OPPOSITE PAGE: Jules Opton-Himmel of Walrus and Carpenter
Oysters in Jamestown. THIS PAGE: Opton-Himmel harvesting oysters,
which are also available at some grocery stores and fish markets.
crucial for sales. “There was a desire
for avoiding congregate shopping
environments, and a desire for direct
connectivity to local producers. It’s
all the more reason to keep supporting
that movement, and all that’s necessary
to achieve it, whether that’s
through websites, more options for
taking payments and home delivery,”
Ayars says. “I think that’s going to
be a permanent part of our infrastructure
going forward.”
Back before COVID-19 hit, the
Young Farmer Network of Southeastern
New England, which includes
beginning farmers from Rhode
Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut,
organized a night for young
farmers and their supporters called
“Landing on the Right Acre: Storytelling
for and by Farmers.” The
farmers recounted their individual
startup stories on stage and shared
best practices in an effort to build a community
of local rising farmers. The event
was a partnership with Land for Good,
which helps to connect land-seekers with
fertile acreage for farming.
The group gathered inside Machines with
Magnets in Pawtucket, a trendy bar, contemporary
art gallery and performance
space with food provided by Ben Sukle of
Birch and Oberlin and oysters by Walrus
and Carpenter. Instead of overalls embedded
with dirt, they wore everything from
bright rainbow-colored sweaters and funky
scarves to fashionable dresses and T-shirts
with quirky sayings. The farmers were there
to share stories about the challenges of
gaining land access for agricultural use in
Rhode Island.
The Young Farmer Network provides
opportunities for education and advocacy
and strengthens the social and professional
networks among farmers from all backgrounds
and ages. The group also organizes
Young Farmer Nights, which, pre-pandemic,
included tours of local farms with potluck
suppers and community-building camaraderie,
often set around a campfire.
For this event, farmer John Kenny of Big
Train Farm kicked things off in black-rimmed
glasses and skinny jeans by explaining how
Rhode Island is one of the most densely populated
states in the nation, while also having
the most expensive farm real estate in the country. “The average age for the
American farmer is in the high-fifties or low-sixties and Rhode Islanders are
right on that median, which is odd, considering you look around the room and
you see a lot of young faces,” Kenny says. “So with the high value placed on
farmland, we have an aging population of farmers sitting on goldmines.”
The challenge is connecting the next generation to that farmland, when many
aging farmers might choose to sell their acreage for development, and young
farmers cannot afford to purchase land. Land for Good helps connect beginning
and established farmers with access by ensuring farmland stays that way. And
these emerging farmers are savvy enough to tap into technology to sell their
products, which could keep farming viable well into the future.
We adapted some of the tales we heard at “Landing on the Right Acre” to
find out how the farmers are faring during the COVID-19 crisis. Here are their
stories:
JULES OPTON-HIMMEL
Owner of Walrus and Carpenter Oysters,
Charlestown and Jamestown
Open an oyster bar in a pandemic? No problem. When Jules Opton-
Himmel, owner of Walrus and Carpenter Oysters, found out that the Shack
at the Dutch Harbor Boat Yard in Jamestown was looking for a new seasonal
tenant to replace Tallulah’s Taqueria, which wasn’t renewing its lease after
seven years, he responded right away with an idea to open the Walrus and
Carpenter Oyster Bar and Farmstand.
After the restaurant distribution side of his business took a hit in the early
spring, he brainstormed ways to recoup some of the losses. An oyster bar located
next to the harbor where he docks his boat and hauls in oysters from a half-mile
away seemed like a perfect opportunity.
Opton-Himmel founded Walrus and Carpenter oyster farm in Ninigret Pond
in Charlestown almost a decade ago, where he grows the “Originals,” followed
by a Jamestown extension in more recent years for his “Dutchies.” Running two
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l OCTOBER 2020 45