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The Port Madison Community Shellfish Farm (PMCSF), operating since 2010, is located on the pristine Bloedel Reserve tidelands on Bainbridge Island. As a small, volunteer-supported farm, the PMCSF seeks to directly connect locals to the benefits of a healthy watershed through its CSA (community supported aquaculture) program. This is achieved by community members growing, tending, harvesting and eating oysters right from our own beaches.
Oysters are a tasty and festive way to eat healthy: loaded with zinc, calcium, iron and also a super source for protein and omega-3 fatty acids. More important though, growing these bivalve shellfish has many environmental benefits, including improved water quality, increased species diversity and eelgrass growth. Vigorously feeding on microalgae in the water column, a single oyster can filter 20 gallons of seawater a day removing excess nitrogen and improving clarity and light penetration. Oysters provide benthic stabilization for seagrasses and habitat structure for refuge and a place to feed for juvenile fish, crabs and other invertebrates. Shellfish can be part of the solution to restoring Puget Sound. We believe this positive connection between you, your environment and your dinner plate is the key to active and enjoyable shoreline stewardship.
Since the inaugural 2010 season, CSA membership to the PMCSF has increased every year as more Bainbridge Island residents are building a connection to their marine resources and renewing their commitment to clean water and healthy shorelines. During the 2017 season we harvested nearly 1400 dozen oysters for 70 loyal CSA members and other local events. Volunteers certainly had their work cut out for them in 2017 contributing 234 total work hours to the farm tending, sorting, bagging and hauling oysters. We aim to enroll 80 CSA members in 2018!
Thank you to all who have supported the farm by purchasing memberships, volunteering during farm seeding and harvests, and slurping the delicious oysters that are the result of our efforts to protect and maintain great water quality and healthy beaches surrounding Port Madison and Bainbridge Island. All farm proceeds go back into local water quality and habitat improvement projects!
The Port Madison Community Shellfish Farm crew is looking forward to the 2018 harvest season with anticipation; mouths are watering for more of the sweet and delicate, tasty bounty of oysters. As a CSA member of the PMCSF, you can choose from three different membership levels described below. CSA members will be provided with five oyster orders throughout the season ready for pick up at the Puget Sound Restoration Fund office. As a member you are invited and encouraged to volunteer for at least one harvest per year. This includes visiting the farm, collecting, sorting and bagging oysters and partaking in the fun of growing and eating local shellfish! Regular emails will be sent from the farm manager throughout the season with updates and announcements on harvests and other work parties.
Memberships for our CSA program at the Port Madison Community Shellfish Farm in 2018 are now sold out! Please contact josh@restorationfund.org for more information. We look forward to sharing the “Port Madison Petites” with you this year!
Membership Details
Membership Level |
Dozen/Harvest |
Cost/Dozen |
# of Pick Ups |
Membership Cost |
Oysters/Year |
1 |
2 |
$10 |
5 |
$100 |
120 |
2 |
4 |
$10 |
5 |
$200 |
240 |
3 |
6 |
$10 |
5 |
$300 |
360 |
Event |
Date (Fridays) |
Harvest Time |
Oyster Pick Up Time |
Collection Location (PSRF Office) |
CSA Harvest |
March 23, 2018 |
3:00pm - 5:30pm |
After 6:00pm |
382 Wyatt Way NE, Bainbridge |
CSA Harvest |
April 20, 2018 |
1:00pm - 4:30pm |
After 5:00pm |
382 Wyatt Way NE, Bainbridge |
CSA Harvest |
May 18, 2018 |
Noon - 3:30pm |
After 4:00pm |
382 Wyatt Way NE, Bainbridge |
CSA Harvest |
June 15, 2018 |
10:30am - 3:00pm |
After 4:00pm |
382 Wyatt Way NE, Bainbridge |
CSA Harvest |
July 13, 2018 |
9:30am - 1:30pm |
After 3:00pm |
382 Wyatt Way NE, Bainbridge |
For more information about PMCSF and related projects or to get involved, please contact josh@restorationfund.org>
Our Oyster-Give-Away Program is a related project aimed to address pollution that affects local harvest. Step up to get your septic systems inspected and maintained and we will salute you with FREE OYSTERS for helping to improve water quality conditions in the Sound. More information about the program HERE.
The oysters will be distributed come spring, but don’t hesitate to schedule the inspection now. Time has a way of getting away from us. The Port Madison Community Shellfish Farm is alive and well thanks to continued awareness and actions people are taking to maintain and improve local waters. This program is intended to provide tasty incentives for addressing water quality issues. Contact josh@restorationfund.org for more information. Please join us!
Thanks to Kitsap Public Health District, the Bloedel Reserve, and PMCSF CSA members for making the Oyster-Give-Away Program possible.
Thanks to the help and support of our community, project partners, volunteers and farm members, we have accomplished the following PMCSF related milestones between 2010-2015:
Click the play button below to listen to a podcast Betsy Peabody did on the PMCSF with BCB (Bainbridge Community Broadcasting).