Ewan McAsh’s life as a modern oyster farmer is not just about growing great oysters, it’s about growing amazing oysters
The Clyde River is renown for its clean water that flows through national parks and forestry areas. The absence of farming or development in this wild natural catchment provides perfect conditions for oyster cultivation.
McAsh Oysters is jointly run by Kevin and Ewan McAsh, who took over the farm from Ross and Anna Wiggins in 2004. Kevin and Ewan quickly converted the farm from traditional stick and tray production to single seed cultivation. They were the first farmers on the South Coast to install a ShellQuip™ high speed automatic grader and are industry leaders in the uptake of the environmentally sustainable plastic and recycled plastic posts and baskets.
With 22 hectares of farm under development, McAsh Oysters Pty Ltd aims to be the premium supplier of high quality Sydney Rock Oysters on the South Coast.
Ewan is understandably passionate about his oysters. “Sydney Rock Oysters are unique to the east coast of Australia, and have a remarkable ability to stay alive out of water for as long two weeks. Although named after our most famous city they have been cultivated in estuaries up and down the coast for well over 100 years.
“Sydney Rock Oysters grow naturally in large quantities and feed on microscopic plankton, algae and organic matter. It takes between 2.5 - 3 years for an oyster to grow to sale size. Sydney Rocks are generally best between November and May but can be found in good condition and full and creamy all year round in the Clyde River and in estuaries further south.
"Oysters are naturally high in essential Omega-3 oils, iron, vitamins A, B & C and are low in cholesterol. Often touted as an aphrodisiac, oysters are also high in zinc which Ewan advises is apparently essential for male performance in bed and they have been discovered to contain amino acids which are proven to increase the libido of men and women. So maybe there is some truth in it." We caught up with Kevin McAsh at the Tuesday SAGE Farmers market in Moruya today and the oysters he had on display and for sale were plump and delectable.
