(energetic music) - [David] "A Fork in the Road" was brought to you by... (bright music) - [Narrator 1] From produce to people, the best things are grown and raised in Georgia.

Even in tough times, we come together, work hard and grow strong.

When you purchase Georgia-grown products, you support farmers, families and this proud state we call home.

Together, we will keep Georgia growing.

(bright music) - [Narrator 2] Georgia FSIS provides efficient and accurate third party inspection services to members of the industry.

We inspect various fresh commodities, including peanuts, fruits, vegetables, and pecans.

The use of the inspection service ensures the shipment of high quality products and enhances Georgia's reputation as a supplier of superior agricultural products.

(bright lively music) - Ah Georgia, nature's favorite state.

Time to meet the farmers, producers, makers, and bakers who keep us fed and keep us coming back for more, straight ahead at "A Fork in the Road."

(energetic music) ♪ I came from the mud ♪ ♪ There's dirt on my hands ♪ ♪ Strong like a tree ♪ ♪ There's roots where I stand ♪ Georgia farmers, artisans, merchants and producers, we depend on these men and women every day of our lives through the choices we make in the food we consume.

Their strategy and approach is always shifting, but the end game remains the same, results.

Let's begin this episode down on the Georgia coast to meet a few of the players who make it all happen.

(ambient music) This is George's beautiful coast, the most protected stretch of marshland on America's Eastern seaboard, a safe haven for nesting birds and home to healthy nutrient-rich water that harbors a perfect growing environment for this shelled Georgia-grown gem.

Earnest McIntosh Senior and Junior have been farming these Georgia oysters for several years under the company name EL MacIntosh and Sons Seafood, continuing a long family line of seafood production coming from these MacIntosh County marshes.

- It's a blessing to have someone to be able to carry it on and it makes me feel like all what I've done in life, that it will continue going on.

- You know, I've been raised in the commercial crabbing and that's something we challenged and went at together.

We got this opportunity and we, it was like...

I guess we were kinda like a two-headed man, you know.

We was all together at the same thing.

(laughing) (gentle guitar music) A big part of clean water, clean air.

And one of these oyster filters, a big one 50 gallons a day.

So I mean, it's a good thing for us.

And I wish it was more people interested in it than it is for the state and I imagine we'll get there.

Oyster farming is something that, it's just something different.

It's work, but it's all together different from what I've been doing over the years.

Me and him butt heads sometime, but I have to listen to him.

'Cause he's got a younger mind, and all the time he hit me with this new technology stuff, and it all works out.

(water splashing) - These here are market ready, these would be the first one out of the farm when the season reopens.

- Got to work to get looking like this now.

This all chips up off bottom, it's not in the mud.

It's oysters and racks and bought bags and stuff like that, and it filtered clean water all the time.

It's not filth in that mud.

That sorta bacteria is much lesser and this oyster will ruin it in the water column.

- You ain't gonna just put this animal out there and expect for it to just go on its own 'cause it's not gonna make it, it's not going to be pretty.

(lively music) We keep a three-day minimum a week out here with these guys, sometimes four days, and if you trynna make a living at it and you wanna be successful, you're gonna to stay out here on this water behind.

A wild spat is any farmer's worst nightmare.

That is a wild oyster larvae.

So what that does is, when the tide goes out, certain times of season, that wild oyster will put out that larvae.

And as the tide goes out, they trynna catches on, hold onto something before the water leaves it.

So whatever it latches on there, it'll sit there and it'll grow.

So you can imagine the millions of that in the water, and it hit one of these little bags here, and attached to these little guys, and now you got a box here.

You got a bag of oyster, or reef rather.

You can't do nothing with it.

But the opportunities is how much you wanna work at it and be a good farmer, you know.

If it ever gets that bad, you're not really interested in being a farmer.

- [David] These oysters look different than what you may be used to seeing.

There's a golden-brown glaze along the outer shell and they are harvested individually, not clumped.

And this is all by design.

It's the result of a team of researchers, biologists, farmers, and chefs all sharing information, long hours and a team passion for this amazing creature.

(upbeat music) Just a couple of counties north of Harris Neck lies Skidaway Island, home of the UGA Marine extension and Georgia sea grant, the birthplace of Georgia's first oyster hatchery.

Tom Bliss is the director of UGA's Shellfish Research Lab and guides a dedicated team that is pioneering Georgia's oyster aquaculture.

(upbeat lively music) - We work with the oysters' natural cycles, so we bring the oysters in in the spring, we conduct a spawn.

Once they've spawned, we have to fertilize the eggs and then take care of the larvae all the way through their larval period until they become oysters, which they do during their setting period.

