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Earlier this fall, a crew of Free Fly ambassadors set off on the ultimate East Coast road trip, exploring North Carolina’s Outer Banks and all the area has to offer: Prime conditions. Firing waves. Fresh seafood and of course, a touch of Southern hospitality.
To cap off the journey, we were lucky enough to spend a day with Conor and Alyssa MacNair of N. SEA Oyster Co., a family-run operation just outside Topsail, North Carolina. The founders took us along on a typical day on the farm, followed by one of their classic “Shuck & Chill” events, a twice-weekly hang where the community can come together, shuck some oysters, and connect face-to-face with the folks who grew them.
Oysters are in Conor’s blood. His uncle, John Finger, founded California’s Hog Island Oyster Company, where Conor's own passion began around the age of 9. It was his uncle who pushed him out onto his first wave, and of course, gave him his first oyster. That taste was quickly followed by a crash course in oyster ecology: “[My uncle] really drove into me that if you want to surf and fish and enjoy this environment we love, you have to focus on this organism,” Conor says.
Today, this mindset is central to N. SEA Oyster Co., which Conor went on to found with his wife Alyssa. “80% of the world's oyster reefs are extinct,” he says. “North Carolina alone has lost 87% of its wild oyster population over the last two centuries, leaving just 13% of historical levels. We grow oysters that have an entirely positive impact on that population and this crucial environment.”
The team is focused on growing what is not only a truly regenerative product, but a damn good one. “We want to have the number one southern oyster on raw bar menus across the nation,” Conor says. Alyssa backs him up: “Oysters give you such an amazing sense of place when you eat them. We can really change someone’s opinion about what a Southern oyster can be.”
Since 2017, the farm has grown from a half-acre sublease to over 30 acres of legacy leases, purchased directly from commercial fishermen exiting the industry. N. SEA’s acreage is staggered around the shallowest bays, channels, and inlets of Topsail, where the constantly beating tides and skinny barrier islands offer optimal locations for growing some of the nation's best oysters. The MacNairs have perfected a signature “tide-tumbling” growing method, balancing forces of nature and nurture to yield the perfect East Coast oyster. Each year, N. SEA plants millions of shellfish, working with the local environment to yield a bounty of their famed Dukes of Topsail and illustrious Divine Pine oysters.
But just as much magic happens on land. Dubbed the Oyster Barn, N. SEA’s HQ is a true community hub, where the team hosts free kids classes, local advocacy groups, and regular Shuck & Chill gatherings.
“An oyster reef provides shelter for over 90% of local marine life at some point in its lifetime,” Conor says. “Our 'why' is simple: to do the exact same thing for our community. We don't just grow oysters. We build an ecosystem, uplifting our team, supporting our neighbors, and ensuring we leave these waters and this coast far better than we found them."
The founders make a point of having their farmers on hand for as many as these nights as possible, offering education as well as camaraderie. “We really love to have a farmer there telling the story,” Alyssa says. The MacNair kids are often kicking it, too. “We hope to build something that we can pass down to them one day,” she adds. “So we try to make sure they're involved, showing them, look, we're bringing the community together. We're teaching people how to eat oysters.”
As the “ber” months unfold, coastal North Carolina is in its prime, and the Macnairs don’t miss a second of “locals’ summer.” Angled on a southeast tilt, Topsail catches the brunt of autumn swells while keeping the winds offshore. Fall brings heavier surf, bigger tides, and crisp air. “The oysters feel it,” Conor explains. “With those full tides and that sudden burst of cooler weather, they know, ‘My time to feed and build fat is now.’ It’s their last big push before January, when the water dips below 50 degrees and the farm goes dormant.”
With oysters and surf at their peak, it’s hard to imagine a better place to be. “Where we are is just the perfect mesh of land meets sea,” Alyssa says. “People have a lot of pride in our state, in our hospitality. It's just a sense of friendliness, of everybody coming together to enjoy a meal. It’s why we open our doors, we're all just here to share an experience together.”
Plotting your own Outer Banks tour? You can drop in on the Oyster Barn for a classic Shuck & Chill on Fridays from 3PM-8PM, and Saturdays from 12PM-6PM (but be sure to check the site for up-to-date hours).
