Filling the gap in small seed supply for hobby farmers & oyster growers located in the Middle Peninsula: Mathews, Gloucester, Middlesex.
ORDERS OF 25,000 SEED & LESS
Inquiries have increased for small seed orders on our website, so we've decided to try and help temporarily fill small seed order gaps in our area for hobby farmers.
If you are a small scale or hobby oyster grower located in the Middle Peninsula area, (Mathews, Gloucester & Middlesex) and need to place a seed order between 1,000 and 25,000 seed, please find more information below. If you are an oyster farm with an order of 25,000 or more, you are in the wrong place and need to place your seed order here.
How it works
Oyster Seed Holdings will host a Mid Pen Growers Seed Pickup days on June 8 and July 11, 2025 at our location at 425 Callis Wharf Road, Grimstead, VA 23064.
The pickup window will be during The Hatchery Food Truck's Operating Hours, 12pm to 5pm on Sunday, June 8 & Sunday, July 11. Oyster Farmers must make their orders in advance using our online order form where they will select their quantity, diploid or triploid, their desired pickup date, contact & payment information. Registrants will receive email confirmation of their order and instructions for the event.
Select your Pickup Date
Select your Quantity & between Triploid or Diploid
Pay online
ABOUT US
Oyster Seed Holdings, Inc. strives to be a premier supplier of high quality oyster seed serving the entire shellfish aquaculture industry. We have been providing oyster seed to farms up and down the East Coast for over 15 years from Maine to Florida.
We have taken a deliberately independent approach with no grow-out operations and remain dedicated to providing customers with healthy, disease-resistant larvae and seed. Our team is constantly working to innovate commercial production, ensuring that we remain at the cutting edge of shellfish culture.
FAQ's for the Mid Pen Growers Program
What is a "Mid Pen Grower?"
A Middle Peninsula Grower is someone who raises oyster seed as a hobby, or on a smaller capacity of 25,000 seed or less at a time. They live and raise their oysters in the rivers, bays and creeks of Middlesex, Mathews and Gloucester Counties.
What if I don't live on the Middle Peninsula?
TOGA has an online excellent seed supply list of seed suppliers in the Tidewater Region. Please reach out to a supplier within your area. Oyster Seed Holdings is choosing to serve the Middle Peninsula only to temporarily fill a small seed supply gap for our community.
What is the largest size available?
Oyster Seed Holdings only grows sizes up to 6mm retained, which just falls shy of 1/4 inch. (Retained means that we recommend you growing them in a mesh bag or gear that is 4mm or less. We do not supply gear, and we recommend TOGA and East Coast Oyster Growers Association for any grow out questions and strategies.
What stock do you sell and can I pick?
We give growers the choice between diploid and triploid oysters, however, we cannot provide options for broodstock at this time. Growers will be provided whichever broodstock is healthiest and available. Another reason we are only serving the Middle Peninsula is because of broodstock salinity tolerance. In the lower salinity regions, growers have higher success rate using any of our Virginia broodstocks, while higher salinity areas require certain broodstock that we cannot guarantee are in inventory .
Oyster Hatchery Tour & Tasting
2025 Dates:
May 2nd, 16th, 30th
June 13th, 27th
July 11th, 25th
August 8th
Times:
5pm, 5:30pm, 6pm
6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm
Every other Friday from May through August, visitors can experience a tour and tasting experience at Oyster Seed Holdings to see how farm-raised oysters get their start. Guests will start with a 30 minute immersive tour of our facility - one of the largest producers of oyster seed on the East Coast!
Tickets include a serving of raw or cooked oysters paired with white wines at our water side oyster eatery, The Hatchery Food Truck, while enjoying views of Milford Haven at Callis Wharf. Stay for awhile after and order some dinner, or book an added Oyster Farm Tour excursion below!
Oyster Farm
Charter
2025 Dates:
May 2nd, 16th, 30th
June 27th
July 11th, 25th
August 8th
Times:
5pm, 5:30pm, 6pm
6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm
The Hatchery partners with Capt. Trey Sowers with Mathews Deadrise Charters to offer aquaculture experiences and charters from our location at Callis Wharf!
Now you can take your oyster experience one step further by booking a boat charter that takes off from our floating dock. Learn about how oysters are raised to adult size by visiting a local farm on the Milford Haven.
Boat charters can accommodate groups up to 6.