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 is being continued now by their children, 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

Chelsea Farms is a current working model of environmental sustainability. John Lentz & Linda Lentz worked in pioneering geoduck farming and tide tumbled oysters, Chelsea Gems. We have made a priority of farming the Olympia Oyster and geoduck, both native species that are part of the legacy of shellfish in south Puget Sound.

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 grows on Eld, Totten, Henderson Inlets and Hartstine Island create a natural eco-system for the South Sound and provides local jobs in Thurston county. Job development belongs to a set of community ethics we at Chelsea Farms holds on high standards. Farm Manager, Shina Wysocki, takes pride in operating on a small scale farm with no warehouse, where farmers are treated as family. With a small operation, the farm can refine their oysters, truly making it a “boutique shellfish farm.” At this time we do not offer public farm tours.