< PreviousNegative emissions are needed to stabilize below TECHNOLOGIES GLOBAL WARMING CATASTROPHIC 20 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINE 20 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINE MAKING THE WORLD BETTERYale Environment 360, 2020 s stabilize OGIES WARMING STROPHIC LEVELS. APRIL 2022 • ISSUE 02 21 WITH REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURECASCADIA SEAWEED Diving into the industry of ocean cultivated seaweed When we think of farming, we often picture expansive fi elds of wheat and grains, subjected to seasonality, water shortages, and pests. Luckily, farming without these issues is possible. In fact, there’s a grow- ing industry that’s making a splash in the world of agriculture – or should we say, “aquaculture.” Cascadia Seaweed, a pro- vider of ocean cultivat- ed seaweed, is showing North America that farm- ing doesn’t have to be on land. And people are lis- tening: Cascadia was one of the top 20 Companies of the Fall 2021 Impact Investor Challenge at Spring Activator. We spoke with Erin Bremner-Mitchell, Manager of Communications and Engagement, about what Cascadia Seaweed brings to the table. Tell us about Cascadia Seaweed’s mission. Cascadia Seaweed is growing to be the largest provider of ocean cultivated seaweed in North America. By simply cultivating sea- weed in the ocean, we can help solve some of the biggest challenges humanity is facing today: climate change, economic instability, and food security. Th is is what inspired Cascadia’s vision statement: “Th rough the cultivation of seaweed we will help improve human health, support coastal communities, and heal the Earth.” What inspired your founders to start Cascadia Seaweed? Bill Collins was conducting research for the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance (VIEA) to attract foreign direct investment to the Island. He landed on four diff erent business cases, one of which was sustainable aquacul- ture. After an hour on the phone with one of Canada’s leading experts in seaweed, Bill’s entrepreneurial spirit was sparked and he quickly developed the opportunity into what we know today as Cascadia Seaweed. Th e mission to improve human health, support coastal communities and heal the earth by 22 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINEAPRIL 2022 • ISSUE 02 23scaling up the seaweed industry has attracted a diverse group of individuals who all share Bill’s original vision of generating a profi t to enable people and benefi t the planet. What were some of the chal- lenges they encountered? Cultivating seaweed at scale in British Columbia is a burgeoning sector, which poses a challenge in awareness; however, this is also our greatest opportunity! When we speak to investors, govern- ment offi cials, and consumers, we have a responsibility to share all of the positive impacts that seaweed farming can create. Ocean cultivated seaweed requires no fresh water, fertilizers, pesticides, or arable land to grow. It utilizes nutrients from the sea, sequesters more carbon than land plants, mitigates acidifi ca- tion, creates habitat, and is renewable and fast growing. It is the defi nition of regenerative aquaculture, and this new and burgeoning sector directly supports the development of Canada’s growing Blue Economy. We have certainly encountered chal- lenges during the regulatory approval process and accessing capital, but we have a tenacious team, experienced lead- ership, and a compelling story which has helped us overcome these challenges. What do you consider Cascadia Seaweed’s biggest success? Th e most recent success the team at Cascadia Seaweed celebrated was our invitation to COP26 in Glasgow. Our CEO, Mike Williamson, represented Cascadia Seaweed at this event and spoke alongside global seaweed cham- pion from the UN Global Compact, Vincent Doumeizel. We also just celebrated the release of our fi rst product under our CPG brand, Kove Ocean Foods! What makes this organization unique? Cascadia Seaweed is the only vertically integrated seaweed company combining cultivation know-how, First Nations partnerships, and progressive brand development, and our leadership team has over 150 years combined experi- ence in food, technology, and fi nancial services businesses. How do you feel Cascadia Seaweed makes the world better? Seaweed can make the world a better place, and Cascadia is playing a part in that! By growing seaweed in the ocean, we actually make the ocean healthi- er! Not to mention all of the uses for seaweed that have the potential to make a positive impact on our shared environ- ment, from methane reducing agrifeeds to plastic alternatives. Tell us about Cascadia Seaweed’s goals. We are looking to connect with inves- tors, ESG, or family funds that align with our values and corporate vision to help us scale up – to turn this BC business into the driver behind a cli- mate-positive industry. Members of the Cascadia team and Indigenous partners conducting harvest operations in the Klahoose Territory, Spring 2021. Dr. Jennifer Clark ac- cepts the 2021 Innovation Award in Victoria on be- half of Cascadia Seaweed at the annual Ecostar Awards gala hosted by the Synergy Foundation. 