Oyster aquaculture is a growing industry in the United States and particularly in the southeast, from North Carolina to Texas, which have seen tremendous growth in the past decade – which led to the formation of the 501c3 non-profit organization, Oyster South, dedicated to promoting and advancing oyster aquaculture throughout this region. Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) harvest was estimated at 78 million pounds and in 2018, sales in the U.S. were valued at 134 million dollars (USDA 2019). To help facilitate industry growth within this broad region, states have adopted regulations to allow leases to use of gear from on bottom, within the water column and at the surface. North Carolina was among the first dating back to 1989 and Georgia and Texas were the last two states to adjust regulations in 2019 and 2020, respectively (Table 1) (Revell and Hill 2021). These changes in rules have allowed oyster farms to become established throughout the Oyster South region along with the development of aquaculture training programs. While many states now offer aquaculture training programs (i.e. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina) in the Gulf of Mexico and southeast Atlantic, there is no substitute for new farmers to meet and interact with established shellfish farms to gain experience to help them become more successful. We will provide an update trips funded and share results from farmers on what information was gained by meeting with peers in the industry.