Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1481988
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 | maconmagazine.com 79 GHOST FLEETS AND PEARLS OF WISDOM FROM OYSTER FARMERS Fortunately, these shipwrecked ghost ships are great habitats for marine life as well as unique places to dive. To Cody and Rachel Faison, oysters and ghost ships are quintessential to the North Carolina coast! In fact, Cody and Rachel Faison are writing a new chapter in maritime matters. Cody's obsession with oysters and Rachel's love of sustainability collided to create Ghost Fleet Oyster Company. Combining their knowledge and respective passions, the couple collaborated with local farmers and the State of North Carolina to determine the best location, equipment, and aquaculture methods for starting a new oyster farm. North Carolina has an ideal habitat for growing oysters with clean, warm water and ample space. Ghost Fleet farms are planted between North Topsail Island and Hampstead, North Carolina. "Oyster shell quality, flavor, and yield are all influenced by the environment in which they grow, and therefore, it is important to us to keep our coastal waters healthy. We incorporate as many sustainable business practices as possible such as oyster shell recycling and the use of biodegradable market bags," scientist Rachel said. Oysters start out as a four-millimeter seed on the farm, maturing nine to 18 months before reaching the desired taste and size. Growing oysters are sorted by size and cages are cleaned on a daily or weekly basis to enhance the filtering process. Oysters grow year-round, but especially in the warmer months. Ghost Fleet Oysters taste unique to North Carolina waters because of the conditions in which the oysters here are raised, or their "merroir." Merroir is a fancy French word for the flavor that is derived from a sense of place. Merroir may sound like "terroir," often used when describing the environment that wine is produced in. Climate, cultivation and harvest techniques, tides, salinity, and seasonality all affect the merroir of oysters. While the wild harvest season closes during the summer so oysters can spawn, farmed oysters are available to enjoy year-around! "The unique, complex flavor profiles of oysters are influenced, much like wine, by the environment in which they grow. Similar to a flight of wine or beer, it is interesting to enjoy the diversity of flavors, with every tip of a shell creating umami. Oyster farming feels like part farmer, part artist, part fisherman," said chef Cody Faison, a culinary graduate of Johnson and Wales. Take a four-hour tour with Cody to immerse yourself in the oyster world. See the lease, the gear, and the oysters; experience the challenging work; and feel firsthand the passion that goes into farming. Learn about the environmental impacts of oysters (wild and farmed) and oyster shell recycling. You can even sample oysters! Book a sunset tour for the ultimate experience. "Our farm tours focus on sustainability, the environmental benefits of oysters, and address many misconceptions. Tours are completely customizable, which allows the client to set the tone and direction. Chefs come to learn about flavors and the growth process to better inform their customers. Others request sunset date nights with fresh oyster to go with their wine, while others come to completely immerse themselves in oyster aquaculture (as we say, 'nerd out on oysters'). We embrace it all," Rachel said. Continue your oyster experience along the New River at the oldest restaurant in Onslow County, the Riverview Café. The daily menu features southern-style mouthwatering seafood dishes including the area's well-known Stump Sound oysters, harvested locally along the North Carolina Stump Sound, a seven-mile stretch of water from Sneads Ferry to North Topsail Beach. GET THE REEL DEAL Reel in some of the best inshore catches or cast a net for shrimp this fall with Reel Livin Fishing Charters in Sneads Ferry. Captain Tommie Jarman and crew offer offshore or inshore trips and everything in between. For an authentic experience, join the crew aboard the Faith & Hope, a 35-foot wood trawler with 30-feet high skimmer frames (wings), and learn all about the workings of a shrimp boat and the process of dragging nets FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Ghost Fleet Oyster Company Oysters. Farmers Cody and Rachel Faison of Ghost Fleet Oyster Company.