24 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINEAre there any upcoming ini- tiatives or projects you’d like to share? Cascadia Seaweed earns access to the water by creating partnerships with Indigenous coastal communities. We all know that reconciliation with our Indigenous neighbours is a priority for governments at all levels. Reconciliation involves acknowledging and respecting the traditional territories and rights of First Nations governing bodies. Recently, the Tsawout First Nation issued a license under their Marine Use Law to Cascadia Seaweed to install a farm in their territory off of James Island near Sidney. “We need to prepare for the future and manage our own traditional lands, air and sea. As First Nations stewards we need to pass on the rich ecological knowledge of our ancestors to ensure that economic activities taking place in our marine environment are safe and sustainable. Th is includes the protec- tion and regulation of food, social and ceremonial purposes and benefi ts,” said Chrissy Chen, Fisheries Manager at Tsawout First Nation. What do you most want peo- ple to know about Cascadia Seaweed? We are seaweed farmers, and that is what we strive to be best at, but we are also entrepreneurs. We are guided by science and driven to make the world a better place. How can people help or con- tribute to Cascadia Seaweed’s mission? Th e fi rst thing individuals can do to support Cascadia Seaweed is to talk to people about this interesting new indus- try, especially when discussing climate action. As we are becoming more aware of the connection between climate change and our consumer habits, let’s all be more cognizant of where our food comes from. I encourage readers to check our plant-based food brand Kove Ocean Foods to learn how they can integrate locally-grown seaweed into their diet morning, noon, and night. Left: Mike Williamson, CEO of Cascadia Seaweed, and seasonal contractor Chris Williams, proudly hold up Cascadia’s fi rst harvest of sugar kelp, spring 2020. Bottom: Matt Obee of Cascadia Seaweed congratulates Marshel Glidden, mechanical engineering student at Camosun College, for winning the Most Innovative Project award at the student project showcase. Th e winning team of four students were challenged to develop a more effi cient “seed launcher” for Cascadia as their term project. Vegan poke bowl, made with Cascadia’s seaweed by nutritionist and chef Chantal Davis from Th at Planted Life. cascadiaseaweed.com facebook.com/cascadiaseaweed twitter.com/cascadiaseaweed linkedin.com/company/cascadia- seaweed instagram.com/cascadiaseaweed APRIL 2022 • ISSUE 02 25Einkorn curing 26 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINEProduct line Even in Washington, one of the largest wheat producing states in the US, purchasing farm di- rect organic grains locally is not an easy feat. Bluebird Grain Farms went “against the grain” to become a vertically integrated agricul- tural producer and processor, and they’re now on a mission to make farming across the US bet- ter for people and the planet. We chatted with Brooke Lucy, Co-Owner, Marketing, Sales & Product Development, about Bluebird Grain Farms’ history, mission, and goals. Tell us about Bluebird Grain Farms’ mission. Our mission is to cultivate and produce the most nutrient dense grains for our customers, and more importantly, for the next generation. Th is means growing and processing our ancient wheats with a minimal carbon footprint and taking care of the soil every step of the way. Growing under an organic regenerative system means we take care of the soil, the wildlife, and the environment around us. Our employees and our community are included in this. We want to expand our network of farmers, in- spire other farms to transition to growing under an organic regenerative farm system, and prove that an organic regenerative system is good for the health of the planet and the ecological and human communi- ties that live amongst the farm system. What inspired you to start Bluebird Grain Farms? We started Bluebird Grain Farms in 2004 because we could not purchase farm direct organic grains locally, even though our own state of Washington was one of the largest wheat producing states in the country. We saw a niche. Ancient wheats clearly had more fl avour, more nutrients, and were more resilient to a fl uctuating climate. All these factors compelled us to grow ancient wheat. What were some of the challenges you encountered? Immediately, we realized that we were going to have to set up our own processing facility because there were no organic wheat processors in Washington at the time. Also, the equipment needed to process ancient wheat was very diffi cult to fi nd. Learning to process ancient grains was our fi rst initial hurdle. BLUEBIRD GRAIN FARMS Cultivating and producing ancient grains for the next generation APRIL 2022 • ISSUE 02 27Sam Lucy standing in a rye fi eld Fresh milled fl our Over the last 10 years, fi nding good employees in a small rural setting with rising housing prices has also been