Press Herald interviews Redmond about seaweed growth in Maine
Sarah Redmond, a marine extension associate with the Maine Sea Grant College Program at the University of Maine, spoke with the Portland Press Herald for the article, “With more varieties and growing demand, seaweed is Maine’s crop to watch.” Redmond, who collaborates with commercial seaweed producers such as Maine Fresh Sea Farms in Bristol, began dreaming of being a seaweed farmer at age 15, according to the article. Now based at UMaine’s Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research in Franklin, Redmond is aware there are big questions about how well seaweed can be mainstreamed, but she remains optimistic, the article states. “We’re going to be known for kelp pretty soon,” she said. In 2013, after years of research, the Portland-based company Ocean Approved released a manual on how to grow kelp from spores, according to the article. Redmond helped develop the manual, which is oriented toward New England waters and is used by Maine Fresh Sea Farms. Maine Fresh Sea Farms’ seaweed nursery is located at the UMaine Darling Marine Center’s Aquaculture Business Incubator in Walpole, the article states.