Science-driven practices for safe, sustainable seafood — that’s the Pemaquid way.
Providing the finest quality rope-grown Maine mussels for our customers is the motivation which drives Pemaquid Mussel Farms’ actions and philosophy, developing a culture called “The Pemaquid Way”.
QUALITY
Our operations are designed around half a century of research into mussel biology, physiology, and behavior, and about the coastal marine ecosystems in which they thrive. This forms the background to developing the aquaculture techniques and farming locations which produce the best tasting, meatiest, healthiest mussels available.
SERVICE
We continually strive to improve communications, service and reliability in a friendly and respectful way with our customers and company staff. We also strive to provide ecosystems services for our ocean environments, improving water quality, biodiversity and marine life where we farm mussels. In addition, part of our profits go to the Fair Food Fund which provides financing & business assistance to good food enterprises that are growing vibrant local food systems. Our mussels are the lowest carbon footprint source of farmed seafood, helping to reduce global warming.
The mussels feed on natural phytoplankton and act as natural biofilters and control eutrophication.
TECHNOLOGY
We utilize state of the art mussel aquaculture methods and mussel processing machinery, including those which we have modified or developed ourselves, to work year round in the open ocean environment in Maine, grow the best mussels, and keep them happy and healthy.
INNOVATION
On a daily basis we find ways to improve efficiency, workflow, aquaculture equipment, vessels and machinery to provide effective and efficient farming and processing methods, such as our novel submersible mussel rafts which yield 400 pounds of mussels per rope, provide ideal growing conditions, and keep the mussels safe and happy during storms and winter.
WHATEVER IT TAKES
Whether it is getting up at 4:00 in the morning, working till midnight, working on Sundays and holidays, starting a diesel engine, fixing a crane or hydraulic motor, welding the deck, diving on a mooring, dealing with subzero temperatures, ocean storms, or discovering new methods for seed collection, we do whatever it takes to get the job done – that’s the Pemaquid way.
MEET THE FOUNDERS
CARTER NEWELL
Carter Newell has been farming shellfish since 1982, founded Pemaquid Mussel Farms and Pemaquid Oyster Company, and has a M.S. in Oceanography and a Ph.D. in Marine Biology. In addition to being the captain of the mussel barge Mumbles and the Oyster Girl 2, he is active studying estuaries, modeling bivalve growth, developing aquaculture GIS systems, scuba diving, and playing the fiddle.
TIM LEVESQUE
Tim Levesque has been a commercial fisherman and boat builder for 40 years, he built the 30 ton Mumbles and his offshore fishing boat the Thunder Bay, and is also a founder of Pemaquid Mussel Farms.
PETER FISCHER
Peter Fischer, a founding partner of Pemaquid Mussel Farms, is PMF’s Sales Manager and administrator. He has spent close to 50 years in Maine’s seafood industry as a fisherman, fish cutter, sales executive, administrator, mussel farmer and seaweed farmer.
