⚡ Why The Maine Monitor Came to Visit Our Solar-Powered Oyster Farm
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Last month, a reporter and photographer from The Maine Monitor joined us on the water to see something a little different — an oyster farm tour that runs on solar power.
What first looked to them like a humble pontoon barge tied off Littlejohn Island turned out to be one of Maine’s first solar-powered oyster farms, quietly shaping a cleaner future for working waterfronts.
Their goal? To learn how small aquaculture businesses like Nauti Sisters Sea Farm are using clean energy to reduce our reliance on gas and diesel — and to understand how these innovations might ripple across Maine’s aquaculture and oyster farming industry.
🦪 A Farm Tour with a Twist
We were proud to welcome The Maine Monitor team aboard for a private look at our solar barge — a 24x8-foot platform powered by six solar panels, marine-grade lithium batteries, and a Torqeedo electric outboard. It fuels everything from our oyster tumbler to a seawater pump, allowing us to process shellfish without the fumes, noise, or maintenance of a traditional gas generator.
It’s a big change for a small farm. But it’s a change we believe in — one that aligns with our mission to offer eco-friendly oyster farm tours that celebrate sustainability, stewardship, and a real connection to place.
They captured our story beautifully, and we’re grateful to have been included in their reporting on Maine’s growing movement to electrify the working waterfront.
⚙ Why This Work Matters
Our team at Nauti Sisters Sea Farm is committed to operating responsibly — from the oysters we grow in Casco Bay to the way we power our gear and transport our catch. Going electric was a big leap for a small business, but with support from organizations like Shred Electric, The Boat Yard, the Island Institute, and USDA grants, we were able to make it happen.
As we shared with the Monitor, our solar barge saves us over 80 gallons of gasoline each season and eliminates the need for floating docks and noisy generators. It also gives our guests — whether they’re tourists or local school groups — a quieter, cleaner, and more engaging oyster farm tour experience in Yarmouth, Maine.
And that’s what the Monitor was here to see: what it really looks like when a small, women-owned oyster farm near Portland, Maine tries something bold to build a better future on the water.
🔋 What's Next
We’re still a ways from being 100% electric — for now, we rely on a mix of older boats to run our tours and check on the farm. Without a dock with shore power on Littlejohn Island, charging a full electric workboat isn’t yet possible. But we’re hopeful. As more infrastructure comes online in places like Portland and Yarmouth, we’ll be ready.
In the meantime, we’re continuing to test, share, and improve our systems — and welcome others to learn alongside us.
Want to see Maine’s first solar-powered oyster barge up close?
Join us for a private oyster farm tour near Portland, Maine and taste the difference sustainability makes.
📍 Based in Yarmouth, Maine
🦪 Tours, tastings, and private charters
🌞 Featuring a solar-powered oyster processing barge