Our Story
Summit Point LLC was founded in 2017 by first generation fisherwoman Colleen Francke.
After many years of working on offshore boats, Francke decided to return to her inshore roots of aquaculture. She had helped build the first commercial kelp farm in the United States over a decade prior with her colleague and friend Tollef Olson. At the time, the duo was busy growing mussels, but led by Tollef’s entrepreneurial spirit and vision of bringing seaweed aquaculture to the states, the foundation of a new industry was born. “We didn’t know exactly how to do what we were doing at the time, but we showed up every day and made it work… we built the first farm with our bare hands and the most rudimentary of tools… and you know what, we had a blast doing it!”
A spinal injury abruptly ended Francke’s career aboard the physically demanding offshore boats. In the days following her injury, she decided it was critical to find a new pathway to making a living at sea. “It’s where my heart is... There was no way I was calling it quits.” That’s where the concept for her flagship 10-acre kelp farm off of Cumberland, Maine came to life. After years of paperwork, public hearings, and her own physical therapy, the farm was approved by the State of Maine.
So she built another farm, her own farm, with her bare hands.
Francke is now permitted for over 18-acres in Casco Bay and is hoping to double her operations within the next few years. Since the farm’s beginnings she has designed and constructed a one-of-a-kind hatchery system for kelp seed production, which delivers high quality seed to numerous independent growers across New England. She uses her knowledge from her offshore days, and years in the fishing industry, to help others get started on their own farms. “This industry will only continue to grow if we collaborate.”
Summit Point crew Brent Nappi, Colleen Francke, and Matt Cranston harvest kelp aboard the FV Linda Kate in Casco Bay, Maine