Back to: Site Evaluation

To begin, we recommend you start by going back to the basics: roll out a few marine charts or poke around on Google Maps. Start to identify which areas, generally, might be worth investigating in more detail. If you have a boat or a skiff, take it out for a scoping tour. Remember, when considering access, you’re thinking about the proximity to the nearest port and the cost, feasibility, and safety of getting to and from your chosen sites. 

During this initial scoping period, you might also consider the option of purchasing a pre-existing farm. Occasionally, aquatic farms go up for sale as farmers retire or leave the industry. There might be a shellfish or seaweed farmer in your region looking to sell their business and transfer their site lease, which can sometimes help streamline the permitting process. Some kelp farmers have also had luck teaming up with an existing shellfish farmer to farm kelp on a portion of their existing lease.