Ocean Farm Supply is a sustainable packaging company that develops and distributes 100% home
compostable, biodegradable, and plastic free mesh packaging. Originally Ocean Farm Supply was founded as an oyster farm in 2017 by Eric Oransky, Willy Leathers, and Tom Klodenski. What started as an experimental lease is now a full lease covering 10 acres in Recompense Cove in Freeport with three full time farm hands.
Not long after the farm began growing oysters, the founders realized they were putting environmentally beneficial oysters into a single use plastic mesh bag that was being thrown away after just a few hours. Recognizing an industry wide problem, and accordingly a market, the team began collaborating with a manufacturer in Austria to design a home compostable shellfish harvest bag made of cellulose from European Beechwood trees.
Since their launch, it’s been steady growth powered by Maine grit, and, recently, a boost from MTI in the form of a $21,000 matching grant for a 
marketing campaign. The campaign involves development and design of a reusable shopping bag to complement the single use mesh packaging and help familiarize consumers with this home compostable, cellulose material. The project is still in progress with a design underway and an expected launch date of summer 2024. “We wouldn’t have been able to put the time and effort into this new product and marketing campaign if it weren’t for the support of MTI. We worked with Tom Kittredge who has been extremely easy to work with and a great resource for us.”
Other green initiatives on the farm include electrification and development of a data collection program to understand the short and long term trends happening in the water where we work. “We all take a holistic approach to how we are interacting with our ecosystem both upstream and downstream.”