How a High-Tech Mussel Farm Produces 7,000 Pounds of Gigantic Mussels per Day - Dan Does

On this episode of 'Dan Does,' host Dan Geneen ( danielgeneen) visits Bangs Island Farm in Maine’s Casco Bay to understand how rope-grown mussels are sustainably raised, harvested, and processed with high-tech machines.
Credits:
Host/Producer: Daniel Geneen
Director: Connor Reid
Camera: Connor Reid, Will Caswell
Editor: Daniel Geneen
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Development Producer: McGraw Wolfman
Coordinating Producer: Stefania Orrù
Audience Engagement: Daniel Geneen, Terri Ciccone
For more episodes of 'Dan Does,' click here: trib.al/14njvdr
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[@youlikedyourowncomment5151]

The moment you hear them say the mussels don't cost a lot, you know youre in for a hard days work

[@bobbyj1917]

Crazy when the last person buying them for dinner we do pay a lot

[@yaznarerkinsaw1914]

@@bobbyj1917 Thats why you buy it in bulk if you want it cheap.

[@Dubngrub]

@@bobbyj1917 Buy them direct. Going through a middleman only adds to the cost.

[@bobbyj1917]

@@yaznarerkinsaw1914 idk how big your family is but I can’t do anything with 50 pounds of the

[@yaznarerkinsaw1914]

@@bobbyj1917 Thats why its so expensive, since they know that people wont buy in bulk to due to the sheer amount that you get. But if you buy it straight from the source it will be much cheaper.

[@Braddah_Sense]

Someone give that interviewee a raise. Enthusiastic and passionate without overdoing it or seeming fake. Some very good responses to some difficult questions

[@uncletacosupreme7023]

Felt the same way. He is not a weenie.

[@robmaddison8645]

he's whiny and lacks muscles

[@donniebunkerboi9975]

@@robmaddison8645 says tough mommy boy who lives in a basement

[@greatness_arives925]

His literally the CEO don’t worry he don’t need a raise 😂🤣

[@greatness_arives925]

@@donniebunkerboi9975 the joke flew right over ur head...

[@jakerson181]

Mussels are easily the most underrated shellfish. Give me a nice pot of mussels cooked in a garlic butter broth with some crusty bread and some fries and I'm in heaven. Those mussels looked wonderful.

[@salty4402]

There trasssshhhh

[@lemon-jq7xw]

@@salty4402 they're*

[@fightingdrake8193]

@Ethan yeaj

[@vahgarimo9864]

@Ethan it can be. Paella refers to the dish itself, not really it’s specific add ins

[@muzaaaaak]

With a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

[@ijlala3799]

The interviewer guy is soo friendly and outgoing. Its actually make the vid fun to watch

[@BS-nt9oc]

When he said “ass is fine” bonded.

[@onesuccessfulbitch1584]

Eh what happened to that guy? He got declumped. 😂

[@d173adpool]

he changed a lot lol

[@SunnnyDay]

I've been buying and cooking mussels at home for 40 years. The industry has come a long way since the early days of farm raised. Now they are always very clean, hardly ever have beards and I can go a few batches before I find a dead one or some other defect. The flavor is always outstanding !! Big thanks to all those workers for delivering such a great product, you make seafood lovers like me very happy ! Thank You !!

[@massofimpact5862]

@@Hahahahaaahaahaa ain't fish breathe(or suck?) the water and filter it in their grills?

[@thisismyusername6717]

@@Hahahahaaahaahaa lmao. Its healthy. Puss.

[@pinkpenzu]

@@Hahahahaaahaahaa ikr. These are the same people that would make fun of asian countries that eat "disgusting" food

[@tielemobiel]

@JDH. One of the best foods ever. Been eating them for the past 45 years and looking forward to the next season

[@badboybubby7794]

I like the little crabs, such a bonus

[@unknownbeing7750]

he's entertaining to watch, helping the crew nice dialogue he even asked if he can have a taste.

[@happyhardiansyah]

The presenter is great and the farmer is a good guy too! I love this episode a lot!

[@Dangeneen]

Thank you!!

[@TheOriginalArchie]

It's awesome that something so mundane can be so interesting at the same time. These guys do this day in and day out, but these types of videos give us something to think about when we actually purchase the final product. The grocery store has become way more interesting to me over the past decade.

[@MissJudyJetson]

And that's why its important to learn about where our food comes from. Most people are so disconnected from their food!

[@organizedchaos4559]

@@MissJudyJetson Yeah I never knew where mussels came from

[@bobbywalsh5538]

@@MissJudyJetson slam down b ?

