09/12/2026
Dear,
Friends, and family
Last week on September 1, with both a heavy heart and a heavy boat, we did something a bit different.
That day we departed from Ivy neck Farm with 120 bushels of Shell coated with spat, approximately 400,000 to be set on our aquaculture bar; adjacent to Ivy neck farm.
What sets this planting from the countless past others, is that this set is a tribute. A special planting. This set was planted on a designated area; set aside from our regularly harvested oysters, to become a living reef in remembrance of John and Betty Colhoun.
Both were a huge part of my life, and without them Patti‘s fattys oysters would not exist. This particular oyster bar once belonged to Mr. Colhoun, and which he passed on to me 15 years ago. This allowed us to have an Oyster nursery at Ivy neck and allow us to raise millions of oyster larvae, all of which we have planted over the years in the Rhode river. Sustainable Aquaculture was a huge interest to both John and Betty, both of which had already a passion for soil conservation, the rhode river, and our local community.
This reef, this bar, will forever become a living tribute to both of them. Growing, providing habitat, and filtering the same river they shared so many memories on. Every year when it spawns, it will be the way we see them giving back to the river in which they loved so dear.
