We are so pleased to finally be launching our website and social media presence! We are ‘Green Castle Kelp’ a family run company started by two Cousins that was born upon the modern idea of growing and producing sustainable Seaweed products that is beneficial to our customers and also ethically produced and kind to the environment. We understand that the growth of Seaweed is one of the best defences the planet has when it comes to capturing carbon and in turn winning the battle against climate change. With that in mind we are currently growing seaweed on submerged ropes at our marine based farm adding to the fight to reduce emissions by scrubbing Co2 from the Ocean while also contributing to ‘The Blue Economy’.
Using Modern Techniques
Modern Seaweed growing techniques that we use involves taking cultivated seaweed from a Laboratory and attaching it to ropes that we submerge under the water to make up our marine farm. We are able to sustainably grow, harvest and regrow our seaweed crops without the need to disturb any other plants or animals in the Ocean, letting them thrive in their natural habitat. Checkout the link below to NOAA’s website and their arrivals on Seaweed Aquaculture for more information on this type of aquaculture.
Furthermore we use modern drying techniques using renewable energy sources to dry our produce. We can utilise a Solar drying process using solar powered fans to help extract moisture from our product at our workshop and that can be done in the colder months/days. Or simply by using the breeze and sun to dry our product on warm days during the summer in particular. Our operating plant is powered by Hydro Electricity harnessing a natural river that runs down the hillside passing our locale which motions a turbine that we can collect power from.
Carbon Negative
We are only at the beginning of our venture and our plan is to not only become a Carbon Neutral operation but a Carbon Negative one in the future. We feel that a company using a business model that actually reduces carbon emissions as it operates within the local and international economy needs to be the future of all industry. We would like to pioneer that spirit and help other companies achieve this goal also. We have since found out that this philosophy for doing business is not exactly an original thought, In fact all of our operating plans coincidently fall within what is known as ‘The Blue Economy’. The Blue Economy is a long term strategy set out by the United Nations aimed at supporting sustainable economic growth through Ocean related sectors and activities, while improving human well being and social equality and preserving the environment. This is something that I wish to blog about in the future to help promote the idea of how people and business can harness the Ocean in an ethical manner whilst creating jobs and economic growth. Article: 5 Reasons why the G20 needs a sustainable blue economy
Just Having Fun!
Indeed these subject matters are all very serious and we think it fantastic that we can go about our business in a manner that can inspire change and hopefully help others to do the same! But being honest even though our operation has evolved this way, this was not the initial reason or intention when we begun. We decided to venture into it simply because we love it!.. The lifestyle, the freedom of working in the Ocean and bringing a wetsuit and snorkel to work with you everyday is fun!
It is the same kind of fun we have in our spare time anyway.. wither that be Surfing, Kite Surfing, Kayaking or Snorkelling the Wild Atlantic Way. The call of the Ocean all stemmed from when we spent joyful summers as kids raised in Donegal going on adventures cliff diving and swimming at our local beaches. Even after time apart were we both spent some years abroad, the draw of our roots brought us back to where we are now raising our own young families. Myself (Kevin) and my partner Ciara live with our children on the same road as the generational farm upon the hill were our operation is based. Michael and his wife Lely live and the kids live only a 10 minute walk away.
Following Footsteps
Seaweed has also played a part in our upbringing albeit we knew little about it at the time. We took for granted the fact that our mutual Grandfather and his forefathers had been using it as a natural fertiliser on the generational farm for decades. This traditional use of Seaweed became almost obsolete with the introduction of modern synthetic fertilisers but we believe we can blaze a trail in the future using our Seaweed as a natural alternative and once again follow in our grandparents footsteps.
And what started as ‘a bit a craic’ for two Donegal fishing buddies, traditional Irish seaweed harvesting has now grown into a full family business.
Whether free diving off our rocky coast or hand crafting one of our numerous organic seaweed products, our Irish roots have become deeply entwined with the goal of bringing sustainable seaweed to your household by combining traditional Irish techniques along with modern values.
Other interesting articles and webpages in relation to this Blog
- Time.com – The Ocean Farmers Turning Seaweed into Climate Solutions
- DiscoverIreland.ie – Wild Atlantic Way Home Page
