SPEAKERS
Lourdes Gant, Patrick Schnettler
Lourdes Gant 0:05
As a business owner of an aquaculture company, how can you take the first step to be profitable and sustainable at the same time? That’s what we’re going to be talking about in this episode. Hello, and welcome to the business of agriculture podcast. This is the podcast for the Sustainable Business movement in the Apple farming and ocean ranching industries. This podcast aims to amplify the voices of entrepreneurs addressing the United Nation global goals, aka Sustainable Development Goals number 14, to conserve and sustainably use the oceans and the seas. Listen to fellow business agriculturists in their journey in this new model of food production of making their business sustainable, and helping the ecology of the ocean, while also making a profit all at the same time. Get inspired to learn how even small to medium businesses can make an impact to save the CCE. Leave a legacy and have a better quality of life. One of our goals is to take away a nugget of wisdom that will help your business move from the industrial revolution to business 5.0. Our vision is that of collaboration in the agriculture industry. I’m Lourdes Gant your host.
Lourdes Gant 1:25
As an agriculture business, how do you become innovative in the agriculture industry so you can be eligible to investors criteria? This episode is dedicated to answering that question. So listen in and I hope you enjoy this episode. If you listen to episode 12, we had Tony Chen who I call now the Nostradamus of the Aqua tech industry. I say that because their technology is forecasting diseases in animals, both in Norway and in the United States. And gain traction. That is really what I call now modern magic.
Lourdes Gant 1:58
Welcome to Episode 13 Season Two of the business of agriculture. In this episode, I’m delighted to interview Patrick Schnettler. Welcome to the show, Patrick, thank you so much for having me. He is passionate about seaweeds and kelp. So maybe you can be a better person to give me a background about your company. And of course, I know you’re the co-founder of 12 nines, which is about organic cup snacks, and you are an ocean entrepreneur. Welcome to the show again, Patrick.
Patrick Schnettler 2:29
Yeah, I’d be happy to share a little bit more about the long backstory. I came from a background in large-scale commercial fishing and aquaculture more old-school seafood. And in doing that I saw all the bad things that are going on in the oceans. I worked on big factory trawlers up in Alaska, spent some time on shrimp farms in Indonesia, worked on a fish farm in Mexico. And they’re right now the intersection between our food system in the ocean is characterized by things like overfishing, pollution, and coastline destruction. And I wanted to find a better way for the food system to intersect with the oceans. So while I was traveling around the seafood space, I started meeting people who were growing kelp on these sorts of regenerative ocean farms. And I felt this idea that we can grow nutrient-dense food with zero inputs and have a net positive impact on the surrounding rain ecosystems was very compelling, and to be a much bigger part of the food system.
Lourdes Gant 3:29
And I normally don’t ask this because I can be charging ages and but it’s so good to see young people get involved in this. So just so you know, I’m seeing a little bit of video of better care. And I can see that he’s one of those people who has gotten really awake early in life and really young to embark on something that’s regenerative. So thank you for doing what you’re doing. So my first question is, what is your advice to small businesses wanting to embark on sustainable or green technology?
Patrick Schnettler 4:01
I mean, I think it’s probably entrepreneurial advice in general. But thinking about your why and sort of solidifying that and even framing that on your desk, to remind you, of why you’re doing what you’re doing, because the entrepreneurial journey will never be easy. And you’re having that really strong. Why will help you fight through a lot of the challenging times that you’re inevitably going to see, as an entrepreneur.
Lourdes Gant 4:29
I really like that I’m a big proponent of just knowing someone’s mission. And if everybody is listening to this podcast, probably everybody’s aware of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. So if you guys want to know your purpose, and big why that’s a big start. Give me a message because I had an app that’s able to determine what is your big why from there, mine is no poverty and so would you want to share to outsides your companies or why
Patrick Schnettler 4:59
Yeah, Our mission is to transform the food system into a force for good for the oceans. And we’re using regeneratively farmed kelp as a way of doing that. That’s sort of the first pillar of what we do. And then the second pillar is, we are creating a community around ocean conservation and restoration. That was something that was close to me as I was growing up, my mom worked for The Nature Conservancy, as I was growing up, and there, we’re trying to build a community that allows people to infuse this sense of sort of ocean positivity or ways to make a positive impact on the oceans in their everyday lives. And then the last thing that we do is try to mitigate the plastic crisis in the oceans by spending a lot of time and effort on sustainable packaging.
