Humboldt Bay in Northern California is a rich and diverse marine ecosystem with a long tradition of producing great oysters.
We start and grow our Pacific and Kumamoto oysters from scratch at our Humboldt Bay hatchery and nursery in several calm basins protected from the Pacific Ocean by the Samoa Peninsula—the perfect location for raising oyster seed.
Our Hatchery
We are proud to own and operate California’s first permitted oyster shellfish hatchery in Humboldt Bay, CA. In our hatchery, we cultivate oysters from larvae stage to single set spat (spat being tiny oyster seed). Producing our own oyster seed means we can continue to guarantee the highest quality oysters from the outset and meet our own strict standards of environmental care and consideration. Not only does our hatchery create millions of sustainable oyster seed, but it also creates sustainable, living wage jobs and careers in coastal communities. This is one of our greatest investments–farming for future generations.
Our Nursery
Hog Island Oyster’s nursery in Humboldt Bay is a custom-designed, state-of-the-art FLUPSY (Floating Upwelling System). When spat reach approximately 1-3 mm in size, they are transferred to our nursery, FLUPSY. A FLUPSY contains and protects young oysters and enhances the natural upwelling of nutrients and phytoplankton in the ecosystem that oysters feed on. It also protects young oysters from predators and environmental stresses, increasing their survival success. Our nursery team tends to the oysters daily to monitor their health, condition, and growth.
Our Humboldt Farm
In May of 2022, we planted our first oysters in Humboldt Bay after securing permits to expand our farming operations. Our 27-acre farm is positioned high in the mud flats of the bay—the perfect place to grow our Hog Island Kumamoto oysters and our Pacific oyster, the Hog Island Highwater. With our hatchery, nursery and farm in a single location, we can serve up oysters that spend their entire lives in a single locale—a true Humboldt Bay merroir.
