Learning the Ropes
Suzie Flores, co-owner of Stonington Kelp Company, talks to passengers aboard a kelp farm tour on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
By Greg Smith - Day Staff Writer
Published: May 09, 2026 3:29 PM Updated:May 11, 2026 7:08 AM
Alice Wyman of New Canaan nibbled a piece of locally harvested sugar kelp on Saturday, comparing it to a “vegan anchovy,” a bit salty with a deep umami flavor.
Wyman and her husband Peter joined three dozen others aboard Project Oceanology Research Vessel, Enviro-Lab II, for a ride to Fisher’s Island Sound and a visit to one of only a handful of sugar kelp farms operating in the state.
The 10-acre farm — only a portion of that is used this year— is run by Stonington Kelp Company owners Suzie Flores and her husband Jay Douglas.
Flores, whose enthusiasm for the subject of sustainable farming is infectious, gave tour members a crash course on how the kelp is grown and the benefits to Long Island Sound. At one point she pulled from a cooler a batch of the seaweed for passengers to touch and taste. The farm itself was only visible from the boat as a series of buoys.
Sugar kelp might not yet be a ubiquitous menu item, but Flores said this nutrient dense superfood grown should be and sees tours like the one on Saturday as a good opportunity to spread the word.
“Having folks understand it's something very good for our environment, our bodies and something that can be grown locally,” she said.
Much of Stonington Kelp Farm's business comes from local restaurants, many of whom specialize in farm-to-table offerings. Flores said more restaurants, especially in New Engalnd where the kelp is grown, are serving sugar kelp but it’s still a niche market. It was tours of her farm that Flores said helped inspire restaurant chefs to add it to their menus.
“Once they come out, they see it's not some scary, weird thing. That's how I got all of them to get on board,” Flores said.
The kelp grows without the use of any fertilizers, fresh water or arable land, just unpolluted sea water. The kelp is grown on rows of ropes similar to laundry line and harvested in the spring. While it is growing, the kelp farm not only absorbs carbon and nitrogen from the water, Flores said, it provides a natural habitat for fish and other wildlife.
Locally, Flores said the sugar kelp appears on the menu at such well-regarded eateries as the Shipwright’s Daughter, Nana’s, The Port of Call and Flanders Fish Market. A good entry point for those who are a little bit squeamish about new things is a fried kelp chip, though many of the health benefits are negated by the frying, she said.
Some of the crop that is not sold to restaurants is either used for food ingredients for things like beer, soy sauce or chips, or dried, ground and turned into a soil amendment. Seaweed is also used as a thickening agent in things like baked goods and cosmetics.
The Stonington Kelp Company is exploring the idea of leasing another site, one more suitable for tours and where Flores said she is considering the idea of growing Bay Scallops and blue mussels as well.
Saturday’s tour ended at Project O’s headquarters on the Avery Point Campus of the University of Connecticut in Groton with a visit to Connecticut Sea Grant's mobile seaweed lab. Project Oceanology Executive Director J. Andrew Ely said the kelp farm tour is one of many initiatives that demonstrates collaboration among groups and a good chance to expose more people aquaculture in the region. The tour, he said, was made possible by Connecticut Humanities.
Saturday's tour is part of the monthlong Kelp Fest celebration, sponsored by The Yellow Farmhouse Education Center and Stonington Kelp Company with involvement from organizations that include Eating with the Ecosystem, a local nonprofit whose mission is to “promote a place-based approach to sustaining New England's wild seafood.”
Kelp Fest Events, which started on April 27, will be running through May 27 and include a Sea Greens Cocktail Party on May 18 on Stone Acres Farm in Stonington. For a full list of events, visit Kelp Fest.
g.smith@theday.com