Growing up on the Hood Canal in Washington state, Scott Grout always enjoyed sampling oysters and clams. Tempted by the promise of a more relaxing work schedule, it was to this famous export that his attention turned once more. Scott and his wife, Ginger, decided to ditch the corporate life to start Gold Coast Oyster, LLC in 2000. Seven years into growing their business, their dream became a reality with eight full-time employees maintaining and harvesting 100 leased tidelands as well as 4 acres of their own.
Oysters grow on the surface while clams sit a few inches below the sand. In both cases, as soon as the tide starts to go out, Scott, Ginger, and their team go to work. Each tidal cycle is about 6 hours, which limits work to outgoing and incoming tidal routines. The Hood Canal produces a marketable oyster in about 5 years, so a beach worked one year might not be visited again for another three. Harvesting occurs year round, although recent outbreaks of the bacteria Vibrio—which can make humans sick if consumed in raw or undercooked shellfish—has limited the team’s activity during the summer.