So here in Georgia, our oysters grow in the inner tidal which causes them to grow tightly bound together in clumps.

Those clumps are excellent for roasts, but they're hard to break apart into single oysters that individuals like to be able to eat at a restaurant.

So therefore we've started adopting practices that have been developed elsewhere to grow them as a single oyster for wider distribution and actually easier to eat in many ways.

And so to do that, you have to go to a more gear intensive industry and use hatchery-produced oyster seed to make it a much easier process.

So every oyster grown takes on the flavor of the water that it's in.

So an oyster here from Georgia can look the same, but it can have a completely different taste than one from South Carolina or Virginia or the Gulf.

- [David] Justin Manley is the hatchery manager here on Skidaway and has played a major role in revolutionizing Georgia's oyster industry.

He carefully watches over their maturity, from spawn to the first several months of growth, a fascinating process to say the least.

- We are trying to provide economic growth and stability to the industry.

Seed forms the foundation of the oyster industry and that's one thing The University of Georgia, we're an extension of Georgia sea grant, is trying to do is help provide growers a stable environment to invest in developing their businesses.

(gentle music) What we're doing right now is we're spawning oysters to produce oyster larvae.

In nature, oysters are mass spawners, so they'll broadcast spawn to the water column, and in the water column, fertilization occurs.

And I'm adding some live sperm to see if we can get something.

The oysters will develop 14 to 21 days until they become competent during this time to develop an eye about 200 microns in size, and they'll look for an adult oyster or some other form of substrate to settle on.

What we do here is we spawn the oysters artificially using something called thermal induction, which is changing the water temperature from cold to hot, simulating a spring condition, which is a cue to them, a biological cue that they need to start spawning.

(slow ambient music) So this is where we bring oysters to grow them here in the upland before they're moved out to growers in the field.

So you can see how the water's coming through.

You can't really see through it very well it's because we have only a handful of oysters in the silo.

We have about 50,000, okay?

You can see they're a lot smaller than some of the other oysters we have in this upweller.

These are larger oysters, they're able to clear that water out relatively quickly because of their size and their density.

These oysters are filter feeders.

What we're doing here is we're upwelling these oysters right now.

So we're bringing raw water in from the estuary, in through our tanks and then it's returned back to the ocean again.

It's bringing in oxygen and plenty of phytoplankton so they can grow.

These oysters right here are for one of our growers, Earnest McIntosh, EL McIntosh & Son.

They're currently our only oyster farmer.

This is all his.

I think we've got a little over a million oysters right here in this upwell at this time.

(lively upbeat music) - [David] An oyster is indeed a shellfish, a living creature that needs to feed.

And though they seem unaware and lifeless at first glance, there's a fascinating process that goes into feeding them appropriately.

That's where Rob Hein comes into the story, along with his giant bubbling fluorescent tubes of algae.

- It's very similar to horticulture.

We just take small amounts of the algae and we'll move them into a larger vessel and add nutrients.

Very similar to how you would take a small plant that's getting a little root bound and you'd re-pot it into a bigger pot with more room, more soil and then you would need to fertilize it as well.

This is the same species of algae in different densities.

And as the algae grows more and more, it becomes more and more dense, and so you can actually see the color change.

So these are ready to either be fed or to be transferred into a larger sized vessel like the one behind me.

The exact growing region of an oyster does impact the flavor of the oyster and the quality of the oyster, which probably does have something to do with the native algae strains in that particular region.

- [David] Oysters naturally grow in clumps, creating giant fish feeding mounds of shells all around these pristine marshlands and fluctuating tides.

So growing these oysters individually and safe from predators is a challenge this team takes on every day.

They learn the do's and don'ts the hard way, through experience, trial and error so the farmer has fewer challenges on their end, in turn creating a more profitable product.

- We're researching this to make it easier for people that are interested in it to get started in it.

We've made a few mistakes ourselves and it's very vital to pass that information onto someone that might be wanting to get in and do it, so they don't lose all their investment.

(upbeat music) - [David] Rob, Justin and the UGA Oyster Hatchery team keep a close relationship with the MacIntoshs.

These shellfish begin life on Skidaway, are then moved to the marshlands of MacIntosh County in the good hands of the MacIntosh oyster farming family.

And from there, grown to perfection.

- UGA gave us seeds and we actually wanted to make those seeds grow.

We failed a little bit, and once we caught on to how to make that oyster grow and make it look real good, it hadn't stopped since.

- So as the industry grows, our hope is that we can help facilitate the growth of the commercial aspect, not only in the farming aspect but also on the hatchery side.

