pounds) 300 tides/year 15,000 pounds/year $33,750 yearly income 50 pounds/tide × $2.25 average price/pound × Dig 1½ bushels/tide (75 pounds) 300 tides/year 22,500 pounds/year $50,625 yearly income 75 pounds/tide × $2.25 average price/pound × By the numbers: Clam harvester income S O U R C E : Gulf of Maine Inc. Gulf of Maine Inc. three- year clam price averages $0.00 $0.50 $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 2015 2014 2013 $1.40 per pound $1.75 per pound $2.45 per pound (year to date) Types of harvesters Student: 10 – 50 bushels/year @ $2.25/lb. $5,000 – $6,000 yearly income Summer: 50 – 100 bushels/year @ $2.25/lb. $10,000 – $12,000 yearly income Full time: 300 – 500 bushels/year @ $2.25/lb. $50,000 – $60,000 yearly income

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