Hog Island Oyster Company is in the process of purchasing 250 acres of ranchland across the highway from its Marshall headquarters.
In a preliminary application submitted to the county, the company outlined plans to develop less than five percent of the ranch for both aquaculture operations and sustainable agriculture education programs, while dedicating the rest to agriculture.
“Over the years, we’ve outgrown our site at the water for production and visitor scenarios,” John Finger, a co-owner of the company, said. “We want to accommodate some growth to move [the company] forward.”
Hog Island currently leases 160 acres of Tomales Bay and sells over five million oysters, Manila clams and mussels annually.
Mr. Finger said plans for the ranch, now owned by Tomales resident Jennie Leali, include the construction of two buildings. One would be fitted for employees with a lunch room, locker room, commercial kitchen and an employee parking lot. (He noted that a parking lot could conflict with the property’s zoning, but that he and his partner, Terry Sawyer, wanted to at least put out the idea.) The other building would be used as a sorting and processing area for shellfish and would house an office.
The ranch would provide space for shellfish growing equipment, cold storage, filtered seawater tanks and vehicle storage, but the vast majority of the land will be focused on agriculture, in particular row crops—chard, garlic, onions, potatoes and artichokes grown with dry-farming techniques, and sheep. Oyster shell waste captured during the sorting process would be used for compost.
Education programs would be centered around sustainable agriculture. “We’re believers that to be competitive in agriculture, tourism is valuable, but it all has to be in a balance,” Mr. Finger said.
The pre-application outlines the construction of a 2,500-square-foot single-family residence for a property manager or family. The occupant would be the primary caretaker of the agricultural operation and would manage the dry farming.
The proposal also includes small dorm units, with up to five bed and breakfast-type rooms for people participating in internships, farm tours, seminars and cooking classes and dinners. These structures would be designed and constructed using sustainable or alternative materials.
“We want…to keep the ranch economically viable. We threw it all into a big hopper to see how to make it all work,” Mr. Finger said.
The East Shore Planning Group declined to comment until after their members discuss the application.
Hog Island already has a presence on the Leali Ranch, where it converted a barn into a dry storage area that also serves as a toolshed. The idea of acquiring the ranch arose four years ago, and Mr. Finger said he has been coordinating with the family since then “about what’s the right time for Jennie and her daughters,” he said. “And this is the right time.”
Hog Island’s past plans have been met with some resistance in recent years. In 2013, the company applied for a coastal permit to build a well on the Leali Ranch. The proposal was criticized by neighbors who feared the well could strain the limited groundwater supply, including a group of 16 families who drew water from a single well on the property. The project was eventually completed, and Hog Island continues to draw from the well today.
Mr. Finger said the company’s relationship with the neighbor group has been going “very well.” “I think we learned a lot [from the experience]; we’re no longer young bucks,” he said. “Of course, when we do something, people are going to notice.” He added that Hog Island has offered multiple community potlucks to encourage open
communication.
“To be honest, we don’t need a 250-acre ranch,” he said. “We’re huge supporters of A-60 zoning and the Marin Agricultural Land Trust. We’re intent on keeping it one big parcel of land. We view ourselves as part of the community—we’ve been there for 33 years!”
But, he added, “we realize some people might be concerned; we’ve grown into a big business. But we want to reach out. And we’re not going to be [developing] this out in the next year, this is going to be a multi-year process.”
In 2015, Hog Island became a B Corporation, a certification of for-profit companies that meet standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. Mr. Finger said the Leali Ranch expansion would continue the company’s vision.
“If you want to be around for a long, long time you have to look that far ahead,” Mr. Finger said. “Getting people into agriculture—that’s what this is really about. The long-term vision is about building a 100-year-old company, and this is a strong element for keeping us here.”
Further north, Hog Island is undertaking the construction of a hatchery in Humboldt Bay. Mr. Finger said that for the past two years the company has been working to erect a 11,000-square-foot building and repurpose a 330-foot pier. The goal is to have a hatchery, nursery and farm in Humboldt Bay to help diversify the company’s product.