Shellfish Farming in Olympia, Washington

Chelsea Farms first made their mark on Olympia’s map in 1987 when Linda and John Lentz started their adventures in sustainable shellfish farming. Their legacy continues under the management of the next generation, Shina Wysocki And Kyle Lentz.

Chelsea, meaning Port of Ships, was the chosen name for the company. This was the name of founding owner, John Lentz’s tugboat for geoduck diving in Olympia, Washington and also a comical gesture towards the size of their boat during their early operations, not comparable to a ship. The Lentz’s have always practiced organic sustainable farming with an environmental obligation to the South Sound and Pacific Northwest as a whole. The continual progress seen through the years from Chelsea Farms could not be more evident in the community.

Chelsea Farms: A Family Shellfish Farm

John Lentz & Linda Lentz worked as pioneers of geoduck farming and tide-tumbled pacific oysters, Chelsea Gems. Today, we enjoy farming the Olympia oysters and geoduck, both native species that are part of the legacy of shellfish in south Puget Sound. We also farm Pacific oysters, Kumamoto oysters, and Manila Clams.

Chelsea Farms is a proud member with Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association. Kyle Lentz has served on the board representing his family farm for over a decade. Sustainable farming is a key aspect to keeping the water clean. Shellfish farmers work to educate the public about the importance of water quality, for the health of our estuaries and to grow delicious shellfish.

The shellfish Chelsea Farms grow in Eld, Totten, Henderson Inlets and Harstine Island are part of the vibrant ecosystem in South Sound and provide local jobs in Thurston and Mason County. Farm Manager, Shina Wysocki, takes pride in operating a small-scale farm with no warehouse, where farmers are treated as family. Our stable team means we can refine our product, truly making it a “boutique shellfish farm.”

At this time we do not offer public farm tours.