Conor and Alyssa MacNair of N. Sea. Oyster Farm grow and harvest Dukes out of Topsail, North
Conor MacNair was about nine years old when his uncle, John Finger, gave him an oyster to eat and shortly after, pushed him out to surf his first wave. Finger is the founder and owner of Hog Island Oyster Company, one of the West Coast’s long-established, well-respected oyster farms. His point to Conor that day: Oysters support a healthy ocean. When we support and grow oysters, we support healthy waters that we can continue to enjoy. “That moment has stuck with me forever,” Conor says.
It also crystallized his vision for the future: Working on the ocean. Having an uncle who runs an uber-successful oyster farm gave him a roadmap for how he wanted to do it; he saw an opportunity studying oceanography through the University of North Carolina-Wilmington where he got together with his now-wife Alyssa (the two originally met when they were kids). Just as the couple was coming out of college, the state started opening up opportunities for shellfish leases. “It all just pushed us in the right direction,” Conor says.
“[Conor’s] passion is what drove me,” Alyssa adds. “He was really adamant that you could make it in life as a farmer. And that if we dive really deep into this, we could build something amazing.”
The couple launched their farm, N. SEA. Oyster Co., in 2017, just south of Topsail, North Carolina, a long barrier island that hugs the coast north of Wilmington. N. SEA.’s lease sits along the intracoastal waterway, protected by Lea-Hutaff Island where daily tides provide a decent amount of salinity and wave action to tumble the oysters, which toughens up both the shells and the meat. Oyster fans will find N. SEA.’s Dukes of Topsail on menus around the Carolinas and beyond most of the year; occasionally, they also harvest Divine Pines, which are a rare, green-gilled oyster that only make an appearance every few seasons. Their homebase sits close to the marsh’s edge in Hampstead and is lovingly called The Oyster Barn, where fans will find a rustic, on-site oyster bar where they host Shuck & Chill events on the weekends and open up the doors to the public to come and learn about farming.
“The Oyster Barn is similar to an oyster reef,” Conor says. Much like a reef draws in and acts as an anchor for other marine life, the Barn has become a community hub where, he says, “we have the ability to host people and events and to educate people. We welcome kids, we raise money and awareness here. It really bolsters our local community. Just like oysters, we’re providing that crucial foundation for everything to be built around it.”
Part of the Shuck & Chill experience might be a Marsh Madness day where Conor invites kids of all ages over to get their hands dirty learning about how the farm operates and the local ecology. The MacNair’s own kids, Finn and Sage, are usually on hand, the grills are fired up so guests can char-grill their own oysters, beers and wine are on the table, and there’s plenty of space to relax and unwind. “Shuck & Chill is our tide-to-table experience where you can enjoy fresh oysters right off of our farm. It’s like our slow, no-wake zone where you can celebrate oysters and farming and North Carolina-grown food,” Alyssa says.
It’s also a chance to take part in the MacNair’s lifestyle, which is more than just about farming—it’s about wrapping community into everything they touch. Deeply embedded in both the ecology of their surroundings and with the locals they feed and nourish, the MacNairs are working hard to leave this corner of North Carolina better off than they found it.
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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.
