Who we support locally
All of our Ascophyllum nodosum is sustainably sourced and hand-cut by our harvesters, using the same age-old technique passed down by generations before us. As part of a carefully managed resource, the harvester cuts the seaweed with a small hook, taking care to leave enough of the plant behind to allow regrowth.
Within 2-3 years, the plant will have regrown and can be harvested again. This method has ensured the sustainability of the crop through the years.
Ascophylum grows in the intertidal zone, which means that it occurs naturally between the high and low tidal areas. This means that only every second week during spring tides are the harvesters able to get full access to this area and harvest their crop. At OGT, we face the challenge of transforming a raw material like this and developing a system which allows us to retain all the nutrients that are found in this raw material and turn it into a highly concentrated, high-quality seaweed extract.
To achieve this, we developed a unique and environmentally sustainable cold extraction process called “Gentle Extraction”. This eliminates the use of chemicals and heat used in traditional seaweed processing. The fresh seaweed is sorted by hand, and only the highest quality seaweed is transformed into an extract. The remaining produce is processed into various other components like compost for the horticulture industry.
The pure Ascophylum is then washed and sterilized through a two-stage washing system. This removes all the residues and sand which accumulate along the shoreline. The seaweed then enters our unique cold extraction process. Without the addition of chemicals or adverse heat, the seaweed extract is produced.
This natural extraction process preserves the nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants naturally, present in Ascophyllum. The result: an ideal product for both agricultural and environmental sustainability, increasing crop production in harsh conditions and decreasing the inputs needed for the crop to thrive.