PORTLAND, Maine — There’s a lot you probably don’t know about seaweed.
For one thing, it grows naturally and doesn’t need to be fed, watered, or treated with pesticides. For another, it improves water quality and provides habitat for marine organisms. And third, it’s helping the coastal economy become more diverse as lobstermen and others turn to kelp farming in the winter.
These are some of the informational nuggets one can pick up at the sixth annual Maine Seaweed Week, which is billed as “a food and drink festival celebrating Maine’s kelp harvest.” Josh Rogers, who runs a retail operation in Portland called Heritage Seaweed, founded the event with the aim of shining a light on an underappreciated part of Maine’s marine environment and economy.
Maine Seaweed Week this year will run from April 19 to 28, featuring farm tours, cooking workshops, food and drink specials (Anyone up for kelp burger?) and more. Among those offering “limited-edition releases” will be bakers, brewers, distillers, chocolatiers, and cheesemakers.
Curious to learn more? Watch our conversation with Josh Rogers. He just may be seaweed’s most enthusiastic advocate in Maine.