Why Choose "Drakes Bay Oysters"
Simply the cleanest, freshest tasting oysters. These beauties are delicious raw, bbq'd or baked.
Locally & Sustainably Grown:
We are a 4th generation Marin County farming family, completely committed to sustainable farming practices and local marketing of our oysters.
Environmentally Friendly:
At Drakes Bay Oyster Farm, we use environmentally friendly growing techniques, including an off-bottom, Japanese-inspired, “hanging culture” method. Used by less than 5% of U.S. oyster farmers, this method requires labor-intensive hand harvesting, resulting in our uniquely flavored, ultra-clean oysters.
Drakes Estero reflected in a Drakes Bay Oyster shell by local artist Andy Frasheski. See more of his work in the Farm's retail store and at frasheski.com
Unsurpassed Freshness:
We grow our oysters in the pristine waters of Drakes Estero in Marin County—only a few miles from where you’re standing right now! And because we daily harvest, shuck and pack these award-winning oysters, they have no equal in freshness.
Exceptional Water Quality:
We are the only shellfish farmer within the Point Reyes National Seashore, where a small, protected and undeveloped watershed surrounds us. Our farm contains California’s finest shellfish water quality—that’s why we are the only farm in California allowed to harvest year- round. The waters of Drakes Estero give our oysters the “taste of their place”!
Historical Significance:
Drakes Bay Oyster Farm is home to California’s last operating oyster cannery, where we have been shucking and packing our oysters on-farm for over 70 years. In choosing Drakes Bay oysters, you are helping to preserve a precious piece of California’s history.
Oysters rank as "Best Choice" on Seafood Watch Guide- The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Guide says that it is important to buy seafood that is abundant, well managed, and farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Domestically-grown and farmed oysters like thosed raised by Drakes Bay Family Farms are reccommended by the Seafood Watch Guide as "best choices" for consumers.
