Ask any local when is oyster season on the Outer Banks, and they will tell you it’s simple – any month ending in “R.” But did you know that North Carolina and Virginia are experiencing a boom in oyster farming operations? This means that not only can you find oysters at peak flavor surrounding the wild harvest season (November through March) but you can enjoy farm-raised oysters fresh from the water all year long. In fact author Rowan Jacobsen has said that North Carolina could be the “Napa Valley of oysters” one day, thanks to our unique geography and variety of water conditions.
Inventing a Better Oyster
No, the oysters you’ve been eating aren’t GMO – don’t worry. But you can develop a better oyster through the process of breeding and farming. Oysters get their flavor from the water they grow in, which is why some oysters are salty and others have a buttery flavor. There’s a great backstory on how the oyster industry was essentially saved in the Chesapeake area and the differences between wild-caught (diploid) vs farmed (triploid) oysters, you can read about it here. Through farming processes like tumbling, oyster farmers can develop deeper “cups” on their oysters as well, making for a better structured oyster.
Oyster Farming on the Outer Banks
The industry is certainly growing here, with multiple oyster farm operations starting up over the past decade. If you’ve been to a restaurant or fish market and found “Hatteras Salts” or “Bodie Island” on a menu, those are grown right here on the Outer Banks. The Bodie Island oysters are grown by Joey Daniels, via the Wanchese Fish Company. Hatteras Salts are grown in Buxton via the Cape Hatteras Oyster Co. Several other local oyster farming operations are in their nascent stages, but will be producing millions of oysters per year in a few years. There are several benefits to the growing oyster farming industry on the Outer Banks – the oysters filter the water making it cleaner, jobs for former fishermen or those with water leases, and they serve as growing areas for young shrimp and crabs as well.
Where to Find Outer Banks Oysters
Beyond our great restaurants who make an effort to serve locally caught and raised seafood, you can find the largest variety of oysters at Coastal Provisions in Southern Shores. Depending on when you stop by, you could find Maine’s Belon oysters, Kumamoto oysters from the Pacific Ocean, or a variety you’ve never heard of before. One thing’s for sure however – owner and chef Dan Lewis goes out of his way to support the local Outer Banks oyster industry by offering the largest selection of native OBX oysters from several farmers. If you’d like to try Hatteras Salts or Savage Inlet Salts, you might even be able to contact the farmer directly to get a bushel on your next Outer Banks trip!
North Carolina has a long way to go if it’s going to catch up to Virginia’s booming Chesapeake oyster industry. As of 2018, there were 1,910 acres leased for shellfish operations in NC. By contrast, Virginia had over 125,000 acres leased. There’s so much potential for our current farmers to grow and expand their operations, as well as accommodate many more who want to try their hand at an emerging industry and work “on the water.” Every oyster has a unique flavor profile depending on where it’s grown. And the next time you visit the Outer Banks, stop by and sample the unique OBX flavor of our locally grown oysters.