True Chesapeake is built on connection—from the waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the people, farms, businesses and organizations that help make our work possible.
We’re proud to work alongside a growing network of local partners who share our commitment to Chesapeake Bay, sustainable food, local agriculture and a stronger community.
From the oysters we grow to the ingredients we source, the people we collaborate with and the organizations we support, these partnerships help tell the bigger story of True Chesapeake.
Local Food, Farms & Drink
- True Blue: A proud member of Maryland’s True Blue program since 2019. Every crab dish we serve is made with Maryland blue crab, never imported.
- Moon Valley Farm
- Falls Road Mushroom Co.
- Roseda Beef
- Thread Coffee Roasters: Our featured espresso.
- Old Westminster Winery: We hosted the launch party for “Brine,” a Maryland wine made to pair with oysters, and ran the raw bar for the grand opening of their Burnt Hill vineyard.
- Peabody Heights Brewery: We brewed the True Chesapeake Oyster Stout together, and their Old Oriole Park and Mr. Trash Wheel IPA are always on our taps.
Community
- Greater Goods Eco-Market at Whitehall Mill: We bring over 70 local makers and entrepreneurs to our restaurant 4 times a year
- United Way of Central Maryland: Dine United
- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: Sponsor of Passion for Food And Wine annual event since 2019
- Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce: Community Pillar Award (Recipient 2024)
Bay Restoration & Environment
- Oyster Recovery Partnership: Shell recycling partner since 2019; the #2 oyster-recycling restaurant in the Mid-Atlantic in 2025.
- Friends of the Jones Falls: Sponsor of the annual Jones Falls River clean-up.
- The Nature Conservancy: Participant in TNC’s SOAR program.
Farm Standards & Traceability
- MRAG Americas: Independent annual audit of our farm for best practices and safety.
- Blue Trace: Tag-level traceability that backs our single-source promise. Every oyster we sell comes from our farm alone; we never re-sell other farms’ oysters under our brand.
- IMET (Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology): Samples oysters from our St. Jerome Creek farm every quarter for health monitoring and research.
- Oyster Seed Holdings: Our seed source; every True Chesapeake oyster starts here.
Licensed, Monitored & Inspected By
- Maryland DNR: Issues our three water-column oyster leases in St. Jerome Creek.
- Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE): Samples the water quality at our farm every week.
- Maryland Department of Health (MDH): Health inspections and shellfish certification.
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA): Health inspections.
Industry & Growth Support
- USDA: Recipient of a Value Added Producer Grant.
- MARBIDCO: Loan program that helped launch our farm in 2010.
- SUSTA: Representing U.S. seafood abroad at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona.
Retail, Distribution & Export
- JJ McDonnell: Our exclusive distributor since 2013 – over 10 million oysters sold together.
- Whole Foods Market
- Graul’s Market: Holiday oyster pre-order pickup.
- MOM’s Organic Market (Hampden): Holiday oyster pre-order pickup
- Eddie’s of Roland Park: Holiday oyster pre-order pickup
- Misty Valley Farms: Holiday oyster pre-order pickup