Welcome to Willapa Wild
Founders, Farmers, and Guardians of the Long Beach Peninsula.
The Short Story
Willapa Wild is not your typical oyster farm. We are a team of former tech founders and advertising executives who traded city skylines for the tide flats of Oysterville, WA.
We came here with a simple question: Can we grow a world-class oyster while actually improving the ecosystem?
The answer was yes, but it meant doing things the hard way. It meant retiring the dredges, restoring the eelgrass, and harvesting by hand. It meant preserving the history of this town as carefully as we preserve the water quality.
Here is how we are doing it.
1. The Founders
From Boardrooms to Boat Decks
How did the founders of The Knot and Board Members of Wine Enthusiast end up in rain gear? We brought our obsession with quality and customer experience to aquaculture.
2. The Method
Why We Farm by Hand
We mothballed our heavy machinery to protect the bay floor. Our oysters are tumble-grown in suspension baskets and harvested by hand. It’s harder work, but it creates a cleaner, deep-cup oyster that is unrivaled in texture.
3. The Stewardship
Leaving the Bay Better Than We Found It
We have completed the largest privately funded eelgrass restoration in history (45 acres) and steward the largest wild population of native Olympia Oysters in the world. When you eat Willapa Wild, you are fighting climate change.
4. The Place
Guardians of Oysterville
We are proud custodians of the only oyster building on the National Historic Register (built 1921) and the oldest commercial building in Pacific County. We are committed to preserving the soul of this historic community.