Mainebiz

V O L . X X I V N O. I I I F E B R UA R Y 5 , 2 0 1 8 20 G R E AT E R P O R T L A N D F O C U S He eventually sold the Bangs Island Mussels to current owners Matthew and Gary Moretti. "It's a very tough, physical busi- ness," he says. 'Make sure your family and friends like it' After selling Bangs Island Mussels, he started Ocean Approved in 2006 to produce a frozen seaweed product. Over the years, the Maine native had developed a strong interest in aquaculture. "In my traveling years, I'd been all over the place and got to see a lot of farming operations," he says. "I'd seen it done right and I'd seen it done wrong. e U.S. is far behind the rest of the world in aquaculture. It was time to be more aggressive." He returned to the idea of farming seaweed for culinary use. Maine has a wild seaweed fishery going back 50 years, for non-food uses like nutri- tional supplements and fertilizers. But as a culinary product whose appeal was growing with consumers, "it was starting to look exciting," he says. With Ocean Approved, he test- marketed wild seaweeds packaged as frozen product. He partnered with University of Connecticut professor Charles Yarish, who was developing technology for raising kelp. Ocean Approved became the first company in the United States to grow farmed kelp. Olson won R&D grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Maine Technology Institute. at included the crucial step of developing seed stock in the lab and technology to deploy seed onto a rope-grown system. Established off Little Chebeague Island in Casco Bay, the farm soon produced 100,000 pounds of sugar kelp and aleria per year, cut and bagged in four-ounce and one-pound sizes, then frozen for use in a variety of reci- pes, for smoothies and soups. He held numerous product dem- onstrations. e list of buyers grew, including natural foods stores and institutions like restaurants, schools and hospitals. "e first place I got into of note was the local Whole Foods," he says. Ocean's Balance, his latest venture, produces the shelf-stable Kelp Puree, which is sold in nine-ounce jars (and in quantities for wholesalers). In each case, the development of the product was a long process, with finding a distributor being just one challenge. With any new product, demonstrations have been key to con- necting directly with consumers and with retailers. He's also been able to build on existing relationships with Portland's markets, and expand from there. Getting people to partake of his product is key to the process, he says. "You put them in dishes that peo- ple are comfortable with," he says. "Take time to develop your idea. Don't spread out too far as you're going along," he adds. "And make sure there's a market for your product. You're not the one you're selling the product to. Do some demonstrations: If you're working up a new food product, start at home, make sure your family and friends like it. en expand it." Olson's efforts are good for the industry, says Shep Erhart, president of the Maine Seaweed Council and founder and president of Maine Coast Sea Vegetables in Hancock. "Tollef has taken an underutilized species and created a simple process — the seaweed doesn't even have to be dried — and come up with an end product that is very consumer- friendly," says Erhart. "Just pop it in a soup or salad, which is probably a great direction. We need more of that kind of development." Laurie SchreiBer, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiBer @ MaineBiz.Biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Concerned your heating system won't make it through another winter? Consider an upgrade. Find out more at efficiencymaine.com 866-376-2463 Instant rebates available for high-efficiency heating systems and controls from Efficiency Maine Take time to develop your idea. Don't spread out too far as you're going along. And make sure there's a market for your product. You're not the one you're selling the product to. Do some demonstrations: If you're working up a new food product, start at home, make sure your family and friends like it. Then expand it. — Tollef Olson Ocean's Balance

• Cover