Welcome to the latest round of “10 Words or Less,” in which I ask brief questions and ask my respondents for brief answers. This installment is part of a group of interviews in advance of the Boston Museum of Science’s “Let’s Talk About Food” festival this weekend. Today’s subject is an oyster farmer who will collaborate with Legal Sea Foods executive chef Richard Vellante in a cooking demonstration and discussion. Remember, please: No counting. 10 words is a goal, not a rule, and it’s not that easy!

Name John Lowell (pictured with his wife and business partner, Stephanie)
Age 52
Residence Dennis, Mass.
Business East Dennis Oyster Farm
Motto “More is not better, better is better.”
A guilty pleasure “I like a glass of wine out on the oyster farm with my wife, and there’s no alcohol allowed out there.”
What did you want to be when you grew up? “I still don’t know the answer.”
The best job you ever had “This is it.”
Something you learned from oysters “People love oysters, and people like oyster farmers.”
Your favorite farm implement “I like the hook. They’re stainless steel, about 3 feet long. They’re used to move the gear around.”

" Describe a way that nature’s rhythm dictates your life “We swap out the gear in the springtime, because that’s when the barnacles set.”
The secret of shucking “Wear a good heavy glove and use a really sharp knife.”
Something you do in the name of sustainability “We have more than a million oysters, and each one filters 50 gallons of water a day.”
What’s the one thing you wish everyone would just get right? "Our business name. It’s so simple, and everyone screws it up."

The “Let’s Talk About Food” festival, which features discussions, cooking demonstrations, dozens of exhibitor booths, and a food truck food court, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday along the Charles River in Cambridge, just around the corner from the museum. Lowell is scheduled to appear on the main stage from 2:25 to 2:50 p.m.

Photo credit: Dan Cutrona