A University of New Hampshire researcher says oyster production in the state is only a small fraction of what it could be.>> Download the FREE WMUR appRay Grizzle, research professor of biological sciences, says the total number of farms is probably nearing the maximum for the Little Bay area, but production isn't yet.USDA data in the 2017 Census of Agriculture says the state has 32 commercial mollusk operations in Strafford and Rockingham counties representing $419,000 in sales. Most of them are oyster farming. New Hampshire only had two licensed oyster farms when Grizzle began conducting research about 10 years ago.Grizzle, who's with the university's New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, says some farms have included improved farming methods and marketing networks that involve wholesalers as well as directly selling to local chefs.