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Alaska Kelp Meets Midwest Agriculture at TFI Agronomy Conference & Expo
September 25, 2026
Lead Entities: Alaska Mariculture Alliance, Chugach Regional Resources Commission, Pacific Kelp Company
Grant Component: Market Development
In August, three Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC) delegates traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana, for The Fertilizer Institute’s (TFI) 2026 Agronomy Conference & Expo to explore a growing opportunity for Alaska kelp: agricultural biostimulants.
Jason Lessard, Executive Director of the Alaska Mariculture Alliance (AMA), attended to better understand the broader commercial and regulatory landscape for biostimulants and identify opportunities for Alaska’s emerging industry. Nick Stern of Pacific Kelp Company joined to focused on connecting with agricultural retailers and distributors that could help bring Pacific Kelp Company’s KelpEdge product to market; and Briana Murphy, Mariculture Liaison with Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) went to seek feedback and connections that could support CRRC and the Kachemak Kelp Hub’s continued development of kelp-based biostimulants. Pacific Kelp Company and CRRC are both leading projects through the AMC’s Kelp Agricultural Product Development Program, which is supporting product development, field testing, commercialization, and supply-chain research for Alaska kelp-based agricultural products. The conference provided an opportunity to take that work directly to the people who decide which products ultimately reach the field.
Lessard, Stern, and Murphy attended sessions on 4R Nutrient Stewardship, the science of biostimulants, fertilizer markets and messaging, and soil and crop management. They also joined a tour of Purdue University research farms, getting a firsthand look at large-scale row-crop production and agricultural field trials. Much of their time was also spent talking directly with agronomists, farmers, agricultural cooperatives, distributors, manufacturers, researchers, and industry organizations.
“Most of the attendees were agronomists or related to a distribution partner, so it was exactly the people we were looking to connect with. I had good discussions with 10 potential distribution opportunities” – Nick Stern
The trip highlighted several paths to market within the current fragmented but growing market. Large-scale row crops represent enormous potential volume, but breaking into those markets can require substantial scale and established distribution relationships. Nearer-term opportunities could include supplying Alaska kelp as an ingredient to existing manufacturers, working with trusted agricultural distributors, pursuing white-label partnerships, and targeting crops and regions where Alaska products can demonstrate a clear advantage.
For the AMC, the conference represented another step in connecting Alaska research, product development, and production with growing markets. As kelp-based biostimulant projects move through testing and commercialization, insights from farmers, agronomists, buyers, and distributors can help cement Alaska’s position in the market and create new opportunities for kelp farmers and coastal communities.
Click on the links below to read the full trip summaries:
About the AMC Marketing Program
Funded through the AMC’s Market Development grant component, the Alaska Mariculture Alliance (AMA) and Southeast Conference (SEC) have launched a robust marketing program to increase awareness, demand, and long-term market opportunities for Alaska’s growing mariculture industry. The AMC Marketing Program is being advanced by Tastemaker Comms in partnership with Rising Tide Communications – two experienced firms with extensive backgrounds in seafood marketing, brand development, and campaign execution.
About the Alaska Mariculture Cluster
In September 2022, Southeast Conference was awarded a $49 million U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to stimulate private investment and grow Alaska’s mariculture industry to $100 million in sales in 10 years. The Alaska Mariculture Cluster grant involves a large coalition of state agencies, Tribes, non-profits, and others working together over a five year period ending May 2027.
