When Hurricane Beryl hit the Texas coast this July, it caused widespread damage. Among the shellfish farmers impacted was David Aparicio, owner of DJ’s Oyster Company in Palacios. His farm produces top-tier oysters in Matagorda Bay, and they were expanding into a second plot when Beryl struck.
“The hurricane wiped that farm out when we had just started building it,” said Aparicio. “We had about 100 oyster cages out there and lost all of that.” At the same time, his larger oyster plot on the other side of Matagorda Bay was untouched. Hurricanes are nothing new in the Gulf of Mexico, but the growing intensity and frequency of storms are a challenge for farmers.
“I want people who eat and enjoy oysters to know bouncing back isn’t a quick process. It takes time. We spent 3 weeks building the farm and in one night it got swept away,” said Aparicio. “This is a very hard, labor-intensive job, you know. It’s not for the faint of heart.”
Texas has always had a wild-reef oyster industry, but oyster farming was only legalized in September 2019. Farmed oysters benefit the environment by filtering water while providing year-round jobs and oysters to communities. Several groups, including NOAA via Texas Sea Grant and Palacios Marine Agriculture Research organization, are working to recruit potential growers and get their farms in the water. Aparicio was one of the people we approached.
A Third-Generation Shrimper Starts an Oyster Farm
Palacios Texas has a rich history of fishing for shrimp in the Gulf, and David Aparicio comes from a long line of shrimpers. His grandfather, father, uncles, and many cousins all make a living fishing for shrimp. At an early age, David fell in love with work on the water.
After high school, Aparcio attended junior college to study computer engineering, but he couldn’t picture his future at a desk. When extension agents reached out to him, he was considering buying a shrimping boat of his own. It was 2020, and the shrimping industry was being hit hard by the pandemic. Faced with a hard choice, Aparicio asked his father for advice.
“I’ve always admired my dad and my uncles. I wanted to carry on in the shrimping industry, but my dad really encouraged me not to do it. He saw the struggles of the industry coming years ago,” said Aparicio. “ So I took his advice and I’m so glad I did. My entire family has been very, very supportive. I’m so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to try something new.”
Working with Texas Sea Grant and Palacios Marine Agriculture Research, he learned about oyster husbandry, growing shellfish from seed to market size, and how to permit a farm. This was all before his first oysters went in the water in August of 2022—becoming the third permitted farm in the state. “Farming where nobody farmed before, you’re kinda in uncharted waters. But we’re figuring it out, making mistakes, and learning how to grow oysters better and better,” said Aparicio.
In just a few years, DJ’s Oysters has grown in distribution and reputation across the Gulf region. They sell oysters to restaurants in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and New Orleans. The father of three children under three, he and his wife, Alyssa Aparicio, are working to build an oyster farm that grows sustainably into the future.
Growing a Different Texas Oyster
Oysters are a product of their environment; their texture and taste are shaped by water chemistry, tides, sediment, and temperature. No two oysters are alike. Wild-harvested oysters are normally large and earthy, lending themselves to grilling on the half-shell or frying. They’re known and loved across Texas.
Aparicio is passionate about opening Texan palates to a different, farmed, oyster meant to be slurped raw. DJ’s Oyster Company grows Matagorda Pearls, named after Matagorda Bay. They’re grown in floating cages to keep oysters off the sediment and promote water flow.
“Matagorda Pearls are salty oysters with a sweet finish,” said Aparicio. “In the summer you get more of a sweet buttery taste and in the fall you get more of a salty, seagrass bite.” They are smaller than wild-harvested oysters, about 3 inches long with a delicate shell—perfect for eating raw, they also cook quickly on the grill.
When asked about the taste of his oysters, Aparicio took care to commend all the other farmers growing oysters in coastal Texas. Each bay, each farmer, produces a slightly different oyster to enjoy. He envisions a future where the value consumers place on local, sustainably grown food grows, and Texan oyster farmers grow to meet the demand.
“I want more people to understand the struggles of oyster farmers; we’re playing a game that Mother Nature controls,” said Aparicio. “I want more people to know who oyster farmers are. Understand our struggles, understand our successes. Understand we put our hearts and souls into these oysters.”
Fun Fact
As of September 2024, there are 11 farmers with grow-out permits in Texas.
Recipe: Oyster Micheladas
Ingredients:
• Fresh Matagorda Pearls
• Homemade michelada sauce or store-bought
• Tajin
• Jalapeños (If you like spicy)
• Any Mexican beer or non-alcoholic beer
Instructions:
• Shuck 6–12 Matagorda Pearls; do not pour out liquor
from oyster
• Add michelada sauce on top of Matagorda Pearls
• After toppings are added, if you like spicy, add a jalapeño slice on top
• Slightly dip the oyster’s bill into a bowl to add Tajín
so the rim of the oyster is covered
• Enjoy with a cold beverage!
