Lives of Maine’s sea farmers captured in new documentaries

Maine oyster farmer John Cotton. Courtesy photo from Maine Aquaculture Association

A new series of short documentary films featuring some of Maine’s sea farmers has been released online. The films are the latest installment of the Maine Coast Harvest series (est. 2018), and are available for the public to view on the Maine Coast Harvest website at mainecoastharvest.com.

This latest body of work, filmed during the summer and fall of 2020, comprises three short films:

Emily Selinger & Amanda Moeser | Freeport and Yarmouth, ME
“All I did was give Emily one floating line of rope in the ocean, and that sparked a livelihood for her.” Amanda’s small gesture of kindness allowed Emily to imagine a life on the water she hadn’t considered before — as an oyster farmer.

Jake Patryn & Morgan-Lea Fogg | Machias, ME
Jake and Morgan were looking for a way to get back to Maine and build a business on the water that they could call their own. When seaweed farming crossed their paths, it was a surprising but perfect fit.

John Cotton & Toni Small | Port Clyde, ME
Lifelong commercial fisherman John Cotton was unsure about growing oysters, but his excitement for a new adventure on the water was too strong to keep him from diving in headfirst.