Background
We’ve been around since 1971! My parents started Maine Coast Sea Vegetables in their kitchen. Now we’re a 100% employee-owned ESOP (employee stock ownership plan). We were also the first North American Seaweed company to become organically certified in 1992. 2024 is our 53rd season!
My favorite thing about what I do is nourishing people! And educating the consumer. I like that we’re selling something important to our food systems, important to our growing population, important to our health and important to our planet.
Challenges
Our biggest challenge is that we’re working with Mother Nature and her whims. Every year’s growth and species availability is different. Demand from buyers often has very little to do with how we manage buying and selling for a year.
Future aspirations
The thing I love most about Maine and its working waterfront is the ocean itself! The access to nature and its beauty. I find personal peace or calmness on or near the ocean, so smelling the “ocean” every day through selling seaweed is very satisfying! What I’m most excited about for the future is possibility. Seaweed is an ancient food yet in many ways we’re just starting to utilize its potential. In theory so many things could taste better, have reduced sodium, and increased nutrition if we started incorporating seaweeds in small amounts.