[@lorriedmussett4692]

" Big ass muscles are fine !! " it's comments like that that make me love a channel like this!!!!

[@Dougggggggg]

The interviewer on this episode was great, he had a really good personality was very likable and also a sense of humor

[@mattsquaaaared]

4:24 "big ass mussels, oh sorry... (oh shit we on camera)" "it's aight bro big ass mussels is fine that was great" homie

[@inoob26]

@Robert Smith for mussels being produced at that scale, it's pretty big

[@bandeano3870]

I've never seen mussels so big, they look delicious. i'm from belgium and we love mussels. it is considered the national dish of Belgium mussels with fries

[@Lee_Xian-]

Oh. sounds interesting..

[@berndelignie8002]

Well size doesnt mean a thing tho

[@TonyRule]

They didn't look that big to me. Here in NZ we have the green lipped mussel (as well as the blue seen in this video although I haven't seen those for sale) and they're mostly larger than these.

[@b.o.4469]

I don't like Belgians

[@tituswu691]

the mussels in belgium were nice when i studied abroad there a couple years ago

[@playc.holder6432]

*Recipe Time* Start off by dicing some shallots and red bell pepper, get it dancing in a wok with a little peanut oil. Soon as they start to soften, drop in a fistful of butter, a painful amount of garlic, a cup of white wine and then dump the mussels on top. Cover the wok with a lid/pan/cooking sheet so they can steam up. Give them at least 4 minutes, but not much more, and pop the lid off to make sure they're all opening. If needed, rotate a few unopened down into the boiling liquid and give them another 2 mins. Scoop em into a bowl (throwing out any that didn't open) and then pour the delicious mussel-garlic-wine juice over the top. Enjoy!

[@whoa9432]

I would also like to learn how to boil water. Can you write up a recipe for me ?

[@XiAnais-bt9ke]

Both the interviewer and interviewee had a great dynamic, I watched the entire thing and even sprouted some inspiration to give muscles a try, help out their market and cook something new while I'm at it

[@superman55566]

Sustainable sea farming! This is the future! Well done guys/gals!

[@win5954]

“Which protects the mussels from predators” ahaha, little did they know

[@MrBlack-vg8rv]

thats actually pretty funny not gonna lie

[@iambumbo7534]

i dont get it….

[@MrBlack-vg8rv]

@@iambumbo7534 humans protecting them from predators when we are the predators

[@iambumbo7534]

@@MrBlack-vg8rv this is, funny

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

Even though I'm west coast Puget sound mussel biased this was a great episode outlining a under enjoyed shellfish and a company that is rocking it in harvest, production, packaging, branding and marketing.

[@elisadickerhoof9463]

I almost thought they were in Penn Cove. Only slightly disappointed.

[@TheBlondegedu]

Right! Only Penn Cove Mussels for me. Pretty cool to see all the equipment.

[@Tonyhouse1168]

I love death can for cutie!

[@coltonvanessa5096]

I think it's pretty amazing that all that machinery is able to do all that declumping, cleaning, etc. without breaking the mussels

[@bryce1220]

I thought the same thing

[@TonyRule]

As long as you're not mechanically squeezing them, they're pretty robust - the shell is curved both sides and reasonably tough, not too brittle.

[@pccalcio]

11:40 - "Whoooh ! yeah it is.." give that woman a raise

[@ipanemarie]

More Dan Does videos please! Dan is very likable and respectful unlike other Eater presenters.

[@mrtnite9780]

My family are Mussel Farmers in the Coromandel, in New Zealand. We farm "Green Shell Kutai", a type of Mussel that is native to this particular area.

[@markvincentcocjin]

I love even the idea of mussels as a food itself. There's so much it's doing in the water and out of it that humanity can't ignore. And you don't even have to force people to eat them. They're delicious and full of protein. In some dishes, its soup is amazing.

[@jackwilson9204]

Also being broken down to produce medicinal supliments

[@gasser5001]

It's like a 'Dirty Jobs', I like it! I love how real the guy who's explaining everything is.

[@skadoodskadad316]

When they said sausage I thought they were gonna grind them up and then like soak the rope in mussel soup

[@Piterszczyk]

funny cause, as ridiculous as it sounds, I thought exactly the same :D

[@user-dg7sy8cz3b]

I am now declumpt. Thank you!

[@DeleLang]

The presenter is not as awkward as the vertical farm episode

[@boomzurich]

@@henrik-frank woooosh

[@CitarNosis317]

I still don't know what issue people had with him. He was fine in that video as well. Oh well. I liked both episodes.

