‘I’ll always have a hand in this’
Name: Matt Ketcham
Occupation: Oyster farmer, Peconic Gold Oysters, Cutchogue
Hometown: Cutchogue
Age: 30
Long Island native Matt Ketcham has been on the water most of his life. From recreational and commercial fishing to owner of Peconic Gold Oysters, Ketcham says serendipity has played a role in his success. That and good mentors, he says, naming Capt. Mike Boccio, of the Prime Time fishing fleet in Orient Point, who passed on plenty of knowledge about working on the water while Ketcham served as a mate; and farther afield, Perry Rasso of the Matunuck Oyster Farm in South Kingston, Rhode Island.
“I was lucky, too,” he says, “to have gotten a degree in aquaculture and fisheries technology at the University of Rhode Island just as shellfish farming was catching on. I always had an interest in working on the water, so I was ready for the challenge when I managed to get a 10-acre lease on Peconic Bay from the Suffolk County Aquaculture Leasing Program to start my own oyster farm.”
According to Ketcham, a lot of people dip their toes into oyster farming only to discover it takes a substantial investment in gear to grow and sell oysters efficiently.
Using savings, he went all-in in 2013. He bought commercial-grade tumblers (to roll the oysters around), which results in cleaner shells and more even growth, and lifting gear to haul the cages on deck, among other equipment. He plants more than 1 million oyster seeds every year and sells both retail and wholesale across Long Island and beyond.
“Winter presents extra problems when it comes to handling our oysters,” Ketcham says. “Often, we’ll raise 50 pounds or more overhead. We try to use our equipment as much as possible, but there’s no way to avoid the need for pure manpower.”
And the frigid cold makes things slippery.
“There’s a lot of moving around on deck, so keeping our balance while shifting all that weight can be a problem,” he says. “Everything seems just a little harder when it’s cold out. Your body takes more abuse, so does your gear. I can already feel the wear and tear.”
Long Island’s oyster farmers also face the uncertainty of whether they can get out on the water once things start freezing, Ketcham notes. “The ice can catch and drag entire oyster sets, and it can be scary to see that power in action. I’ve seen 6-foot-tall oyster cages simply crushed flat.”
Ketcham says he’s also lucky to have knowledgeable, hardworking baymen on his team — like First Mate Chase Hale, who was working with him on a recent January day when the air temperature was 25 but wind chills were in the teens.
It’s an exciting time to be in this game, he adds, because demand for oysters is rising, and the industry is growing.
“I might be doing something else for a full-time job at some point in my life,” he said, “but I’ll always have a hand in this. For now, it’s a good gig.”