Everyday Adaptation - Alternative Economic Models

In this episode of From the Sea Up, we explore how adaptation can take shape not just on the water, but in the way businesses are structured. We hear from Kristin Isfeld, an oyster and kelp farmer in Casco Bay who joined the Maine Family Sea Farm Cooperative to share infrastructure, reduce risk, and keep her operation small and flexible. And further up the coast, we meet Seraphina Erhart, the general manager of Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, an employee-owned company built on slow growth, high quality seaweed products, and long-term relationships with wild harvesters.

Together, these stories show how cooperative and employee-owned models can help coastal businesses respond to environmental and economic change — by spreading risk, sharing resources, and building resilience without pushing ecosystems or communities beyond their limits.

Please note: When this interview with Kristin Isfeld was conducted she was still living and working in Maine and part of the Maine Family Sea Farms Cooperative. Though she is no longer oyster farming on Maine’s waterfront, she offers valuable insight into the inner workings of this unique economic model.