[@KusanaginoTsurgi]

They need to go back to Mark Rowe as the host.

[@dwaynekoblitz6032]

No where near as. What a jack pole that was.

[@Hermanos22]

@@henrik-frank must be difficult being your parents. Simpleton

[@Swnsasy]

This is so satisfying to watch and to really appreciate my love of mussels after watching the love and care these guys are putting into what they are doing.. I appreciate you guys so much!

[@SaarN1337]

The interviewer seems like a very nice guy, very respectful. Great vid guys

[@junkdriver42]

Loved seeing them all on the dock afterwards and the already split pack of pale ale. Made me feel like they’re all on a team together.

[@KingFluffs]

The guy who toured him around seemed very down to earth.

[@brunotangerina]

What a nice couple of gentlemen, loved this vid so much

[@michaelgorogianis8571]

I’m a buyer from Fortune Fish in Chicago. Bangs Island are the bests!

[@victoremisho9432]

Both guys are sooo wholesome to watch... Loved every bit of the video ❤️

[@Kasperx138]

There’s gotta be something they can do with all that mussel beard. That stuff is strong.

[@limbodog]

I'm wondering if it has value as fish food

[@jonathansundh5626]

Maybe even new rope? It might decay to fast tho

[@FlyingRaven25]

Thank you guys for posting these videos! Half of this I didn’t even know how they did it!!!! I DO live in Maine, but I’ve never seen these mussels floats! This REALLY makes me happy!

[@DavidBrown-bp4iq]

Can't get enough of these kinds of shows. Thanks.

[@hmoob-dab-tsi7572]

Videos like this makes one appreciate things more in life. A good product requires a lot of work.

[@maui4564]

Lol, we do this the same in New Zealand but expect how we hold them in the water with the lines. Also these breed of mussels are usually thowen away, we only farm green lips

[@laurenrastamuffin]

We (NZ) do use the sock to hold them on the rope but the density of mussel per meter is regulated to promote growth. I dont know if they control density on the farm in this video.

[@biancab310]

I love all the custom machinery , automation and their efficiency.. so much hard work. I really hope they continue to prosper

[@michaeltejeda8738]

I really enjoyed this video, knowing more about where the food is sourced and the work that goes into it make me appreciate the food I buy even more

[@trex1448]

Mussels taste great and totally underrated.

[@rheffner3]

Man, what a lot of effort to produce edible mussels or cozze as they are called here in Italy. We eat them every week at the beach. And very inexpensive. 10 euros for a big plate of them. Hard to believe they can be so inexpensive with all the work involved.

[@20ZZ20]

After the initial set up costs I can imagine it is cheaper and more efficient to farm compared to manual gathering or however they do it there

[@spandanganguli6903]

That's the beauty of mixing Capital and labour. The increase in production is exponential.

[@intothebunker]

Gold standard of a great reporter. Just gotta love the guy.

[@MessyTimes]

We at *Messy Times* consume a huge volume of shellfish every year, and make pots of mussels in butter, shallots, garlic and (usually French or Italian) white wine. These guys make me want to go visit them in Maine!

[@hmistry]

You should see our Green shelled mussels in NZ. They taste sweet and like the ocean, and so much bigger, but these look Amazing! Great video!

[@tookitogo]

NZ mussels are actually extremely common in USA. Domestic mussels (which can be bought live) are more flavorful, but smaller. The NZ ones are much milder, but have a great texture and size, not to mention super convenient since they’re sold precooked and cleaned.

[@flyingardilla143]

Going to NZ bars and getting a bucket of mussels was a revelation when I visited.

[@Mortal209]

I don't eat mussels and in fact hate seafood in general but it's videos like this that really make me wish I did just so I could buy it from these guys.

[@xgtmg]

I love some mussels steamed with garlic butter, hot sauce, and crusty French bread. Our local seafood shop gets them from time to time and emails me when some are coming in. Very lucky to have this service as I now live far from the coast.

[@pavlestojanovic9631]

Great documentary guys.. Actually one of the best ive watched in a while

[@Passionforfoodrecipes]

I just couldn't shell out a good dad joke here.. I almost *pulled a muscle* trying.

[@ethan7353]

Toast

[@Passionforfoodrecipes]

@@ethan7353 with avocado?

[@ethan7353]

@@Passionforfoodrecipes I think of toast as a choose your own adventure type thing. I've chosen mine. What will yours be?

