“Our Food Requires No Freshwater, No Land, No Fertilizer” Can Ocean Farming Fix Our Food System? | Bren Smith

What Bren Smith is doing with the ocean is what we’ve been trying to do on land. He’s reanchoring our food system to something alive, something real. And the wild thing is, he’s growing food that doesn’t require any freshwater, fertilizer, or land.

Bren’s a former commercial fisherman who’s now leading the way in regenerative ocean farming. He’s got this deep blue-collar wisdom and a whole lot of practical invention. We talk about what it means to make a living on a living planet, the connection between soil and sea, and why kelp just might be one of the most powerful tools we have to fight climate change.

I loved this conversation. It’s a different kind of farming, but it’s the same fight. He’s on the water. I’m on the land. But we’re both trying to reconnect people to the systems that feed us and keep us alive.

Key Takeaways

Farming The Ocean Is Farming The Future - Regenerative ocean farming uses no land, no freshwater, and no fertilizer, but still provides real food and helps the climate.

Kelp Builds Resilience - It pulls carbon from the air, filters nitrogen, and brings life back to the ocean.

Blue Collar Innovation Matters - Fishermen and farmers carry deep ancestral knowledge and practical solutions. We just need to pay attention.

The Food Movement Should Feel Like Home - Whether you work with soil or seaweed, there’s a place for you if you care about feeding people well.

We Need Jobs Worth Singing About - Bren is focused on creating work that’s meaningful, rooted in place, and tied to something bigger.

The Ocean Is An Ally - If we work with it the right way, the ocean can actually help heal the planet and feed us at the same time.

Where to Find Our Guest

GreenWave Website: https://greenwave.org

GreenWave on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenwaveorg

GreenWave on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenwaveorg

GreenWave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenwaveorg

Links & Resources

Bren Smith's Book – “Eat Like a Fish”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547069/eat-like-a-fish-by-bren-smith

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