After a corporate career in New York City, Suzie Flores is now making a splash in the aquaculture sector. She and her husband own and operate the Stonington Kelp Company in a historic working waterfront community in Connecticut. They grow sugar kelp, a native brown algae. Even though the long lasagna noodle-like blades are hidden beneath the water’s surface, the farm is providing tangible benefits to the surrounding environment.
Let’s dive beneath the surface with Suzie Flores to learn about how she grows this sustainable and nutritious macroalgae.
Becoming a Seaweed Farmer
A former market development executive, Suzie Flores and her husband, Jay Douglas, moved to New England in 2014 to be closer to the water. While a career shift to aquaculture wasn’t necessarily part of their original vision, growing seaweed has provided an additional career opportunity on the waterway they love.
Suzie and Jay bought a fixer-upper marina and explored options for their growing business. Remembering the numerous benefits of kelp she learned about while earning her environmental science degree, Flores considered growing seaweed as a side project. They already had the equipment and water access so it was a reasonable next step to add growing seaweed to their list of projects.
“What if instead of a garden full of tomatoes, we had a garden of seaweed?” she remembers thinking. “I always joke that I can’t grow anything on land and seaweed farming is not something that requires a green thumb.”
Cue the Stonington Kelp Company.
Kelp became a complementary crop to their other endeavors. “I think a lot of people who are involved in seaweed farming, or aquaculture in general, tend to have a portfolio that doesn’t just rely on a single species or activity,” says Flores.
Because it’s a winter crop, many seaweed growers have seasonal farms to complement summer industries, bringing year-round economic opportunities to coastal communities. Recreational fishing guides, oyster farmers, lobster fishers, and tourism operators are just a few examples of seasonal workers who farm seaweed in the off-season.
Farming Kelp in the Tides
The Stonington Kelp Company is a small, independently owned seaweed farm. They grow sugar kelp, a brown algae found only in this region. The farm is located at the end of the Long Island Sound, right before it meets the Atlantic Ocean. This position exposes the kelp to fast flows and ample ocean nutrients, providing ideal conditions to grow happy and healthy seaweed.
The farm operates from November to June, when the water is the coldest and sugar kelp grows quickly. Like many kelp species, sugar kelp grows at impressive rates. During the 7-month growing season, it will grow from just 1 millimeter to 3 meters—nearly 10 feet—on long lines under the water’s surface.
As it grows, the seaweed “tells a story about the water,” describes Flores. “It’s a mirror of its environment and has a flavor that represents the waterway in which it’s cultivated.” For example, you can determine the nutritional load from the color and the energy of the water from the stipe shape.
Stonington Kelp Company uses a “zero input method.” That means that sugar kelp grows on ropes in the ocean without using resources such as fresh water, arable land, and fertilizers.
“In fact, the farm leaves the ocean better than it was when we planted it,” explains Flores. Kelp absorbs carbon and nitrogen from the water, protects the shore from erosion by dispersing storm energy, and provides habitat for marine species.
The farm is also upholding the area’s long history as a working waterfront. As the last commercial fishing dock in the state, the Stonington Kelp Company is preserving this history while providing a healthy and sustainable food source.
Serving Kelp on the Table
Sugar kelp has a mild flavor and crunchy texture. It is high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. The Stonington Kelp Company largely sells their products fresh locally, but dries excess for seasonings and even coffee.
Chefs near and far are getting excited about this nutritious and delicious superfood, and leaning in to its versatility. Seaweed ice cream, seaweed-wrapped scallops, and seaweed pastas are finding their way onto menus across the country. To join these chefs bringing kelp into the kitchen, try Flores’ chocolate chip cookie recipe below, or another of the many delicious recipes on the Stonington Kelp Company’s website.
Fun Fact
Sugar kelp is named for the white sugar that forms on the blades when dried. It is used as a sweetener and a thickening agent in foods and products you might not expect, like baked goods, lotions, and even ice cream!
Recipe: Sugar Kelp Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ½ tablespoon dried sugar kelp flakes
Directions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2: Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add the egg. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips and seaweed flakes. Spoon rounded tablespoon of cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets.
Step 3: Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy!