[@t.n.9508]

Yo I see u everywhere with all these clever jokes 😁

[@thermalflyer3601]

A most excellent video. Informative, interesting, inspirational. I feel hungry for mussels now. Keep up the good work!

[@doublehelix109]

Its great seeing how other countries and other species of mussels work. In NZ we have green lip mussels and theyre about 4x as big for harvest size judging by your handfull. theyre also grown on a massive scale where the farms cover acres of water area and are ropes and floats, not rafts. everything is on a much much bigger scale. cool vid

[@DM-rock-n-roller]

I have been a huge fan of moules ("mool") since I was a kid growing up in coastal northwestern France. steamed in white wine and served in garlic butter with pommes frites ... just too yummy for words. and don't forget the hearty bread to soak up the gravy! they make for amazing stew, as well. bon appetit!

[@cheapnugget7939]

Keep this guy, I like this guy's present although a bit awkward in one but nonetheless, he makes the video more entertaining and somewhat engaging too. Keep the work

[@mixz9929]

At 11:06 the guy is shaking so much

[@greatestambino]

I love how interested and hyped he is when he does new things!

[@tombosley3048]

I love this series, Dan Geneen is awesome at his job. Love it

[@afiqkhalil]

his laugh is contagious . good episode

[@msh104utube]

Never been so glad to work in a nice, clean office after seeing this :D

[@LesbianJumpscare]

Even though I'm allergic to shellfish, muscles are amazing to eat. Totally worth the mouth numbness and itchy feeling.

[@quas7goh9chooZae]

The CEO of the company is a cool guy and the video was fun to watch. Thanks a million 👍

[@aurelionsolph]

These workers people are the healthiest people on earth, Holy crap ❤️ Mussels are protien ❤️ It makes our celles even grow stronger until we age, ❤️

[@evanpeed]

This. This is the content I like to see!

[@Nibbles2point0]

I just found your channel, and I love this!! You’re interesting, you show a ton of the really good behind the scenes stuff, and you aren’t all uppity like a lot of the chefs and hosts on some of these kinds of shows. Subscribing!!

[@travelinman70]

Incredible video, great job of including interesting knowledge!!!

[@juuk3103]

Mussels and fries is a very popular café food here in Denmark or cooked with onions cream and other spices and veggies with a bread on the side, sea all around us so plenty of fish dishes.

[@mariamataleo6784]

🐋 🐳 🍽

[@ballistic350]

Price of mussels are slowly going up too especially the new Zealand green mussels... props to these guys

[@jackwilson9204]

Shouldn't be for long hopefully. The new mussel spat facility will be up soon bit ueah farming them is getting more difficult

[@ballistic350]

@@jackwilson9204 the new Zealand green mussels here at my local seafood store went from 8.99 a box to 17.99 a box in a span of 3 years

[@virginiasowell560]

This was very educational for me.Thank you so much !!

[@imxploring]

Great video.... informative and entertaining! Thanks Dan!

[@DARKCHILD1313]

Seafood is my favorite food to eat. Garlic mussels is one of the best appetizers.

[@piplup10203854]

This is so cool! I’m sure day in day out it might be monotonous but getting to see the process is pretty neat :D I’m not a fan of mussels myself but my sister is so I’m sure she would love to see this c:

[@robertgoudy3223]

A great tour conducted by a committed passionate guy. Great

[@dydia7129]

Fantastic! Big respect to this people. Surviving from nature whitout destroying it.

[@darecoaster9086]

This interviewer seems like a totally different person than the vertical farm. In that episode he was awkward and stupid. Now he’s actually contributing to the video.

[@senpo7835]

only in start of vertical farm, later he got better there if u watch whole

[@d173adpool]

hahaha

[@spandanganguli6903]

He must have been be new.

[@radian9097]

7:00 cracked me up. he already ate one after asking if we can eat them lol

[@nukemanmd]

When I was a kid, back in the late '50s, we used to visit Atlantic City. There were jetties that were packed solid with monster mussels. I am not sure if they were safe to eat due to water quality issues, but for years I would not order them in a restaurant. Then, I tried some at a famous mussel joint and fell in love with them. Whenever I visit Maine I can't get enough of them ... together with lobster.

[@johnj4446]

Great interviewer in this video. Seemed genuine. Thumbs up

[@tubereviewmedia]

Very informative, I didn't know you could eat mussels raw.

[@liamgrech1]

You can eat nearly all seafood raw

[@yoman856]

Mussels filter the sea water between their shells and accumulate viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens in their tissues. 1 Microsporidium spp. and hepatitis A virus (HAV) and norovirus (NoV) are among the most important food-borne pathogens that can be transmitted to humans through consumption of mussels.