Lourdes Gant 5:47
Wow, that’s really very impressive. I really like when you were talking about these pillars, very categorized, and very, very clear and specific on how you’re doing that based on the species in this matter, that kelp snacks. Which is your product. Was there a reason why you ended up choosing kelp?
Patrick Schnettler 6:07
Yeah, so I met a number of farmers. No, this is many years ago now. But kelp farming there, it’s still in its very early stages. And what I felt was needed was high-value applications and applications for this extremely healthy, regeneratively grown crop that didn’t exist today, that could help the industry grow profitably, and grow in a healthy and sustainable fashion. And, obviously, you know, high premium organic food products like ours is a way of sort of creating those high value in markets. And so that is, that’s why we started there.
Lourdes Gant 6:49
And it seems to be the darling of the industry now, too. So right timing as well, in terms of business. How would you solve the bureaucracy challenge that regulates the industry, so the business is not hampered by rulings? If there’s any I know also, that there can be some that are really supportive?
Patrick Schnettler 7:07
Yeah, it’s an interesting one, there’s not a lot on the consumer food side of our business. But on the cold farming side of the business, it’s pretty much state by state in the United States. And there are a few states that have started to become quite supportive of kelp farming, and creating new leases or designated areas in kelp farming can be done. And Alaska is one of them. Maine would be the other one. Other states have not made quite as much progress in that and you know, hoping states like maybe California here can start to put some more regulatory structure in place for seaweed farming specifically, and recognize some of the environmental benefits and economic benefits that it can have.
Lourdes Gant 7:53
There like that. It seems to be the clamor for that structure. I think because the industry is quite still in its infancy stage. Everything is I’m speaking for ourselves here, in my experience based on everything was based on the fishing side of things, and agriculture has now just gained traction, but the ruling needs to catch up at one point. And so my next question, then is what’s one thing you think that will stay in the next decade?
Patrick Schnettler 8:21
Well, if there are any parts of our business that move the slowest? I would say that it is the regulatory structure. But maybe I’ll flip the question I’d said, I think it’s easier for me to think about the things that aren’t going to be the same because those are the opportunities that we’re sort of chasing. I think that regenerative food is sort of a foundational element or reading attribute of the way our food system is going to look there 10 or 15 years from now, and there will be increasing everything from sort of scientific research, as well as products and brands and new crops that can support positive ecological impact on the planet, while also producing food for everybody that lives here. And we 12 ties want to be sort of driving and leading force behind that regenerative food movement and the oceans.
Lourdes Gant 9:24
Air like that. I was gonna ask you next, actually, what’s the future trend that you are gonna see? But you answer that with regenerative food a decade or 15 years from now? So tell us more about your company? Is this your spotlight to do shameless self-promotion?
Patrick Schnettler 9:41
Yeah, so troll ties. We work with those farmers directly now that I’ve mentioned before we source organic and super high-quality coke from them, and we bake it into these tasty and ocean-friendly chips. And really our goal is to number one, support regenerative Farming and grow that as a part of the food system. And number two is building that community around ocean conservation and restoration. If I was to do a shameless plug, I would probably do it for our nonprofit partners instead of us. We work with an amazing group here in California called Sea trees. And they do ocean restoration projects around the world. And we are supporting their projects to restore California’s natural cope right now. But I would definitely go check them out. See trees.
Lourdes Gant 10:29
Sounds great. It’s the first time I heard that it’s so amazing. So thank you for being on the show. Patrick. My biggest takeaway from our conversation is when you were mentioning the three pillars of your company I really liked when you mentioned the first pillar about the kelp product itself and then the second pillar on conservation and restoration. And finally, the third pillar, which is mitigating plastic crisis and a lot more about the regenerative ocean farming that you mentioned how they can get in touch with you.
Patrick Schnettler 10:57
I would say follow us on Instagram at 12 tides and send us a DM
Lourdes Gant 11:02
Sounds great. Thanks again, Patrick to our subscribers do leave a review of the podcast so we can get more people to be aware of the value our guests are providing in these conversations. If you’re new to the podcast, I’d like to hear from you. Thanks, everyone. Thanks again, Patrick. Really appreciate your time today.
Patrick Schnettler 11:16
Thank you for having me.
Lourdes Gant 11:21
Thank you for listening, and I hope you are inspired by this episode. Do take a moment and share this with your friends and colleagues and rate and review the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. I’d love to know what your biggest takeaway from this conversation has been? What are you going to do differently? Please share thoughts across social media and tag us for links and show notes for this episode, visit our website www dot sustainable agriculture.ca/podcast thank you again I hope you will join me on the next episode, and together we can help create a better business in aquaculture.
