Welcome to our clam shop!
Owners Shawn Stephenson and Jon
Gill would like to personally invite you to take a tour of
our shop on
this website. Of course we would prefer you to come to
Cedar Key to see it for yourself. Here is a quick
history of the clam industry in Cedar Key.
In 1995 the citizens of the state of Florida voted to
ban the use of gillnets in state waters. As a result
many commercial fishermen were out of work. Some found
work away from the fishing industry.
Others, including us, became part of a newly formed clam
industry in Cedar Key. The state of Florida
helped train fishermen through several clam training
programs. Fortunately for us and other local
fishermen, we have been able to continue to work on the
water. Due to Cedar Key’s rural location and
exceptional water quality, our little island quickly
became one of the largest producers of farm raised
clams in the country!
Southern Cross Sea Farms is a vertically intergrated
clam business. We begin by spawning clams in our
hatchery. Next they go to our nursery, then to our state
summerged leases.Then ending by harvesting,
processing and shipping market size clams all over the
country. This process takes about two years from
seed to plate. See more on each process by clicking on
links on side of this page.
Southern Cross was started By Capt. Bill Leeming
(1942-2010). Bill travelled to the carribean and
on one very clear and starry night he looked up and saw
the southern cross constellation. He was so
impressed by its beauty that he named his business after
it.
