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Community Shellfish Farms
Harvesting oysters from the Port Madison Community Shellfish Farm on a beautifully sunny day.
Puget Sound Restoration Fund operates three community shellfish farms in Puget Sound to restore and maintain healthy shellfish growing areas, spur cleanup efforts and maintain community access to shellfish resources. The purpose of a community shellfish farm is to connect people to their marine environment at a gut level. When residents get involved in shellfish farming they personally benefit from clean water – they get to eat shellfish right off the beach, they get to experience the productivity of a healthy marine ecosystem, and they become invested in maintaining water quality. When bacterial contamination threatens their ability to harvest, residents are motivated to change practices on their own property and support local pollution control efforts to regain something that’s personally important to them. Harvesting local seafood on the beach makes people WANT to protect the marine environment, which leads to a long-term commitment to the health of Puget Sound.
What it means to become a member of our community shellfish farms
PSRF’s farms use a Community Supported Aquaculture (CSA) model that allows participants to buy a membership to a farm and receive deliveries of shellfish throughout the season. CSA membership prices, seasons, and logistics vary from farm to farm, and all the proceeds from shellfish sales support local water quality improvement projects and community involvement programs. As a member you are also invited to volunteer with harvesting. This means you will get to visit the farm, help us collect and bag shellfish and partake in the fun of eating locally! Becoming a member of a community shellfish farm means more than receiving clams or oysters; it means having the opportunity to connect with a local food source and contribute to critical pollution control efforts in your community.
If you are interested in becoming a CSA member, please visit specific farm pages for more information and to download a membership form. You can also find our oysters at the following locations:
Drayton Harbor Oysters
- The Cliff House
- Nimbus
- Resort Semiahmoo
- Bellingham Food Co-Op
- Brooklyn Seafood, Steak and Oyster House
- Walrus and Carpenter
- Elliott's Oyster House
- Right from the dock at Blaine Marina, Gate 3 each Saturday (March through May/early June) from 9:00 to 10:00 am
Henderson Inlet Oysters
- The Olympia Seafood Company sells Henderson Inlet pacific oysters from the community farm. They purchase our oysters, sell them and return all revenue to HICOF, donating their profit back to the farm. This partnership offers additional outreach opportunities for Puget Sound water quality, and doubles the value of our oyster product to support HICOF’s mission in Henderson Inlet. They are located on the Percival Landing off Columbia St NW downtown Olympia or online at http://www.olympiaseafood.com/
Port Madison Petites
- Bainbridge Island Farmer’s Market
- Local Harvest Restaurant
- Bainbridge Island Town and Country (depending on product availability)
- Poulsbo Central Market (depending on product availability)
The money generated from shellfish sales from each farm go towards local water quality improvement projects and community outreach efforts that work to fulfill needs in each of the three communities. Projects and programs vary from farm to farm, but here are some examples of our ongoing efforts:
- Conduct farm tours each year to educate students, parents, and teachers in shellfish aquaculture and water quality.
- Harvest over hundreds of dozens of oysters for public events, including SLURP and Oyster New Year at Elliott’s Oyster House.
- Install shellfish gardens on private tidelands to invest local property owners in the value of clean water (bringing the total to 70 gardens installed to date).
- Involve volunteers in thinning and harvesting oysters, preparing shellfish garden kits, organizing aquaculture gear and serving community-grown shellfish at local events.
- Sponsor annual oyster giveaways for local residents who take action to manage their septic systems (residents receive one dozen oysters with proof of inspection).
- Increase education and awareness about the effects of pet waste on water quality.
- Provide a free mobile pump-out service to boaters in Port Madison Bay and help boaters understand how bacterial pollution from sewage can affect water quality and marine resources.
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Drayton Harbor Community Oyster Farm – Blaine |
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Henderson Inlet Community Shellfish Farm – Olympia |
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Port Madison Community Shellfish Farm – Bainbridge Island |
Click below to listen to a keynote address given by Betsy Peabody at the Ralph Munro Institute for Civic Education on restoring shellfish harvest in Samish Bay and governing during challenging economic times.