Eight journalists. Five days. Fourteen operations. That is a snapshot of the recent U.S. Sustainability Alliance press trip to Maine and Massachusetts, and here are the highlights of the tastings, tours, visits and discussions from across the week.
Innovative Ingredients, Sustainable Manufacturing
- At worker-owned Tooties Tempeh, the group learned about tempeh, a traditional Indonesian fermented food packed with health benefits, which the company makes from organic soybeans. Tooties’ USP is its sustainable manufacturing process, which eliminates single-use plastics while enhancing the taste of the product.
- The group also toured Maine Crisp Co., part of Better with Buckwheat, makers of gluten-free and very moreish crackers and crisps (crisp breads). Its ingredient of choice is buckwheat, a regenerative crop commonly grown as a cover crop, which it sources from family farmers in the northern part of the state.
- The story of natural, innovative ingredients continued at Fancypants Baking Co. It uses upcycled certified ingredients, repurposing byproducts that might otherwise go to waste. Examples include flour made from oat pulp left over from oat milk production and coffee cherries, byproducts of coffee bean processing. Learn more about the company’s sustainability credentials.
Sustainable Seafood and Fisheries Management
- A boat trip with Captain Brian Rapp of Lucky Catch Cruises provided insights into the science-based sustainability rules that protect Maine’s lobster fishery, such as minimum and maximum size limits and v-notching of egg-bearing females. Marianne LaCroix from Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative was on hand to provide additional expertise.
- Environmental sustainability, along with quality and security of supply, was the focus at Bangs Island Mussels, the largest rope-grown mussel farm on the U.S. East Coast. They are working to develop their own hatchery, which will give them greater control over their seed supply, especially as natural spawning becomes less reliable due to factors like climate change.
- At Westport Sea Farms, the group sampled local oysters and chatted with co-owner Kerian Fennelly. The discussion spanned topics ranging from the state-certified water sampling process to ensure oyster quality to the farm’s efforts to minimize waste, including recycling oyster shells.
- At UMass Dartmouth, Kevin Stokesbury, a Commonwealth Professor and Dean of the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST), highlighted how the state’s sea scallop fishery is managed. The group heard how Stokesbury helped revitalize the Atlantic sea scallop industry in New Bedford by inventing a drop camera system that accurately captures images of scallops on the seafloor.
- The group continued their sea scallop education at Eastern Fisheries, visiting the processing facility and touring one of the company’s 28 scallop vessels. President Ronnie Enoksen outlined the rules in place to avoid overfishing, including limits on the number of days boats are allowed to fish.
- Story Reed, Assistant Director of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, provided vital context on how U.S. fisheries are managed, from policy and permits to quotas and habitat conservation programs.
Community – the Social Side of Sustainability
- The group toured and tasted at Allagash Brewing Company, a certified B Corp which donates 1% of its revenue and collaborates with local nonprofits to support the local community. The brewery works to reduce its environmental impact by using less water, diverting waste from landfill, including spent grain, and sourcing Maine-grown grain and malt from local partners.
- Allagash’s partners include Blue Ox Malthouse, which bridges the gap between local grain producers and craft breweries by providing malt-making capacity in the region. Blue Ox Malthouse not only uses grains grown by local family farms, but it also employs staff from the local area. This is one of the benefits of the traditional, relatively labor-intensive method of floor malting that it uses. It keeps jobs in the community.
- At fifth-generation Jordan’s Farm in Port Elizabeth, Maine, the journalists heard how every effort is made to provide fresh, local food to those who need it the most. Co-owner Penny Jordan is actively involved in programs such as Farms for Food Equity, which she set up about four years ago; it buys surplus food from local farms and delivers it to hunger relief organizations.
- A visit to CommonwealthKitchen in Boston highlighted efforts to transform the local food economy. This non-profit provides the space, equipment, and expertise that food businesses, caterers and manufacturers need to turn their concepts into reality, with a focus on supporting minority groups. It also helps farmers turn surplus crops into innovative new products. Its Cranberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce is a must-try!
We will be sharing additional, detailed reports on the USSA press trip. So, stay tuned.