Upwelling of 1400+ Users on Ocean Farming Hub
When GreenWave was founded in 2014, we focused on training and supporting farmers locally in Southern New England. Over time, more than 8,000 people from across the U.S. and 100 countries all over the world signed up for our training program. “We didn’t expect that level of interest. We had to rethink our strategy and find a way to meet the demand,” says GreenWave Co-Executive Director Bren Smith. “We decided to invest heavily in online training and resources.”
GreenWave launched the first-ever Regenerative Ocean Farming Hub in April, the result of a two-year build. In just the first couple of weeks post-launch, more than 1400 users from 43 states and 69 countries have utilized the Hub, and more than 600 posts sprung up in the Community. “The amount of enthusiasm for seaweed farming is inspiring,” says GreenWave Farmer Training Program Manager Lindsay Olsen. ”We’re blown away by the number of people committed to building real climate solutions and a new blue economy.”
With so many incredible farmers, researchers, and advocates working to advance the seaweed farming industry, GreenWave is focusing on training the next generation of farmers and hatchery technicians. “GreenWave’s role is to take the community of passion that’s built up around kelp farming and turn it into a community of practice,” says Bren. “The Hub is designed to be an on-ramp for both beginning and experienced farmers to come together and propel the emerging industry forward.”
Free for all users, the Hub is a seed-to-sale resource that includes interactive ocean farm design tools, gear lists and budgets, more than 80 how-to videos, and a curriculum–all the nuts and bolts to launch and grow an ocean farm or hatchery. Growers also gain access to GreenWave’s Ocean Farming Community to connect with one another and leverage a national network of active farmers and hatchery mentors to innovate and solve technical questions. Users are already engaged in a range of discussions covering topics from best anchor designs to using kelp to make concrete.
In addition to taking an active role in responding to questions, GreenWave will tap into Community conversations to identify ways to help farmers overcome barriers and develop solutions to industry choke points. “GreenWave plans to develop more advanced tools and courses and integrate new farmer programs,” says Lindsay. “We’re here to support the long-term tech needs of ocean farmers as the industry continues to grow.”
Additional programs included in the Hub address challenges faced by more advanced farmers, like scaling production and getting support for the positive impacts of their farms. Seaweed Source is a growing, digital directory of ocean farms in the U.S. that’s designed to facilitate regional connections between farmers and prospective buyers. The Kelp Climate Fund pays farmers for the positive climate impact of their work, including carbon and nitrogen removal.
“GreenWave’s training and innovation programs forged a path for hatchery techs to produce viable kelp seed, for farmers to increase crop production and learn how to market their kelp, and for scientists to advance research on the environmental benefits of kelp farming and develop in-the-water strategies to help combat the impacts of climate change on coastal waters,” says Mike Doall, New York kelp farmer and Associate Director for Bivalve Restoration at Stony Brook University. “The Hub is exactly the type of resource our growing industry needs to scale and build a blue economy."
Over the years, GreenWave has been out on the water learning from creative and innovative farmers, hatchery technicians, entrepreneurs, and researchers. We’ve crystallized these practical skills and the lived experience of the GreenWave network to build the Hub, and we’re excited to continue collaborations as we build a future where we can all make a living on a living planet. “Farming underwater is really hard,” says Bren. “If we’re going to succeed, we’re going to need to do it together.”