Kelp and Iodine

Freshly harvested kelp drying on the garden fence For a while after the recent tsunami in Japan, Californians were aflutter about iodine, the primary antidote to radiation exposure. In researching sources of the element I discovered that the Japanese consume about five times more than most of the rest of the world, largely because seaweed […]

Bull Kelp of the South Swell

The seasonal south swell has returned to Doran Beach, piling up shapely waves along with lashings of Bull Kelp. Last year I was intent upon taming the kelp for a wild-crafted, bioregional chair. My dream remains intact but this year I’m more seduced by the waves. enormous tangles of kelp accumulate along the shore after […]

Kelp Report

Late winter storms have deposited heaps of bull kelp along the shores over the past week. I had some success experimenting with kelp as a material for furniture last year but am not yet ready to take advantage of its availability in production. I’d love to hear from anyone who has seen kelp used in […]