Join the Growing NY Kelp Community

New York State is fortunate to have a growing kelp community that is collaborative and positive. We provide tailored, direct support for local growers and hatcheries to meet their needs, including everything from assistance with permit applications to cultivation and processing supplies. We’re also here to help support the demand side of the marketplace as supply grows.

Hatcheries: A solid kelp industry starts with solid hatcheries. New York State is unique in its combination of town, nonprofit and commercial hatcheries that can support the wide variety of local nonprofit and for-profit commercial kelp programs.
Equipment: Lazy Point Farms has helped new growers with sourcing the gear they need to start their kelp farm.
Permits: Lazy Point Farms is fortunate to connect David Berg, an expert with deep expertise on the current and future permitting landscape that growers face. By supporting his time and effort, we can provide growers with the same expert assistance that leads to the same success that several NYS growers have already enjoyed.
Harvest buyout: This emerging industry does not yet have reliable local demand. While we work to build local demand, Lazy Point Farms is here to guarantee your harvest buyout in 2024-2025 to take the risk out of the equation for new growers who are faced with the uncertainty of finding buyers for their new crop.
Demand: we’re here to help the demand side of the industry by supporting interested businesses who want to develop local kelp products. We work to connect interested businesses directly with growers who have commercial permits.

At this time, we only provide support to growers in New York State. If you’re a grower in CT, NJ, or somewhere else, we welcome you to reach out, and we can work to connect you with someone who can help you get started.

Resources for growers

Have an existing license or lease for shellfish in the Islip, Brookhaven, Peconic or Gardiners Bay areas? Learn more about how you can expand your business and grow sugar kelp.

Want to learn more about growing seaweed safely as a food? Check out this guide to processing seaweed courtesy of our friends at SeaGrant.

case studies

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!