GREENWAVE ORGANIZATION CORP

Over the next year, GreenWave will continue to increase organizational capacity and scale programming. Our major objectives for the year include:

Training and Support
Reach 6,550+ trained and supported
Develop industry introduction webinar for 500-700 prospective farmers and develop targeted introductory courses for beginning farmers, hatchery technicians, and entrepreneurs
Expand cross-regional cohort programming with 40-50 farmers
Design regional farmer mentor programming
Develop and implement guided online courses for 45-75 prospective hatchery managers
Support evolving goals of regional communities, including the Shinnecock Kelp Farmers, Metlakatla First Nation, and New Zealand partners
Assess potential to deliver program services in collaboration with 1-2 new regions

Kelp Climate Fund
Kelp Climate Fund grows to $500K supporting 50-60 farmers
Support collection of farm and climate impact data through My Kelp app, training, and technical assistance
Provide technical assistance and technology transfer services to support farmers in pursuing goals to scale
Fundraise to scale annual climate subsidies of $1 million to 70-80 farmers by 2025

Market Development
Provide one-to-one support and expand Seaweed Source app to foster market relationships among seed producers, farmers, processors, value-added buyers, and other stakeholders
Grow number of businesses participating in Seaweed Source to 50-75
Support farm co-op development for 1-2 regional groups
Develop resources for and launch a 4-6 session webinar series for processors and buyers

Farmer Infrastructure
Refine modular nursery and gametophyte culturing for farmer access and climate resiliency, and adapt findings for curriculum development
Adapt kelp processing technologies to drive farmer ownership of key pieces of the value chain and enable them to sell their crops year round
Launch a Soil and Sea initiative to revive kelp as a fertilizer on land-based farms
Continue to participate in a variety of studies with academic and industry partners to support the success of small and medium farms and related businesses across the supply chain

Because the regenerative ocean farming industry is in its infancy, we have the chance to do this right—to weave climate resilience and equity-driven decision-making into the DNA of the new ocean economy. This means growing what is regenerative, not simply what consumers demand; collaborating and building circular economies and business models; and investing in the regenerative economy so small- and medium-sized farms and businesses can succeed.

GreenWave employs a funnel engagement strategy, providing increasingly intensive opportunities to identify and support the regenerative ocean farming community. Through the Regenerative Ocean Farming Hub, webinars, and speaking engagements, we support industry literacy and network building opportunities for our community of passion, which includes prospective farmers, seed producers, supply chain partners, aligned institutions, donors, media, and our community of passion. We drive adoption and collaboration by beginning farmers, supply chain and reef expansion partners, mission-aligned organizational partners, and researchers through in person trainings, convenings, and cohort groups. We collaborate with seasoned farmers and supply chain partners to support their efforts to scale.

While the resources GreenWave creates support the emerging industry as a whole, we prioritize partnerships with fishermen, Indigenous groups, and other under-resourced coastal communities directly affected by climate change to ensure they benefit from the industry’s growth. Our focus is to give ocean farmers the information and tools they need to launch and scale viable small- and medium-scale farm businesses.

GreenWave envisions a blue economy built and led by regenerative ocean farmers.
This vision includes thriving coastal communities with many small- and medium-scale farms dotting our coastlines. In these regional “Regenerative Reefs”, ocean farms grow in tandem with land-based seed nurseries and processing infrastructure, along with institutional buyers and entrepreneurs developing and marketing value-added products. In order to drive this growth, GreenWave works across the supply chain with seed producers, farmers, processors, and buyers to identify barriers to growth, develop solutions, and disseminate best practices back to the field.

Since its founding as a nonprofit in 2014, GreenWave has:
- Cultivated a thriving network of active farms, working nurseries, processing hubs, and market opportunities in southern New England. GreenWave also launched one of the largest commercial kelp nurseries in the United States. - In addition to producing high-quality kelp seed for ocean farmers in the region, we collaborate with institutional partners on research and innovations to improve kelp seed production, increase crop yields, and decrease stress on native kelp beds.
- Expanded its geographical reach from training farmers in southern New England to supporting initiatives in New England, Alaska, California, New York, the Pacific Northwest, and British Columbia, as well as New Zealand, providing training and technical assistance to more than 6,000 farmers, hatchery technicians, and entrepreneurs.
- Significantly scaled delivery of training and networking resources through the spring 2022 launch of the Regenerative Ocean Farming Hub, an online platform that includes curriculum, tools, and networking opportunities to support emerging and experienced farmers from seed to sale. With more than 6,000 users registered to date, more than half are actively using the curriculum and tools. And, with thousands of community posts on a wide range of topics, the Hub has become a lively platform for stakeholders across the industry and at all experience levels to post questions, learn, and create regional connections.
- As one of the first commercial scale kelp seed nursery operators, supported scaling of kelp seed nursery capacity in the U.S. and Canada through training and technical assistance.
- Through a partnership with Hortimare, a global leader in seed production, advanced seed production systems that provide farmers and farmer coops with accessible and affordable tools and infrastructure to own and expand regional seed production.
- Through processing pilots, expanded the post-harvest shelf life of kelp from 10 hours to 8-10 months, increasing the power of farmers to secure buyers and set appropriate pricing.
- Recognition for GreenWave’s work includes the Buckminster Fuller Prize and the Curt Bergfors Food Planet Prize. The organization has been covered in 60 Minutes, CNN, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, and elsewhere.