- [David] It's an exciting yet challenging industry, but this team has come quite far and learned so much.

Teamed with dedicated scientists and honest, hardworking farmers like the MacIntoshs, the future is bright for an industry for these remarkable Georgia-born creatures.

And though Earnest has yet to discover a pearl in one of these gold-glazed shells, perhaps the real gem is the oyster itself.

- If you grow something and you afraid to eat it yourself, then, I mean, how you think other people going to feel.

So, they got certain months with it, but I know what I'm growing and how I'm taking care of it.

This salty.

- Once they grow outright, I'm worse than a kid in a candy store when a beautiful one comes out the bunch.

I mean, I love 'em.

(chuckles) (bumpy guitar music) - [David] From the coast, to the city where these treasured oysters have found a fitting home.

This old train depot that still hugs an active rail line is now a beautiful, highly acclaimed restaurant known as Kimball House.

Located in the heart of Decatur, Georgia, this is a unique restaurant whose owners, from the start, have aimed to tailor a menu that reflects the farming seasons and greatly respect the farmers themselves.

(bumpy guitar music) - We are focused on sustainability, sourcing and making sure that what we're doing is the right thing for the people that we're leaving this restaurant to when we are gone.

We buy oysters that are farmed from all four corners of the United States.

We have a very rich focus here in the South as of a few years ago.

I worked with a nonprofit that's regional called Oyster South.

We do a lot of fundraising, a lot of awareness and a lot of promotion for aquaculture in the Southeast, and hopefully we ought to see some more stuff here in the state of Georgia in the next couple of years.

But right now we are proud to offer farm oysters from Earnest MacIntosh and his son, Earnest.

We've been selling them at our restaurant since 2017.

It's two men, the season is short, they don't have a lot of opportunities to be in a lot of restaurants, so the fact that I get to work with the MacIntosh family in this restaurant is honestly one of the most prideful things I get to do here at Kimball House.

- There's somebody enjoying across the table man.

That's what I love about them.

(upbeat guitar music) - One of the things that farming gives you some control over is consistency.

They might have some variation from shell to shell, but they're all basically the exact same size.

The sea floor is gonna have a profound effect on the color of the oyster.

I find it interesting that they would take on this color.

I would expect Georgia oysters to have kind of a darker color, but right now these are coming in with more of a reddish color.

(lively guitar music) So this is He Ro.

He Ro is a friend and colleague, he's been with Kimball house since I think probably a week or two before we opened was when he started training.

He's by far the best shucker I've ever been around.

So we're gonna utilize his skills so that we can shuck a few for you right now and show you how they're supposed to look.

This is how we dress ours.

We've got a mini net that is Apple cider vinegar and champagne vinegar that's infused with shallots and peppers, and then we also offer lemons.

We just try to encourage people to eat oysters with as little additions as possible so they can experience what that water, where they were harvested, what that water tastes like.

So when you eat this oyster, you are literally consuming the marshes of Georgia.

Here's another thing that you get to experience.

- What is that?

- It's a pea crab.

- Salty?

- It's kinda like popcorn.

What I'm looking for, mostly as an oyster shucker and an oyster eater is just an oyster that looks like it's been opened by someone who cares for the work that they're doing.

That would mean that the mantle around the edge is not torn, it would mean that the belly doesn't have a hole in it.

This should look like the cap blew off in the wind, which it does.

It shouldn't look like it was forced open by a human with a knife.

For this one, this black mantle around the edge there, I think is really cool.

So when I get an opportunity to shuck one of those, I almost wanna eat it before we even put it on a tray.

So it's not really an indicator of that that oyster is any better or any worse than the one next to it, but to me it's just really pretty when it's got that dark ring.

- [David] The oysters' taste speaks for itself and the customers have responded.

So the EL McIntosh & Son oysters continue popular seasonal returns to the Kimball House menu, year after year.

And both Brian and the MacIntoshs hope this solid Georgia industry and interest can grow.

- [Earnst Jr] That's a good cover there.

- You know, it's really nice to have this one singular Georgia oyster on the menu currently, and hopefully within the next two or three years, we're able to bring on a lot more farmers.

Our guests love them and we can't wait to share that with them.

- [David] Now that we have explored the world of oysters in coastal Georgia, there's yet another shellfish here that being grown and harvested along these gorgeous shores.

(lively guitar music) These low country back rivers and marshes in coastal Georgia are a national treasure.

The beauty is easily seen from the surface, but there's an extra hidden gem underneath the water line that you can only find when the moon says it's time.

