From seed to harvest, we do it all.

Natural Seeding of Mussels 

We attempt to take advantage of the natural spawning cycle of the mussels in Penn Cove which peaks around the month of May each year when the water temperatures begin to climb.

In early Spring we suspend tens of thousands of fibrous lines from the mussel rafts anchored in Penn Cove. Each of our 42 rafts (40' x 80', 40' x 120', and 30' x 90' each), will hold approximately 1,300-2,400 of these mussel seed collector lines.

Hatchery Seed 

Our joint venture with the Coast Seafoods Company, America's premier oyster company, has provided for further enhancements to the mussel farming technology used in Penn Cove.

The shellfish hatchery operated by Coast Seafoods is the largest of its kind in the world. The hatchery produces Mediterranean Mussel seed to grow out in Penn Cove in order to augment the product line of Penn Cove Shellfish and to provide more consistent supplies of mussel seed throughout the year.

The natural spawning process of mussels is mimicked at our hatchery located in Quilcene, Washington. It is there where the adult mussels are fooled into spawning into tanks in the hatchery where the larvae can be fed and allowed to grow until they’re ready to set onto ropes and then move to Penn Cove for grow out.

The Mediterranean mussels being produced at the hatchery are being treated as fertilized eggs to become "triploids" which will prevent them from spawning, thereby making them marketable year round as well as prevent them from competing with the local Penn Cove Mussel.