Overview of Maine Seaweed Companies and Products
From fresh and frozen kelp for chefs and powdered seaweed blends and liquid extracts for people, animals and plants, to salty-sweet seaweed snack bars and melt-in-your-mouth smoked dulse, Maine seaweed companies offer a wide range of products that begin with Gulf of Maine seaweeds. Species utilized include Dulse (Palmaria palmata), Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima), Rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum), Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus), Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca), Laver or Nori (Porphyra species), Alaria (Alaria esculenta), Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus), Fingered or Horsetail Kelp (Laminaria digitata).
Some seaweed companies in Maine have been in business for decades, and some are quite new. They range in size from one-person artisanal operations to larger companies with national and global business. Many were started as family businesses, and most of these remain this way, in some cases passing down from one generation to the next. To learn more about products made with Gulf of Maine seaweed, and the companies that create and sell these products, see the links below.
Maine Seaweed Companies
SOURCE MAINE specializes in exceptional nutritional supplements for you and for the animals you care for with all-natural micronutrients that are concentrated from nutrient-rich ocean seaweeds. Since 1975, SOURCE has been sustainably harvesting the same seaweed beds and caring for the environment. From the Maine waters to the final products, every step is committed to protecting the extraordinary nutritional powerhouse found only in ocean seaweeds. www.4source.com
North American Kelp is a Maine-based company with experience in processing kelp since 1971. The company harvests sea kelp from the same cold, clean waters that have been providing world-famous seafood for centuries. Our sea kelp is responsibly harvested and is processed to U.S.A. high quality standards. www.noamkelp.com
Established in 1971, Maine Coast Sea Vegetables is a family run business specializing in sustainably harvested, certified organic seaweeds from the North Atlantic. We offer native species of Dulse, Kelp, Alaria, Laver, Sea Lettuce, Bladderwrack, Rockweed and Irish Moss in whole leaf and milled forms. Also, Kelp Krunch™, a salty-sweet snack bar with no refined sugar, and Sea Seasonings® shakers of ground seaweeds and blends for cooking and sprinkling on foods. www.seaveg.com
Ocean Organics makes science-driven, sustainable solutions for turf and agriculture. Our approach is to tap into the efficiency of natural soil and plant relationships with products derived from seaplant and land plant extracts combined with traditional natural fertilizers. We make liquid products for foliar, soil, and drip irrigation application and granulated natural based fertilizers.
www.oceanorganics.com
Vitamin Sea Seaweed is a small family owned ‘ocean’ company that has been marine based for over 30 years! We sustainably harvest USDA organic seaweed from the cold, pristine waters of Maine. We offer human edible native species, large animal and pet supplements, seaweed for lawn and garden, and rockweed for lobster/clambakes! We sell wholesale, retail, and in bulk sizes! www.vitaminseaseaweed.com
Acadian Seaplants Limited is a multi-national, biotech manufacturer of quality, natural plant and crop biostimulant products, animal feed supplements, cultivated sea-vegetables and functional ingredients derived from select species of marine plants with operations in Canada, USA and Ireland. It was founded in 1981 and exports to over 80 countries.www.acadianseaplants.com
Atlantic Holdfast Seaweed Company is a small company working to sustainably harvest and distribute high quality, hand-harvested sea vegetables from the Gulf of Maine. Our harvesting and drying operation is based on a remote island in outer Penboscot Bay, 7 miles off Stonington, ME, where the strong currents, active surf, and full exposure to the force of the open ocean have allowed these seaweeds to thrive for millenia.
www.atlanticholdfast.com
Claire and Carly Weinberg run the ocean inspired business, Dulse and Rugosa, LLC. They make farm fresh, hand-crafted skincare with a twist of nourishing Maine seaweed. They grow or wild harvest the botanicals on their remote island farm, including the seaweeds. Open a jar of Dulse and Rugosa skincare and be transported to a summer day in Maine.
dulse-rugosa.myshopify.com
Our natural products contain the highest quality organic and natural ingredients. At Planet Botanicals, we source our fresh plant-based ingredients directly from producers, when possible, like Maine seaweed harvesters and African women’s shea butter producers. We are committed to providing the healthiest, most effective skincare products to nurture your skin. www.planetbotanicals.com
Established in 2015, SeaMade Seaweed Company is a small Maine business that specializes in tasty seaweed snacks and other foods. Made with nuts, fruits, grains and seaweed harvested in the pure waters of the Gulf of Maine, SeaMade’s kelp bars offer a convenient way to bring the benefits of seaweed into your diet. Our bars are available through our website and in select retail markets in the greater Portland area and beyond. www.seamadeseaweed.com
Smithereen Farm harvests from land and sea in the 22-foot tidal beauty of Cobscook Bay. We are certified organic by Maine’s own MOFGA and by the REAL organic project— our focus is diversity! We harvest wild and farmed alaria, dulse, digitata, sugar kelp, sea lettuce, nori and Irish moss and can-do special orders. Located in easternmost Maine, we also offer U Pick cranberries, wild blueberries and strawberries, and grow a range of fruit and vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, oysters and make a variety of value-added products including seaweed sprinkle, Mermaiden Broth, apple cider vinegar, blueberry jam etc. Come see the seaweed for yourself, visit our farmstore and smokehouse, you can even camp on our tent platforms in breathtaking Downeast Maine (www.smithereenfarm.com) sales@smithereenfarm.com
Ocean’s Balance is an employee owned vertically integrated seaweed company. We farm and sustainably wild harvest 7 species of organic seaweed that is processed into an innovative line of products that taste great and are healthy for you and the planet. Our products range from dried seaweed, seasoning blends, award winning pasta sauces, etc. We also sell seaweed in bulk as an ingredient that is used by other food manufacturers, pet food and treat companies, and for nutraceuticals. Visit www.oceansbalance.com for more information.