Welcome to the first installment of U Look Hungry: The New Orleans Sessions. During her recent trip to New Orleans, Helen Hollyman was busy at work interviewing people in the local food scene on site. In this episode, Helen interviews Al and Sal Sunseri of P & J Oyster Company, a staple of the Louisiana oyster industry since 1876. Tune in to hear about the start of the company, as well as the origins of the oyster business in Louisiana. Immigrants from all ethnic backgrounds were involved in the development of the industry and made it what it has become today. Hear about how the daily business has changed after the Gulf oil spill, and the damage done to the local oyster reefs. Are the government and BP doing anything to help the Gulf Coast environmentally? Listen in to hear Al and Sal's opinions about the best way to rebuild the coastline, including the importance of barrier islands in protecting the Gulf Coast. Al and Sal also talk about the New Orleans Oyster Festival, and Blake, a 5th generation member of P & J, stops in for the interview. New Orleans is one of the biggest ports in the country, and because of this, everyone in the nation is impacted by the events in the Gulf. So tune in and educate yourself about the port that affects you! This program has been brought to you by Tekserve.

"It's a totally different dynamic now; farmers are having to go through a little bit of a challenge in that the product is not as predominant. Usually after the fresh water events that happened after the spill, you see a lot of growth- and that is a young oyster which is fat and attaches itself to culch, and other oyster reef. Well, we haven't seen that, so our concern is how productive oysters are going to be in the Louisiana south." -- Sal Sunseri on U Look Hungry

"What's happened down here is that we don't have this big barriers any longer. Because of the amount of storm surge that we've gotten over the years, because of the 10,000 plus miles of oil and gas lines that have been put in to pump oil all across America- we have lost this coastline in a much more accelerated fashion than if none of this oil and gas activity had taken place." -- Al Sunseri on U Look Hungry

This week's episode of The Farm Report is all about a different kind of farming- oyster farming! Erin Fairbanks is joined via the phone lines by John Lowell, the owner of the East Dennis Oyster Farm. Tune into this episode to learn why raising oysters is indeed a type of farming! Hear about the different oyster seed stock that John chooses from, and the processes involved in starting an oyster farm. The East Dennis Oyster Farm is a small-scale production; learn why it's important for farmers of all types to realize and work within their individual capacities, and not expand beyond their means and original goals. Learn more about food safety regulations for shellfish, and why the oyster industry is more traceable than most other areas of the food business. When are oysters in season? Learn the differences between wild and farmed oysters, and why one type may be more desirable for restaurants. Also, tune in to hear from Jeanne Hodesh of the GrowNYC Greenmarket for this week's Market Update. Tune in to hear what it takes to be featured in the Greenmarket, as well as some delicious harvest legumes and vegetables at the market stands! This program has been brought to you by White Oak Pastures.

"It's like a vineyard. You don't plant a vineyard and have a vine the next day. And it's the same thing with oysters. You don't just make more. You need to be patient, and you have to really want to do it." [16:00] -- John Lowell on The Farm Report