Bren Smith | From Fisherman to Ocean Farmer

I’ve been farming the ocean for nearly 20 years now. Before that I was a commercial fisherman - dropping out of high school to fish the globe. After the cod stocks crashed in my home of Newfoundland, I was face-to-face with the reality that there would be no jobs on a dead planet. So I went on a journey of ecological redemption.

I’ve made many mistakes along the way, but ended up in Long Island Sound, farming a mix of seaweeds and shellfish. These crops hit the climate sweet spot, requiring no fresh water, fertilizer, or feed—while sequestering carbon, rebuilding reefs, and creating economic opportunities for coastal communities hard hit by climate change.

I founded GreenWave with Emily Stengel - she’s amazing - in order to replicate and scale regenerative ocean farming. As a non-profit, we work to spur collaboration and innovation - think of us as a global network of farmers, entrepreneurs, and researchers, all hell-bent on building community-based climate solutions out at sea.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my journey, it’s that you don’t need to be an environmentalist or foodie to be part of building a climate-resilient food system. We need all hands on deck if we’re going to make a living on a living planet.

To learn more about regenerative ocean farming and GreenWave’s work, go here. For a salty tale of my journey of ecological redemption, check out a sample of my book, Eat Like a Fish: My Adventure as a Fisherman Turned Ocean Farmer.