Students, faculty, staff and members of the campus community are invited to attend "For the Love of Oysters! Mississippi's First Farmers Talk About Growing and Eating Oysters" presented by Anita Arguelles.

Anita Arguelles grew up in landlocked Memphis, Tennessee, but the first time she saw the Gulf of Mexico, she knew she wanted to make a life around it. So, she and her husband, Mike, started Arguelles Marine Contracting Inc. to build piers, boathouses and bulkheads for residential clients that share the same love of coastal Mississippi.

In 2018, the DMR started a program to train potential off-bottom oyster farmers to create a new Mississippi industry of curated oysters for the half-shell market. The couple knew they wanted to raise oysters, but would it be a hobby or a business? The coastal community has embraced French Hermit and the farmers that work together to grow Mississippi oysters.

Light refreshments will be provided. Questions may be directed to Heather Miller at Heather.Miller@usm.edu.