The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Homeowners with tideland who would like to start their own shellfish gardens and help keep the Willapa clean in the process will have an opportunity to purchase oyster, clam, mussel and geoduck “seed”. A shellfish seed sale for the public will be held at the Taylor Shellfish Farms Willapa Location at 3201 Bay Ave, Ocean Park from 9 a.m. to noon on May 31.

The shellfish seed sale is timed to coincide with the lowest minus tides so seed buyers can plant their tideland gardens the same day the seed is purchased. Instructions for growing your own shellfish will be available. Different species, beach slopes and bottom types require different “gardening” strategies. Taylor experts will be on hand to answer questions. Seed customers are advised to bring a cooler and moist newspaper for seed transport. Oyster seed is pre-bagged in 1000 count bags. Clam and mussel seed are scooped at the time of purchase. Geoduck are sold by the each.

What started out as a one-day sale to furnish seed to a few neighbors who wanted to grow their own shellfish in 2001 has turned into multiple popular seed sales at Shelton, Quilcene and Samish Bay. Since 2001, over 3700 Puget Sound tideland owners have purchased shellfish seed. Listening to seed buyers in line talking about their shellfish progeny is like listing to proud pre-school parents discussing their kids. Lots of happy stories to share.

The baby bivalves get their start as microscopic free-swimming larva at Taylor’s state-of-the-art hatcheries in Quilcene and Kona, Hawaii. When an oyster larva has “set” on a dust-sized grain of ground oyster shell, it becomes “spat”. When a spat reaches the fingernail size, it has become “seed” and is ready to put out in the “wild” to feed on its own. The process is the same for Manila clams and geoduck except they do not attach themselves. Manila clam, Mediterranean mussel and geoduck seed is a quarter to a half inch and oyster seed a half inch or larger.

"As filter feeders, molluscan shellfish help clean water by removing excess nutrients”, says Bill Taylor of Taylor Shellfish Farms. “The more people who are growing and eating their own shellfish, the more people we have involved with our water quality."

For further information on the Willapa seed sale contact Taylor Seed Sale Coordinator Dave DeAndre 360-426-6178 daved@taylorshellfish.com or http://www.taylorshellfish.com.