Meet Donald Wilkinson | aquaculturist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donald Wilkinson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donald, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always had a love of the ocean and the many different aspects of the ecology. Many times there are some new and exciting” finds” that keep the work from being drudgery. I started out having a ten pot lobster license which later became a commercial license . I also started commercial mussel harvesting at a time when mussels transitioned from being considered seagull food to being considered trendy and gourmet food. Although it wasn’t recognized at the time, climate change impacted the reproduction of mussels and I left the seafood industry and returned to a career in social work in order to support my family.
The lure of the ocean was always there , and when a fellow mussel harvester asked one day what I thought of raising oysters, I jumped in and obtained one of the first commercial licenses in Plymouth, Massachusetts even though I had no idea what this would entail.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Most people do not realize that when you start in the oyster business you need to have another job as it takes two years before you can begin to sell your product. In the meantime there are tremendous start up expenses. Fortunately I had a position as a school counselor at the North River School, an alternative school for troubled high school aged children. Having late afternoons, weekends, and summers “free” gave me the time to devote to learning how to develop an oyster business.

However, the one overall benefit of having a business in Plymouth Harbor was the quality of the taste of the oysters . Much like wines having a different flavor depending on the soil, Ichabod Flat Oysters are recognized for having a superior flavor to oysters harvested elsewhere. It is always a treat to hear that people who love oysters will share that Ichabod Flat oysters are the bet tasting oysters that they have had.

Ichabod Flat Oysters are harvested year round which means going out on the water when temperatures are around the freezing level. There were times when we had to punch holes in the ice in order to leave the boat ramp to travel to the open waters where the oyster grant is located.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Plymouth Massachusetts ,nearby Cape Cod , and the city of Boston have amazing history and scenery. Plimouth Plantation and the Mayflower along with the obligatory gaze at Plymouth Rock is a starter. While Kim Falconer who runs a tour company in Miami has encouraged me to do develop a tour of my oyster grant, at 80 years old there isn’t enough energy to develop this. However, Island Creek Oysters has an established ecotour of there oyster farm. Reservations quickly fill up in April.
Plymouth has a large number of restaurants. Among my favorites are Dillon’s Local, East Bay Grille and Wood’s Seafood where you can savor a fresh lobster dinner . All are located within walking distances of Plymouth waterfront. Plymouth Center has many nighttime bars with entertainment of all kinds.
During the summer Priscilla Beach Theatre has a series of quality summer stock productions

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Skip Bennett , the owner of Island Creek Oysters, had a successful established business indicating that cultivating and harvesting oysters could be profitable. Sean and Michael Withington, whom had previously also harvested mussels, worked together with me to begin developing a knowledge base about raising oysters. For over ten years we have worked collaboratively to develop Ichabod Flat Oysters into a nationally recognized top end oyster.

Website: Ichabod Flat Oysters

Facebook: Ichabod Flat Oysters