Seth Gambill and Amy Bellaire launched Big Tree Oysters farm in Rockport, Texas to restore coastal cultivation
Surveying the bottom of the seabed as a marine hydrographer gave Seth Gambill a key tool when his wife, Amy Bellaire, decided to launch Big Tree Oysters. Having an intimate understanding of the waterways surrounding Rockport, Texas, helped the couple identify exactly the right spot to place their farming equipment. “Getting out of the wind was a big deal for us,” Gambill says. “There are very few spots on the bay you can put a farm and even fewer that offer you shelter from the wind.”
Both Bellaire and Gambill grew up in Rockport and have dedicated their lives to the waterfront; Bellaire as a conservation biologist who previously worked for the Nature Conservancy; Gambill in private surveying as well as boat building. They watched for decades as their region’s wild oystering industry went from declining to nonexistent, which has affected the seafood industry as well as the local, 40-plus-year-old annual Fulton Oysterfest.
And then, in 2021, Texas began issuing permits for oyster cultivation along the coast. “We thought, this could be an amazing opportunity to make sure that oysters continue to be part of this community and the ecosystem and our culture,” Bellaire says. With their combined skills, they decided to make a go of it.
They received their permits in 2023 and spent the first year and a half learning every aspect of farming—finding the site, going through the permitting process, installing gear. “As we moved through the process and saw how it worked, we said, ‘If at any point we need to stop and turn back, we will.’ And we haven’t yet,” Bellaire says.
This past spring, they hired their first crew members and aim to harvest around 300,000 oysters this year, many of which are sold directly to restaurants like Southerleigh Fine Food in San Antonio and Dai Due in Austin.
By its existence alone, the Big Tree oyster farm is giving back. “The other day, a neighbor yelled over to us that it was the trout fishing capital of the world. They’re cheering us on,” Bellaire says. “The benefits are multifold. It really is a conservation solution.”
Chef Aaron Juvera at Southerleigh in San Antonio is probably the best at picking up on the nuances of our oysters. He calls them bright and clean, with grassy notes, high salinity, and a silky finish.”
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Erin Byers Murray
Erin Byers Murray has been digging into stories about food and wine for more than twenty years. Based in Nashville, she is the editor-in-chief of The Local Palate and has authored or co-authored half a dozen books, including deep dives into oysters and grits, as well as several cookbooks. Her work has been published in multiple publications, including Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, the Boston Globe, and three editions of Best Food Writing.
