When Ash Sutton realised the seaweed rising on his farm off the West Australian hover had a identical texture to lolly snakes, he started concerned about his next industry switch.
Key positive aspects:
- Ash Sutton grows seaweed on the Abrolhos Islands off the West Australian hover
- After years of experimenting, he’s set to commence two snack foods
- He prunes fresh enhance off his established seaweed and describes it as a renewable helpful resource
“It be any such groovy-taking a look product. I conception I could possibly also merely no longer refine it, I could possibly also merely no longer route of it, however wouldn’t it be staunch if that no doubt tasted love a lolly,” he acknowledged.
It be been four years and brought “a kind of chequebooks” however he’s set to commence two seaweed-primarily based products as selections to lollies and jerky.
The approach of remodeling the red spinosum into suitable for eating products is a carefully saved secret.
Mr Sutton says the products personal “nothing man made” and are sweetened with honey gathered from his farm at Greenough, appropriate south of Geraldton.
“It be straight from relaxed mighty the ocean in the mouth,” he acknowledged.
“It be gone thru rigorous shelf-life assessments … authorities red tape has been laborious work, however [with] persistence … or no longer it is rather thrilling in screech to web it to the consumer.”
Mr Sutton’s seaweed farm sits in the southern neighborhood on the Abrolhos Islands, a rugged windswept coral archipelago, 60 kilometres off the hover from Geraldton.
Howling winds and swell like made for a intriguing farming gallop to search out the balance between the seaweed getting ample sunlight hours and safe haven from the solid ocean currents.
“You scrutinize the chilly fronts arriving and you attain out the following week and all your stuff is unfold out off the lines. I’ve had to switch my put of living just a few times on myth of the climate,” he acknowledged.
Nonetheless the isolation of the Abrolhos makes the water pristine, and finest for seaweed manufacturing.
Return to the islands
Mr Sutton lived in Asia for 10 years the put he observed “seaweed used to be appropriate about on every menu and a same outdated fragment of life”. When he returned to Australia he made up our minds to steal a like a look at his hand at seaweed farming.
It used to be a homecoming, after spending his earlier years working in the commercial fishing industry at some stage in the Abrolhos Islands.
“I conception, smartly, buggered if I will walk commercial fishing. I peaceable want to work on the ocean and I could perchance want to realize a sustainable industry for the ambiance and the ocean,” he acknowledged.
After acquiring a allow to select 50 kilograms of wild seaweed stock and he started his farming operation.
“It be love a enormous underwater garden and after four years of diving and having a like a look at seaweed, you form of determine, hang on a minute, or no longer it’s no longer rising so staunch here and it finest works below that quantity of light and the amount of coral,” he acknowledged.
“After it grows out to a certain size, which is set three months, I will attain along and harvest the cuttings, and it will peaceable maintain rising.
“So or no longer it’s truly sustainable. It be love you assemble no longer touch the ambiance ever again.”
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