Green Stream Farms receives fund to expand its microalgae facility

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

Green Stream Farms, a Southern New Mexico company that grows algae for use in nutrition products, has been awarded economic assistance to expand its processing operations and create jobs.

Figure 1. Green Stream Farms’ pond in Columbus

Green Stream Farms in Columbus (Luna County, NM, USA) grows algae on 96 acres of lined ponds, but the current demand for algae is higher than the facility can supply. The farm has sufficient water to support needed expansion, however new buildings, processing and harvesting equipment are needed to meet production demands. A 250 k$ from the state Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) job-creators fund will allow Green Stream Farms to more than double its annual harvest, from 250 tons to 700 tons by 2022, adding 23 employees over the next 5 years. The planned construction and upgrades will increase algae production to the level of an industrial scale, allowing for continued expansion and economic growth.

Luna County is the ideal location for Green Stream’s micro-algae product due to its climate and moderate overnight temperatures. The site is the second largest outdoor algae farm in the world with harvesting occurring nine or ten months out of the year, while ponds hibernate in the hotter summer months. The family-owned company assumed operations of the property in 2019 (old Sapphire Energy facility) and is investing roughly 7 M$ in upgraded harvesting, filtration and processing equipment. Green Stream Farms customers use the algae primarily in two vertical markets, as a feed supplement for healthier livestock and for Omega-3 enriched nutraceutical products.

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