Report from our first seaweed trainees
Two pair of observant eyes controlling our newly harvested seaweed
This year, we have been able to facilitate two trainees and seaweed enthusiasts for the first time. Cecilia Vibe and Kristin Smeby joined us during the harvesting season, bringing both new perspectives and joy. Below you can read their own thoughts from the stay.
We arrived in Haugsbygda at the end of April – just in time to see the first ropes of winged kelp brought up from the ocean. Kristin, arriving from Ålesund, is a second-year student completing her bachelor program in Bio Marine innovation. The interdisciplinary study combines marine biology with subjects related to business development and management, making Tango a natural fit for an internship experience. Cecilia, travelling from Oslo, completed her degree in Development & Environment studies where she wrote her thesis on the wider socio-ecological benefits of seaweed harvest in Norway. Tango’s approach to farming on nature’s principles caught her attention and she took the opportunity to get in touch with Lise to come experience ocean farming – naturally.
Harvesting wild seaweed at Gjøneset (©Cecilia Vibe and Kristin Sagosen Smeby)
In the span of three weeks we have been involved in the harvest and processing of this seasons’ winged kelp, while living in a small seaside cottage in Haugsbygda – learning about Tango and their vision as well as seaweed more generally. One of the first conversations we had upon meeting was naturally to explore our common interest in seaweed and why we both feel particularly drawn to this beautiful resource. A reoccurring theme was deliberating on how to best communicate the wider benefits of seaweed as a future-oriented food resource. We agree that making and sharing tasty food with others is a great place to start!
Perfect day at sea, heading towards the seaweed
A short swim after a day’s work (©Kristin Sagosen Smeby and Cecilia Vibe)
On our days off – although we spent all of our working hours on seaweed already – we did take the opportunity to harvest other species of seaweed for personal use, and to fill up each our suitcase before heading home. With a bucket and a pair of scissors we headed for the shoreline during low tide to pick samples of all the different kinds of seaweed we could find. If you didn’t already know – all 450+ types of seaweed along the Norwegian coastline are edible! With our collected treasures we cooked a variety of dishes, including a peanut noodle dish with sea spaghetti, ramson pesto with a seaweed twist, toasted sea lettuce chips and a spice mix with pepper dulse. In order to reach the seaweed species growing at lower depths we also borrowed gear to go free-diving, where we collected our favorite sugar kelp and dulse as well as other curious species.
Dinner prep with wild foraged goods (© Cecilia Vibe and Kristin Sagosen Smeby)
We have grown very fond of the Tango family, and the rest of the local community of Haugsbygda – thank you for your generosity and hospitality. It has been an absolute pleasure to discover this unique part of the Norwegian coast, and are already planning our return for the harvest season next year. Until then we will continue to explore how to make seaweed more accessible by inviting friends and family for seaweed-meals where we can share our ever-growing enthusiasm and interest for the future of food.