Back to: Map Your Resources

Part of the beauty of ocean farming is that it’s possible to get started without a lot of upfront investment. At the bare minimum, you’ll need a lease, a boat, and a couple thousand dollars’ worth of gear to put your first lines of kelp in the water. Of course, these startup costs will vary widely depending on the location of your farm, the size of your operation, and how well-resourced you are. That is, how many of your existing assets and equipment you can repurpose to use on your farm. These assets could be tangible (e.g. a boat or a pickup truck) or intangible, like connections to other growers in your region or a relationship with a buyer. When you’re first starting out, you’ll want to map out all the resources you have access to. This will help you get a better idea of what gear you’ll need to purchase and connections you’ll need to make to get started.