Newsletters

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Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 23rd, at the Deltaville Maritime Museum and Nature Park, 287 Jackson Creek Road, Deltaville. That’s the date and location for TOGA’s annual spring oyster float sales event. From 9 am to 12 noon, you can purchase all the materials needed for an oyster garden. In addition, Master Oyster Gardeners (MOGs) will be on hand to help you, whether you’re just starting out or have some questions about your oyster garden. In addition, Richard Siciliano, MOG, will lead a class of OYS-101: Basic Oyster Gardening from 9:00-10:30 a.m. Register online for this free class: www.oystergardener.org/oyster-gardening-101  Unsure of the best oyster gear to get for your O-garden? An OYS-101 class scheduled before the May 1st order deadline will help you decide.

Place your orders online by May 1st, for Taylor Floats, Flip Floats, Tidal Tumblers, Rough Riders, and Bottom Cages, along with spat tubes, wire benders, and spat bags. Go to TOGA’s website for a description of each device: www.oystergardener.org/devices-and-designs. Also available at the sale are small and medium spat bags, crab pot line, float wire mesh, shell bag material, TOGA-logo hats and T-shirts, with no pre-ordering needed.

Purchasing a TOGA float requires current membership. Order up to three wire floats, plus two spat tubes, including build-your-own purchases. Unsure about your membership status? Check the address label on the back of this mailed newsletter. Or contact Vic Spain: vicspain@rocketmail.com

Payment is due when you pick up pre-ordered floats, by noon. If you cannot be at the sales event, ask us to hold your float and let us know when and where you can pick up your purchase. Otherwise, unclaimed and unreserved floats will be sold to walkup customers.

During the Spring ‘26 Float Sale, vendors will sell triploid and diploid spat (as available.) Since demand for floats has been high, vendors will sell their own floats and equipment, along with spat. TOGA members and others who missed the order deadline can shop for different style floats, tools, and supplies not sold by TOGA.

The Annual Float Sale is one of TOGA’s primary fundraising activities as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. All proceeds beyond material costs go to the TOGA/Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Student Fellowship Endowment, and to other projects that foster oyster gardening and the health of the Bay.

Build-Your-Own Float Day: Saturday, May 9th Camp Kekoka, 9 a.m. to noon: This year, TOGA members who volunteer for TOGA activities (including float building), may earn a $25 discount on up to three floats they build. Use the online or mail-in order forms to order BYO floats. Contact TOGA to volunteer: www.oystergardener.org/contact-us

If you’re volunteering for pre-sale float building, contact Jim Dall at jimd@togaboard.org

For those volunteering for pre-sale float building, please also contact Jim Dall at jimd@togaboard.org by early April, 2025 to be put on our float-building notification list.

If you prefer to order by mail, use the Float Order Form printed in this newsletter, or download an order form for “pre-built” or “build your own” floats from the TOGA website: https://www.oystergardener.org/spring-float-sale. Mail the completed form to the address indicated, or email a copy (preferred) to: vicspain@rocketmail.com