The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 hit oyster farmers in the Chesapeake Bay hard. When restaurants around the region were closing their doors, our partners in the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance and the Maryland Shellfish Growers Network were figuring out new ways to bring the tasty bivalve to your plate, stepping up their delivery and pickup programs to get oysters directly to you!

You can continue to get your oysters from a local company that is helping to save the Bay. See our map or list below for Virginia and Maryland farms where you can find Chesapeake Bay oysters for sale.

Love oysters but aren’t sure how to shuck your own? Want to know the “proper” way to eat an oyster? See our videos below.

Where to Buy Chesapeake Bay-Farmed Oysters

Virginia Oyster Farms

• Big Island Aquaculture (Hayes, VA): Email Bruce Vogt directly to order.
• Chessie Seafood York River Oysters (Wicomico, VA): Email owner and grower Tommy Leggett (put “oyster” in the subject line) directly to order for shipping or pickup (without contact) at his home in Gloucester County, Virginia.
• Full Measure Oyster Farm (Hacksneck, VA): Oysters are available at the locations below.
  • Portsmouth Old Town Market in Portsmouth, VA on Saturday’s
  • Quail Cove Farms in Machipongo, VA. Call ahead: 757-678-1275
  • Mallard’s at the Wharf in Onancock, VA. Call ahead: 757-787-8558
  • Other select pick up locations on the Eastern Shore announced on their Facebook page, pre-orders accepted.
• Lambert Shellfish (Machipongo, VA): Overnight FedEx delivery, local delivery, and pickup available.
• Rogue Oysters (Lancaster, VA): Deliveries available on or near the Northern Neck. You can also purchase a gift card or order directly on their website.
• Sapidus Farms (Wicomico Church, VA): Email farmer Mike directly to order.

Maryland Oyster Farms

• Double T Oyster Ranch (Tall Timbers, MD): order via Facebook or through Instagram @TT_Oyster.
• Hollywood Oyster Company (Hollywood, MD): Order directly from their website.
• Hoopers Island Oyster Co. (Cambridge, MD): Oysters and shucked pints may be ordered online for pick up Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. or by appointment at their retail location, 837 Chesapeake Drive, Cambridge, Maryland. Oysters and shucked pints are also available at Emily’s Produce and at the Easton Farmers Market.
• Orchard Point Oyster Co. (Stevensville, MD): Orchard Point is working with The Retriever Bar in Chestertown as a pickup spot for their oysters, as well as their office in Stevensville. Cold shipping via FedEx/UPS is also available to most of the East Coast. Learn more and shop in their Shuck Shop.
• VanAlstine Seafood and Farm (Dunkirk, MD): Order via phone 443-223-3433 for on-farm pickup.

Recycle Those Oyster Shells

The dozens of Maryland and Virginia restaurants that participate in CBF’s shell recycling program save empty oyster shells after meals, which are picked up by volunteers and brought to shell collection bins. These empty shells are cleaned and eventually become homes for the baby oysters that attach to them. CBF restoration experts plant the shells and baby oysters on sanctuary reefs off-limits to harvest. You can help bring back oysters in the Chesapeake by dropping off your empty shells at designated bins around Maryland and Virginia. They’ll eventually form homes for oysters, crabs, and fish on a new sanctuary reef. Check our current lists of shell recycling locations.

How to Shuck (and Eat!) an Oyster

Learn how to shuck and savor a Chesapeake Bay oyster! Who better to teach you than the pros.

Learn to Shuck with the Oyster Ninja

Gardner Douglas (a.k.a. “The Oyster Ninja”) is a nationally ranked oyster shucker.

How to Shuck an Oyster with Champion Oyster Shucker Deborah Pratt

Deborah Pratt is known the world over for her speedy shucking. She’s traveled the globe to attend—and win—shucking competitions and has even been featured in Southern Living magazine.

The Proper Way to Eat an Oyster

Johnny Shockley, founding partner at Hoopers Island Oyster Co., knows the oyster biz in and out. He knows a thing or two about how to best enjoy a raw oyster!