The Town of Hempstead
Hempstead is leading the way for how towns on Long Island can and should create opportunities for the communities they serve. In addition to cultivating kelp in local waterways as a water purification effort, researchers from the local Department of Conservation and Waterways have also been exploring ways to make use of their sugar kelp harvest locally.
Hempstead Is Working Towards Local Solutions Every Step Of The Way
Hempstead understands that local solutions are often efficient and eco-conscious solutions. Kelp spore spools are produced in the Town’s newly expanded shellfish hatchery and later placed for cultivation in bayside sites close to the town.
Growing Kelp For The Community
The Hempstead project is leading the charge for community-based projects by involving members of the local community at every step of the process. Members of local organizations like the Lawrence Garden Club and local high schools have volunteered their time to help with the kelp cultivation and harbor restoration efforts.
Dried Kelp Makes An Excellent Soil Ammendment
Thanks to a greenhouse financed by the Lazy Point Farms project, the Town of Hempstead will soon be able to take local production one step farther: drying and processing their harvested crop to produce a nitrogen rich compost material that will be used in local gardening projects. It could even help fertilize other local community agriculture products that make use of the greenhouse in off-months!
The Huntington-Northport Oyster Reef Project
This gorgeous kelp from the 2023 harvest is another excellent example of what community partnerships can accomplish. The Huntington-Northport Oyster Reef Project (HUNROP) is a partnership between the Town of Huntington, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Marine Program and local Rotary Clubs. Volunteers, researchers, and community government leaders are working together to simultaneously improve water quality and promote aquaculture.
Huntington Sugar Kelp Grown In Local Waters Drying
The organizers of the Huntington project are cultivating oysters in the summer and sugar kelp during the winter months in Town embayments to reduce excess nitrogen in the water. The harvest (shown here drying) will be put to use in various local projects including use of dried ground kelp as a garden and park soil amendment.
A Closeup View Of A Spore Spool Ready For Deployment
Lazy Point Farms has purchased spools for most of our growing partners who don’t have their own hatcheries from Hart, including the Newtown Creek Alliance and AWAW EAG grant winner Shanjana Mahmud.
Lizzie At Hart Hatchery
The kelp growing cycle for many of the growers Lazy Point Farms has worked with starts here: in a shellfish hatchery. Hart Hatchery, a family-owned shellfish company on Long Island, has worked alongside us since the early days of the project. Locally collected kelp spores are introduced to a nutrient rich growth medium along PVC spools which can be used in kelp aquaculture after a period of growth.
Sixto Portilla Of Maris Stella Oysters Deploying Kelp Lines
Like many of our growing partners, Sixto Portilla is a local shellfish farmer excited to diversify his aquaculture business. One of the interesting results of partnering with oyster growers, is that we’ve been able to collect evidence of the benefits that growing kelp in tandem with oysters can have on both crops!
Violet Cove Oyster's Sue Wicks' Team Harvesting Sugar Kelp In Moriches Bay
Many local shellfish growers like Wicks grow kelp alongside their shellfish, diversifying their crops. Lazy Point Farms has been working with Sue for several years now and was excited when she received the first commercial permit to grow kelp in local waters!