The COVID-19 pandemic made it nearly impossible for kelp farm owners Lexa Meyer and her husband Alf Pryor to process their harvest last year. Despite the inability to bring in outside workers due to travel restrictions, they managed to complete the harvest by hiring 25 to 30 locals to help.Â
In addition to owning the kelp farm, Meyer also works as the Alaska mariculture manager for Blue Evolution, a California-based company that makes kelp products.
She said Blue Evolution is able hire people for about six weeks to process kelp during the harvest season. This occurs during the spring, at a time of the year when there is typically less fisheries work because processors are preparing for the summer salmon season.Â