Meet the oysterman...

... who is allergic to shellfish

Since the late 19th century, Norwalk has held the title of "Oyster Town" due to its rich volume of surrounding shellfish grounds.

This has led to an number of familyowned oyster farms throughout Connecticut, including Copps Island Oysters and Norm Bloom and Son right in "Oyster Town."

In 1994, Norm Bloom started his oyster farming and harvesting company entitled Norm Bloom and Son, LLC. Norm had been an oysterman since the age of 10 under the guidance of his father, Norm Bloom Sr. and his uncle, Hillard Bloom, who had been oysterman since the 1940s. In the

According to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Connecticut harvests about 200,000 bushels of oysters each year from more than 70,000 acres of shellfish farms. Shellfishing generates more than $30 million in the state annually. It’s also a culture. Here are some of the state’s family and locally-owned oyster farms and restaurants to order them.

Copps Island Oysters - 7 Edgewater Pl., Norwalk

G&B Shellfish Farm - 10 Hancock St. #2, Stratford

Indian River Shellfish - 178 Cottage Rd., Madison

Niantic Bay Shellfish Farm - 111 Main St., Niantic

Noank Oysters - 100 Main St., Noank

Stonington Farms Shellfish Inc. - 28 East Main St., Mystic

Boca Oyster Bar - 10 E Main St, Bridgeport

Elm Street Oyster House - 11 W Elm St, Greenwich

Knot Norm's - 10 First Street, Norwalk

Farmhouse - 43 S Main St, Newtown

F.I.S.H Restaurant & Bar - 245 Bedford St, Stamford

Shell & Bones - 100 S Water St, New Haven

James Bloom holds a handful of seed oysters at Copps Island Oysters in Norwalk. Below, a hot Lobster Roll and Copps Island Oysters at Knot Norm's in Norwalk on June 2.

Lisa Nichols / Hearst Connecticut Media