[@mrtnite9780]

@@yoman856 It's not the filtering of the water that makes you sick. It's the consumption of food that has expired and gone bad. If eating raw seafood it must be eaten within half a day, over night if refrigerated.

[@yoman856]

@@mrtnite9780 i see you're smarter than google

[@felixarbable]

@@mrtnite9780 actually most high end sushi is aged for days or even weeks

[@davekelder6959]

We need more mussels farms. It cleans the water and its a tasty renewable source of protein. It doesnt produce any greenhouse gasses, you also dont need to fertilize or feed the mussels. And overal it has a lower carbon food print then a purely vegiterian diet we als humans. Under utilize the ocean to little even though most of the planet is oceans and sea we mostly only grab fish and thats it but things like here mussels that we can grow and we can also grow edible seaweed thats full of minerals and other nutrients.

[@---Blue]

@Ryker of course there are, depending on areas and tide, toxic algae can build up in filter feeders such as oysters and mussels which is why there are seasons to collect them. Farmed mussels are obviously much safer since there are staff looking after the mussels and tests to be done to make sure the product is up to legal spec before distribution. Otherwise people with thyroid issues and certain allergies cannot eat mussels

[@alphazar]

This is amazing!

[@Mschrislaupuikwan]

Thank u for getting mussels for us! They are always delicious

[@ryangrant5879]

I love watching unique small company interviews/ odd ball farms. Great video

[@pipebomber04]

In my area we use bamboo poles. Diving underwater, the mussel laden bamboo poles together look like underwater castles.

[@The_Cat_Princess]

This was a very informative video! I live inland and have always wanted to live near the ocean and do some fishing, mussel farming sounds like an interesting way to work the fields.

[@bepponen]

love all these videos, theyre magical

[@tedsmith3532]

Omg I wish I could be there for a feast of muscles I love them steamed , fried and smoked I haven't tried them raw but I bet they are awesome

[@krisraps]

""super High Tech Machinnery""" LMFAO. Two Engines Turning Around Is Super Tech Machinery For This Channel ;D

[@betaprotocol]

I think they meant more that it’s super specialized to what they’re doing, not many other uses for a mussel sorting machine.

[@sunshinemybrain9042]

i love seeing people so passionate about their profession. that guy was badass

[@davidcheng88]

Great episode!!!

[@earthwormsally2075]

Mussels are hella underrated. I could finish a big ass bowl full of mussels myself. Love it ever since my mom cooked it for me.

[@heli-crewhgs5285]

What has your ass got to do with mussels?

[@jamespaters8665]

thank you for this , so if we ever run out of food globally, this would be another sustainable source

[@JohnWickkkk]

@Jacob Riley what

[@dennyvalerio4419]

The fact that they tried the product is wholesome

[@kimsgrim8451]

Super interesting, thank you very much for the video!

[@katkanen2171]

"big ass mussels is fine" 😂😂

[@inotaarto8719]

All the best to these hard working men & women. Your work is important and inspiring and you make one of my favorit foods. Raise the price!

[@eater]

Thank you so much for watching! Eat mussels!

[@mikemerrill175]

A great display of Southern hospitality plus some good eats.

[@middleclassic]

A brother of a friend of mine opened a little shack on the beach near Carlsbad CA. I visited my friend a day he was working at the shack and the special of the day was locally farmed mussels. So I went for it and they were fantastic! Garlic, butter, mussels with some crusty French bread overlooking the ocean. A very memorable day indeed.

[@TacoStacks]

Need muscles to haul mussels

[@adamjackson2831]

Wow I'm early....Now I'm hungry too

[@chefalexarias9970]

Lmaosame

[@21cup]

Hello early hungry

[@northerners2828]

@@21cup 😆

[@tommyhunter1817]

I absolutely LOVE these things.

[@son-of-a-gun]

Traditional Spanish recipe for cooking mussels : Washed mussels Big pan + lid 3-4 tsp olive oil in the pan Garlic, fry in oil Ad Mussels and cover with lid Explanation : the Mussels in contact with the hot oil, die instantly, are opening up releasing a bit of seawater... This seawater evaporates into steam instantly killing all Mussels in the pan. Shake the pan a few times while cooking Remark: cooking time 3 minutes maximum!! Longer cooking makes the Mussels tough. options: Ad Tomatos diced Big Union diced Sellerie Carot slices White wine Delicious!!