A piece of perpetually protected farmland in Mattituck is now home to a new farm: West Robins Oyster Company.
The 15-acre property stretching along New Suffolk Avenue was acquired by the Peconic Land Trust in July 2022. The farmland — at risk of becoming seven residential lots — was purchased from the Koehler family with the help of the Southold community, who donated nearly $670,000 to ensure the preservation of the land. The project took a year and a half to accomplish.
This past summer, the Trust sold the property to Will Peckham of West Robins Oyster Company.
“As the land was protected as agriculture, it was exciting to see a proposal that included putting the land back into production and in the hands of a farmer interested in cultivating the land and water,” said John v.H. Halsey, President of Peconic Land Trust. “The Trust is not only dedicated to conserving farmland but also to ensuring that the business of farming survives for the benefit of our communities.”
Will Peckham and Walker Lourie founded West Robins Oyster Company in 2016 at Fisher Island’s Isabella Beach. Their farm and shellfish processing facility is located just west of Robins Island, on a historic oyster plant that dates back to 1884.
“We started this company with the goal to produce the best oyster possible that we could in New York State while simultaneously improving water quality and generating all of the positive benefits that shellfish aquaculture has,” said Peckham.
Oysters are largely beneficial to the marine environment, especially throughout Peconic Bay. The shellfish, which are filter feeders, remove excess waste from the water that could otherwise contribute to harmful algae blooms. The oysters integrate phosphorus and nitrogen into their shells rather than allowing these elements to further damage the surrounding ecosystem.
“This creek has a high nitrogen load due to the nearby residential septic systems,” explained Peckham. “So the oysters we grow will incorporate nitrogen into their shells and oyster meat, and then we take those seed oysters, causing a net positive effect on the ecosystem.”
Peckham responded to the Trust’s Request for Proposals earlier this summer with a plan to put 12.2 acres of that farmland back into agricultural production. As a mariculture farm, West Robins Oyster Co. was searching for opportunities to grow and further support oyster cultivation while improving the water quality of the nearby Deep Hole Creek, as well as expanding into terrestrial farming.
West Robins primarily retails on the South Fork as of now. They are excited to move their reach to the North Fork and connect with the surrounding farming communities. They hope to soon collaborate with local farmers as their terrestrial agriculture aspect of the new property.
“We want to thank Peconic Land Trust, the town of Southold, and all the community members who donated to this project as well as the sellers who gave us the opportunity,” added Peckham. “West Robins has been around for seven years now, but most of our operations have been on the South Fork, so we’re really looking forward to introducing ourselves and becoming a part of the North Fork community.”
Find more information about the Peconic Land Trust here and where you can currently purchase West Robins Oyster Company here.
