Over three days this May, ocean farmers in Cordova, Alaska, harvested, processed, and sold more than 25,000 pounds of kelp—the region’s largest collective sale to date. They’re on track to double the amount of kelp sold by season’s end.

“This season marks the first time the emerging Cordova industry experienced the entire value chain from seed to sale at real commercial scale,” says Dave Bailey, GreenWave Director of Farmer Advancement. “It was a huge shift from past seasons, when Cordova farmers hustled to sell small volumes to boutique markets.”

This wasn’t just a win for individual farms—it marked real progress for the whole region. Cordova farmers took critical steps toward commercial scale by investing in more labor and gear upgrades, and improving coordination across the value chain. Local farmers trialed new farm designs to optimize yields and secured commitments from Cascadia Seaweed, a British Columbia-based biostimulant producer, to purchase their entire harvest. Mother of Millions, a woman-led organization and Cascadia’s on-the-water processing partner, played a key role by processing and stabilizing the kelp directly on-site and handling logistics for shipping to British Columbia.

“The impact doesn’t end with this harvest,” Dave says, “Demonstrating a successful, coordinated sale at this scale signals to future buyers that Alaska’s kelp industry is organized, growing, and ready for market.”

Cordova is one of three kelp production regions, including Kodiak, Alaska and Casco Bay, Maine, where GreenWave is partnering closely with local farmers to accelerate industry capacity.

GreenWave’s team provides logistics and hands-on support while working alongside farmers as they test new ideas and approaches. Insights from these collaborations shape every aspect of our work—from designing training programs and building tech tools to supporting regional cohorts as they form cooperatives, share infrastructure, and drive collective impact.

“Keeping farmer priorities front and center means showing up–not just observing from afar, but getting hands on to support farmers as they innovate, collaborate, and scale in key regions,” says GreenWave Director of Training and Support Lindsay Olsen.

Next up, the GreenWave team is headed to support farmers in Kodiak, Alaska as they trial a new harvesting system to speed up harvests and reduce labor demands. The pilot is supported through funds from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better program and managed by the Southeast Conference.

Scroll through to see Cordova’s kelp value chain in action from harvest to processing and stabilization.