Seemingly hidden within Georgia's nutrient-rich waters and protected shores, is a most fascinating world of clamps.

- These are called hard clams.

We got started back in around '97, '98.

UGA brand extension came and asked a friend of mine and I if we wanted to grow some clams, and we said, "Sure."

And we learned how to kill a lot of clamps first and then after that, we learned how to get them to live.

So that's how we got started.

(chuckles) - [David] Sapelo Sea Farms grows and harvest the majority of clams coming out of the Georgia coast.

They're growing in land most people never knew was even here.

Four Mile Island is a massive flat of land that only appears clearly at low tide and is full of Charlie's happy little clams that spend approximately two years on the Island and a few other selected marshland destinations 'fore the big moment when they are dug up and cleaned up.

- [Charlie] Where we are right now is Four Mile Island, and it's King's grant deed.

It's the only way you can own marsh in Georgia.

So I actually own this.

But I've got some state leases, I've got some private leases that I've leased from people.

Most of the clams I buy are four millimeters in size, say they're about the size of a small pea.

And it takes me about six months to get them up to a grow-out clam, which is a clam about the size of your fingernail.

And then I put them in another bag with a nine millimeter hole, and they stay in that bag for about 18 months.

So my clams are roughly two years old by the time I harvest them.

(upbeat guitar music) - [David] Nobody said clamming was clean, Charlie's crew will attest.

Rain or shine, there's a job to do.

However, flying across these back rivers and mud flats on a super-powered air boat that literally glides over both land and water, and watching this crew in action is an incredible experience and makes you appreciate the trade.

- What they're doing now is, (water spraying) they're washing the mud out of those clamps so that we can handle 'em.

(wind blowing) And when they get back to the dock, they'll start pulling 'em out of the boat.

They'll start tumbling 'em, getting the dead shell out, but in the morning I'll be grading them and sorting them out for orders.

- [David] You can find these Georgia-grown, Sapelo Sea Farm clams all over the country, but Charlie happens to serve them right off the boat at his own McIntosh County restaurant called The Fish Dock, where these fresh Georgia clams are served right on the water's edge.

- I'm not a restaurant person, but I have learned with, kinda like the clamps, I learned a lotta stuff not to do first.

We serve our clamps, our wild oysters in season and we've got snapper grouper boats, so we pull a lot of our fish and stuff for the restaurant from the local boat or shrimp from local shrimp boats.

(lively music) - [David] It's always amazing to learn about a new industry and get to know the folks who have made a living out of something so foreign to the rest of the world.

Eating tasty, Georgia-grown clams is the easy part, the harvesting, well, we'll leave that to the folks of Sapelo Sea Farms, who do it best.

(bumpy music) From Oysters and clams, and a fine dining restaurant that truly appreciates these farmers and their product, we now head back to the coast for our final course, and this may be the sweetest one yet.

(lively music) Time to meet Dale Potts, Island Chocolatier at the Sugar Marsh cottage.

- I decided I wanted to start a gourmet chocolate confection business.

Darien was the inspiration for the company.

We're located on historic Vernon Square, and this house was built in 1935.

It's directly across from the Open Gates Bed and Breakfast which actually was a timber baron's residence.

I have had my eye on this house for 26 years.

I knew that Sugar Marsh Cottage needed to land here.

This property was available and it became our production facility.

(upbeat music) So, we took it to market.

We exhibited at the Atlantic Gourmet Market in 2006.

They have a little food competition at that show, so I decided you have to play to win.

So we entered three products in the food competition and our shortbread cookie took third place for best dessert, our toffee took third place for best chocolate and our executive gift box, which we call the Island box took first place for best packaging.

So we kind of knew that we had something.

(upbeat guitar music) - [David] Dale and her concoctions are definitely a coastal gem, something that is and will always be made right here in Georgia.

- Alright, here we go.

That is art, Dale, that is beautiful.

Toasting chocolates.

Beautiful.

(Dale laughing) From clammers and chocolatiers, to a scientific exploration of a different breed of Georgia oyster, it's suffice to say that our coast offers an amazing diversity of culinary options.

See you next time on "A Fork in the Road".

(energetic music) "A Fork in the Road" was brought to you by... (upbeat music) - [Narrator 3] You are never far.

You're never far from farm fresh.

You're never far from Georgia grown.

Find Georgia grown near you, at www.GeorgiaGrown.com.

- [Narrator 4] Since 1917, the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin has been George's primary resource for all things agriculture.

From thousands of classifieds for livestock, farm supplies, equipment, and homegrown goods, to the latest and most important farming news.