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Galleries / Home & Garden

The Clam Man

Photos 9Issue December 2014
For his Caper’s Clams, Dave Belanger plants seed clams in the waters near Caper’s Island.Three years later, they are harvested and held in the water to be purged of all grit.Many hours of labor go into sculpting his Caper’s Blades oysters from clusters into singles.Dave with pal Bugsy outside his McClellanville processing facility, which he has plans to expand into a food hub, of sorts, where he’ll sell his shellfish products as well as local organic produce and meats.Dave and crew work the oyster beds, keeping their practices focused on sustainability. “Back in the ’50s and ’60s, those guys treated it like a garden, taking only the big ones and leaving the smaller ones behind to grow,” says Dave of the proper way to harvest oysters.Caleb and Catherine set baskets of freshly sculpted Caper’s Bay oyster singles into the water, where the bivalves will continue to grow and be purged of all grit and impurities.Dave Belanger with employees Catherine Moye and Caleb Bourg, en route to his 25-acre lease behind DeweesClammer Dave’s pristine Caper’s Blades oysters make appearances at fine restaurants all over town—with caviar at Charleston’s The OrdinaryWith mignonette and edible flowers at Husk

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