An excerpt from the letter we wrote Senator McWaters and Delegate DeSteph:

“Tell your legislators that they must not delay or weaken Virginia’s stormwater management program, that in order to ensure safe, healthy, and productive waters for us all, they must hold firm to the July 2014 implementation deadline.”

Please follow the link to CBF.org:
No delay. No dilution. No exemptions.

Cleaner storm water is better for you, oysters, our quality of life & the economy.

Mom Ludford got to talk with members of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Wetland’s Watch, the Virginia Conservation Network, and The Army Corps of Engineers about the state of the Chesapeake Bay and the best practices for preserving its health and usability live on the award winning Hearsay with Cathy Lewis on WHRO this past Monday.

It was a great discussion, including Cathy taking phone calls and the panel answering questions about steps we need to take to continue to improve our waters.

We encourage you to listen to the show!

Follow this link to more about the show including Hearsay’s link to listen On Demand.

Hopefully the next show, Chris can make it to the studio and bring some samples of the renowned Lynnhaven oyster with him. (He had to take advantage of Mother Nature’s help working on the Lynnhaven at a much lower tide thanks to the full moon.)

One of the many cages we sorted Monday

We were able to participate in a Chesapeake Bay Commission panel discussion about the issues affecting local oysterman.

The Three Faces of Oyster Restoration Sanctuaries, Public Grounds and Private Leases
Bruce Vogt
Manager, Coastal and Living Resources Management
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Efforts Underway and the Challenges Ahead

Commenters:

Colonel Paul B. Olsen
District Engineer, Norfolk U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Tom O’Connell
Director Fisheries Service
Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources

Martin Gary
Executive Secretary
Potomac River Fisheries Commission

Jack Travelstead
Commissioner
Virginia Marine Resources Commission

Chris Ludford
Pleasure House Oyster Company

The Chesapeake Bay Commission does important work.

The Chesapeake Bay Commission is a policy leader in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. As a tri-state legislative assembly representing Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, the Commission’s leadership covers a full spectrum of Bay issues: from managing living resources and conserving land, to protecting water quality. By combining its unique access to both the legislative and executive branches of each Bay state with well-honed skills in research, policy-development and consensus building, the Commission has achieved consistently strong and effective results in pursuit of Bay restoration goals.

Thank you for allowing us to participate and to help with continued efforts to improve water quality in the Lynnhaven and Chesapeake Bay.

We had a blast “working” on the Lynnhaven this morning taking out Erik Mathes from The Daily Meal, David Hammond with the Chicago Sun-Times, Alex Palmer of the New York Daily News, Troy Alexander of Details.com & Allston McCrady from The Local Palate.

Chris, Alex, Danielle, Richard(blue shirt), Allston, Troy, Eric & David

We were able to show off the northern area of the Lynnhaven, briefly share what’s happening at Pleasure House Point Natural Area and CBF’s Brock Center. Talked about the critical work Lynnhaven River NOW has accomplished yet how fragile the Lynnhaven still is. Explained our spat socks, the recycling of our shells into an oyster reef which we couldn’t see because of high tide, how we hand tumble our oysters and why.

Enjoy !

We told a bit of the history of the area from the First Landing to the first “bar” in the New World – The Pleasure House.

Lynnhaven on the half shell

We saw Great White Herons, gulls, Skimmers, red bearded sponges & more.

Note taking between oyster tasting

Of course we sampled Pleasure House Oysters and wild Lynnhaven oysters too. It seems everyone was as impressed with them as we are.

We can’t wait until you can all return for a longer trip on the Lynnhaven & get to enjoy many more Lynnhaven’s best on the half shell!

Thanks to Richard Lewis & Danielle Emerson from Virginia State Tourism, Kari Journigan & Destiny Gensemer from BCF & Jessica Kraft with the Virginia Beach CVB for helping to make this happen.

Thank you for letting us show off the Lynnhaven

We’re truly humbled you selected us to show off the best of the Lynnhaven.

Thank you.

Like any business dependent on an environment that is out of their control, it’s always wise to diversify. To ensure that our valued customers can always enjoy Pleasure House Oysters, we’ve expanded our farm to include another location located near First Landing State Park in Broad Bay. This requires us to essentially double the work (that we love doing for you!) in our quest to revive the reputation of the Lynnhaven oyster as the best in the world and to bring you our Pleasure House Oysters.

We implore you to please help our friends Lynnhaven River NOW, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, The City of Virginia Beach & others to continue their work in education & the upgrading of the City’s infrastructure that is so vital to maintaining a clean and healthy Lynnhaven.

With your help keeping the fragile Lynnhaven clean, our hard work and Mother Nature, some of these will grow up to be Pleasure House Oysters.

Here in Virginia we benefit from among the nation’s highest shellfish water quality standards.

Unfortunately our precious Merrior – 607 acres of the Lynnhaven, including our farm, will close April 12th to shellfish harvesting.

The timing could hardly be worse, the Lynnhaven River NOW Oyster Roast is right around the corner and we both were planning to offer Pleasure House Oysters for the second time.

How can you help?

Help us, Lynnhaven River NOW, the City of Virginia Beach, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation & others to ensure the Lynnhaven & her precious Merrior stays healthy so we can continue our work to bring you an oyster befitting of the name and reputation of the world famous Lynnhaven oyster.

Please help us keep the Lynnhaven clean so we can continue our work to bring you an oyster befitting of the name and reputation of the world famous Lynnhaven oyster.

Pleasure House Oysters will be offered for the second time at the Lynnhaven River NOW Oyster Roast April 20th.

For tickets, or to volunteer, visit LRNow.org or call 757-962-5398.

You’ll not only get to enjoy our fabulous oysters there, but you’ll get to hang out with some fantastic people.

The major factor that caused the degradation of the Lynnhaven River is also now the river’s biggest strength and hope for the future: PEOPLE.

Chris challenges you to join the Oyster Shucking Contest

That first & last view in the movie from Pleasure House Point looks over our farm in the Lynnhaven.