In the Muck: Erika Smith
A staff profile
Speaking to Erika Smith, Mass Oyster’s new program manager, nothing got her as animated as talking about eating shellfish and working for Mass Oyster on Cape Cod.
Like many Cape Cod residents, Erika champions Wellfleet oysters as best in class (she prefers hers raw, sometimes with a bit of lemon or horseradish). Then there are stuffies, which outsiders might call stuffed quahogs. Erika steams them, chops them, mixes them with chourico, onions, sauces and other fixins, then bakes until golden brown on top. A local delicacy like no other.
Erika has many talents, but one constant has been operations, distribution, and logistics. She first discovered a passion for this while managing the Vermont Country Store’s distribution center. Those skills took her to Austin, where she worked for several startups, specializing in warehouse operations for fast-growing companies. It took her a while to make it back to Massachusetts, but regular visits to the Cape made her realize that she was always going to end up in the Wellfleet area.
While Erika has been involved with several causes, like Meals on Wheels, working on Mass Oyster’s shell recycling program last summer was the perfect fit. Before becoming program manager, Erika was part of a team that picked up buckets of oyster shells from participating restaurants in the Wellfleet area and brought them for aging at Wellfleet’s transfer station. Summer 2022 was our second year recycling shells in Wellfleet, but the first of many Erika wants to work on the program. She loved interacting with workers at the restaurants early in the mornings. At the Beachcomber, for example, Erika saw restaurant goers in line well before opening (if you know, you know). Guests would always ask her what she was doing - the gear gave her away. And Erika loved those conversations because people in line to go to the beach ot so excited to learn about oyster shell recycling.
Erika used her operational expertise to figure out how to optimize processes and increase efficiency. One of many examples was figuring out if she brought empty buckets from other restaurants to the bustling Beachcomber on her morning route, she wouldn’t need to return a second time that day when the restaurant was slammed. In order to grow the program on a budget, Erika understood that finding efficiencies was vital.
Erika loved her work with Mass Oyster so much she eagerly applied for a year-round role. As program manager, she’s already diving into the opportunities she discovered while working with the shell recycling program. Erika is looking ahead to an expanded program in 2023 for the shell recycling program. Erika sees opportunities to not only continue to grow restaurant relationships, but create other ways for Cape residents and visitors to recycle oyster shells. Not only that, but knowing that people who she’s talked to about the program were excited to learn more and support the organization, Erika plans to partner with local restaurants and businesses to host fundraisers with an educational component.
Erika is also working on our upweller program, supporting our on-the-ground partners throughout coastal Massachusetts with standardized processes and training. Our upwellers educate visitors about oysters and grow oysters for out-planting in Massachusetts waters. Erika is enhancing both elements, while rethinking strategies for leveraging both recycled shells and live oysters to grow local populations.
When Erika isn’t working on Mass Oyster programs, you might find her following in Thoreau’s footsteps hiking around the Cape, running half marathons, tending to her gardens or, of course, recreationally harvesting oysters, steamers, quahogs and littlenecks in Provincetown, Orleans or Wellfleet. If you see her out on the tideflats or hiking the seashore, don’t be surprised if conversation quickly turns to shellfish.