a challenge. It has been kind of a lonely path building our business, mostly because we are in a rural setting with not a lot of agriculture around us. Th ankfully, we have always had this incredible support from our customers which has truly kept us going. What do you consider Bluebird Grain Farms’ biggest success? Th e fact that we have stayed in business for 18 years now is amazing. We are essentially running three busi- nesses within one business. I feel that the quality of our product and the consistency of delivering a good product has been a big part of our success. Sharing our story along the way has been important in engaging with our customers about what we do and why we do it. What makes your organization unique? Being vertically integrated as an agricultural producer and processor has helped us understand and know our industry very well. It has not been easy, but looking back, the knowledge that we have learned has helped us strategize our growth; we intimately know the chal- lenges of ancient grain farming and processing. We know what it takes to grow these grains and to make a business out of it. Understanding the cost of goods to produce and process has been the key deter- mining factor in our success. Having a niche market with ancient wheats has been critical to the success of our business. Our products have set the stage to the emmer and einkorn market that are now developing in the US today. How do you feel Bluebird Grain Farms makes the world better? We make the world better by providing nutrient dense grains that require less water and are cultivated under a strict organic regenerative farm system that provides good food for the people and good soil for the future. Our farm model to produce and process local organic ancient wheats has really sparked an incredible movement throughout the US. In 2004, there were very few producers/processors of grains; there were a few Amish farms in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and Anson Mills in South Carolina. Now, there are probably more than fi ve or six organic mills and several farm direct grain businesses just within Washington state, and a huge movement growing in the Northeast and the Midwest. Being 28 MAKE THE WORLD BETTER MAGAZINEEinkorn bread loaf Clover interseeded with emmer as a nurse crop successful has helped ignite others to try. Th is is very exciting. Our role now is continuous improvement and asking ourselves the question of what can we do to be even better at what we do? Tell us about your organization’s goals. In June 2022, we will be moving into our new process- ing facility that is located on one of our grain fi elds. We will have increased capacity in our production as well as a great location. Here, we will be able to grow our business and show our customers how a vertically integrated organic farm operates. People want to be connected to their food source and we want to be the connector. Our new location will allow our customers to engage in purchasing our grains, while witnessing the farming, storing, cleaning, and packaging of our products. It will be an experi- ence, and not just a purchase. Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share? An “education component” is something that we will be implementing once we are moved into our new facility. We want to be a model farm for other organic regenerative grain farmers. We want to share and learn from others and grow our network of organic regenera- tive farmers in Washington state. We are not sure what this looks like yet. We are exploring partnerships with community organizations, and ideally, engaging a local university in some of our projects. What do you most want people to know about Bluebird Grain Farms? We have built our business on growing and selling nutrient dense ancient grain products and fresh milled fl our. We hope to expand the tenets of our business beyond just the health of our product, but also the health of the planet. To begin, we want to educate our customers about organic regenerative farming and carbon sequestering. We believe net zero farming is possible. How can people help or contribute to Bluebird Grain Farms’ mission? Firstly, you can engage with Bluebird by purchasing our products, visiting us, and talking with us. Share with us on our Instagram and Facebook pages. Secondly, engage with friends and family by starting a conversation and educating them about the importance of supporting small scale organic regenerative farms. Th irdly, eat local. Th is is a movement that is not going away, and it is critical to a low carbon footprint. Fourthly, patronize restaurants and stores that sell products from small scale organic farms. Last but not least, ask local grocery stores and restaurants to sell local products; the consumer often has more leverage than farmers and small businesses. Sometimes, they need to hear from their customers that they want to see local food on the menu and on the shelves. bluebirdgrainfarms.com facebook.com/BluebirdGrainFarms twitter.com/BluebirdGrains instagram.com/BluebirdGrainFarms youtube.com/BluebirdGrainFarms APRIL 2022 • ISSUE 02 29Next >