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🐝 Wrangle Oysters and Mother Nature for a Living

🐝 Wrangle Oysters and Mother Nature for a Living

Inlet Dredge, No Fly Zone, Peeko Oysters Hits The Mic

Thomas Loncar
September 03, 2025

Together With

Good Morning, North Fork! Don’t worry, we told your boss this was work related.

In today’s North Fork Buzz:

Inlet Dredge
No Fly Zone
Peeko Oysters Hits the Mic

Ready, Set, Go!

The Lowdown

Mattituck Inlet Dredge 🚨

The Army Corps of Engineers just punted the Mattituck Inlet dredging project all the way to fall 2026. Why? Their dredge boat, the Brandy Station, is out of commission with engine trouble.

The delay is a big deal. Local leaders say Bailie Beach is hanging by a thread, its dunes are the only thing stopping the inlet from busting through.

At an August 19 Town Board meeting, frustration boiled over. Park District reps called out years of neglect, warning Bailie Beach is basically unusable now, with high tide lapping right at the dunes and dangerous currents forming.

The Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association is hosting a public forum on October 6 at Veterans Beach. Southold Trustees, a Stony Brook marine sciences professor, and locals will talk about what’s at stake and how to push Congress for action.

Get the full story 👉 East End Beacon

From Grapes to Greatness 🍇

Turns out, Long Island wasn’t just early to the farm-to-table party, we basically wrote the invite. Back in 2012, local winemakers launched Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing (LISW), the first sustainability certification on the East Coast. Today, 22 vineyards rock the seal, proving they take care of their soil, their workers, and yes, your glass of wine.

Fast forward: LISW was so ahead of the curve it inspired a statewide program. Enter New York Sustainable Winegrowing (NYSW) in 2022, bringing eco-friendly, people-first practices to vineyards from the Finger Lakes to the Hudson Valley.

First wineries got the NYSW stamp in 2023, more in 2024, and Long Island bottles can even carry both seals for now.

Shoutout to LISW for leading the charge and showing the world Long Island doesn’t just grow great grapes but also sets the standard for sustainability across New York.

Get the full story 👉 Northforker

No Fly Zone ✈️

Tropic Ocean Airways thought they’d found a new way to bring Manhattanites to the North Fork this fall: $6–7K seaplane charters straight from the East River to wine tastings, oyster farms, and seafood lunches.

One small snag: Southold law flat-out bans seaplanes from landing, taking off, or taxiing in town waters.

TOA first said the flights were already underway, press tours, local partnerships, the works. Then they backpedaled, calling it “marketing to gauge interest” and apologizing for the mix-up.

While Southold is a hard no, Shelter Island has no such seaplane ban…so don’t count them out just yet.

Get the full story 👉 North Fork Sun

Plum Island Preservation 🏝️

Big changes are coming for Plum Island. With the Animal Disease Center packing up for Kansas in about two years, the feds have asked Suffolk County if they want the keys to the island.

Congress hit pause on preservation last year, but new bills are back on the table. Rep. Nick LaLota is pushing for a National Park Service study and even calling on the President to flex the Antiquities Act to keep Plum Island protected forever.

Advocates are crystal clear, no crowds of day-trippers jamming North Fork roads. Any plan will focus on sustainability, limited visitation, and keeping Plum Island wild and protected. ($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times

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Dog of The Week

Meet Noel 🐾

Looking for a dog who’s basically the neighbor everyone loves? Meet Noel.

Inside, she’s the queen of chill. No barking, no begging, no couch diving unless you give the green light. She’s happiest just hanging out next to her humans.

Outside, though? She’s got moves. Loose leash walking like a pro, chasing bunnies (don’t worry, they’re safe ), and even dipping her toes in the bay like a true North Fork local. Oh, and car rides? She’s obsessed.

Noel’s the total package: gentle, polite, and ready to make herself at home in pretty much any household.

Noel is waiting at the Southold location. Call 631-765-1811 ext. 1 before someone else scoops up this pup.

Trivia Time 🧠

Your brain deserves more than scrolling and skimming. Each week we’ll hit you with one question designed to make you pause, scratch your head, and maybe argue with whoever’s sitting next to you. Think of it as a quick mental pit stop: a chance to flex your random knowledge, test your memory, or finally use that obscure fact you learned in 7th grade.

What was the very first music video to air on MTV when it launched on August 1, 1981?

Last Week’s Results

Last week we asked: According to the 2020 U.S. Census, which state had the lowest population?

Answer: Wyoming

33% of you got it right, which makes sense, since most of us forget Wyoming exists until we need a road trip backdrop.

Local Spotlight

Peeko Oysters Hits the Mic 🦪

Ever wonder what it takes to wrangle oysters and Mother Nature for a living? On the latest episode of OYSTER-ology, host Kevin Cox sits down with Peter Stein, the founder of Peeko Oysters.

Peter talks about the not-so-glam side of oyster farming, think brutal weather, startup headaches, and the endless curveballs Mother Nature loves to throw .

But he also shares how he built Peeko into a vertically integrated business, plus his bigger-picture philosophy: oyster reefs aren’t just food, they’re living ecosystems that clean the water, protect shorelines, and give back long after you’ve slurped them.

^{_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. They’re just fun things you need to know. I’ll always let you know when something is sponsored}}

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Tom Loncar- Publisher
Nicole Loncar- Editor + Partnerships