Our oyster farm: Lone Pine Ranch

The latest milestone in our story: our own oyster farm. Since 2020, our commitment to providing the best oysters for our customers hasn't wavered, and now we have the ability to provide a product we're proud to grow ourselves.

A map illustration of the location of Lone Pine Ranch in Maine near Portland.

Maine: a special place producing some of the best oysters in the world

We love it so much, we started our own oyster farm there. Just outside of Brunswick about 45 minutes north of Portland, Lone Pine Ranch sits in the New Meadows River, in an area referred to as the Napa Valley of oysters.

Having our own farm allows us to have a stronger connection to the oyster farming community and to bring a really special product to our customers in Texas.

Austin Oyster Co. was born in Texas, and now, it’s bred in Maine.

Lone pine pearls

No grit, no pearl

Oysters can grow natively, but nowadays, they often have human help. When baby oysters or “seed” are mature enough, they’re “planted” in the ocean using different farming methods.

Our first oysters, Lone Pine Pearls, are bottom-grown on racks in cold, clean inter-tidal waters. They filter water (up to 50 gallons a day!) and eat plankton and algae for 18-24 months before they’re hand-harvested at low tide. Our farm manager, Sam, keeps a close eye on things for us.

Like a wine reflects where its grapes were grown, an oyster tastes like the water it was grown in. Lone Pine Pearls taste very briny up front, with a vegetal finish.

Two men wearing hats handling oysters in orange baskets at an oyster farm.
A close up shot of a Lone Pine Pearl oyster in the hand of an Austin Oyster Co. employee wearing branded overalls.
Two cages of oysters submerged in the ocean at an oyster farm.
A young man peering into a cage of oysters in the ocean at an oyster farm.
Many orange baskets of oysters sitting on the dock next to the ocean.
Three men on a small boat in the ocean pulling up oysters at an oyster farm.
A young man peering into a cage of oysters in the ocean at an oyster farm.
An oyster tumbling machine at the oyster farm.
A man wading in the ocean at an oyster farm.
A close up shot of a Lone Pine Pearl oyster in the hand of an Austin Oyster Co. employee wearing branded overalls.
Three men on a boat wearing overalls at an oyster farm talking.

Oysters you can’t get anywhere else

To celebrate our first oyster harvest, the Oystour 2024 kicked off the second week of September. From Portland, Maine, to Austin, Texas, chefs at some of our favorite restaurants showcased the Lone Pine Pearls on their menus.

Going forward, Lone Pine Pearls will be harvested and available in Austin throughout the year. Follow us on Instagram to see when they're available next!

Tue
10
Sep 2024
Oystour 2024: Este
Sold out
Austin, TX

Join us for Oystour 2024, our restaurant collaboration tour to celebrate our new oyster farm in Maine, Lone Pine Ranch. Our first oysters, the Lone Pine Pearls, will be featured in a special menu item for one day only at Este — no tickets needed, reservations recommended.

RSVP HERE

Wed
11
Sep 2024
Oystour 2024: Holiday
Sold out
Austin, TX

Join us for Oystour 2024, our restaurant collaboration tour to celebrate our new oyster farm in Maine, Lone Pine Ranch. Our first oysters, the Lone Pine Pearls, will be featured in a special menu item for one day only at Holiday — no tickets needed, first come, first served.

RSVP HERE

Fri
13
Sep 2024
Oystour 2024: Hestia
Sold out
Austin, TX

Join us for Oystour 2024, our restaurant collaboration tour to celebrate our new oyster farm in Maine, Lone Pine Ranch. Our first oysters, the Lone Pine Pearls, will be featured on the raw bar or in a special menu item for one day only at Hestia — no tickets needed, reservations recommended.

RSVP HERE

Sun
15
Sep 2024
Oystour 2024: Highroller Lobster Co.
Sold out
Portland, ME

Join us for Oystour 2024, our restaurant collaboration tour to celebrate our new oyster farm in Maine, Lone Pine Ranch. Our first oysters, the Lone Pine Pearls, will be featured on the raw bar at Highroller Lobster Co. for one day only — no tickets needed, first come, first served.

RSVP HERE

Tue
17
Sep 2024
Oystour 2024: Scales
Sold out
Portland, ME

Join us for Oystour 2024, our restaurant collaboration tour to celebrate our new oyster farm in Maine, Lone Pine Ranch. Our first oysters, the Lone Pine Pearls, will be featured on the raw bar at Scales for one night only — no tickets needed, reservations recommended.

RSVP HERE