LISBON

An E. coli outbreak in romaine lettuce from Arizona earlier this year has people thinking more about the source of their food.

And a growing Lisbon company — Springworks Organics — is able to provide Mainers with a locally grown, year-round option.

Trevor Kenkel, currently a Bowdoin College student, founded the company in 2014. Seeing the impact traditional agriculture can have on the environment while growing up in Montana, he began researching sustainable options.

“When I saw damage being done to a creek near my house, it put it into perspective what you eat can have an impact,” said Kenkel. “I started an organic garden. I looked for something that could be done year-round and mindful of resources.”

What he found was aquaponics — which uses fish waste to fertilize plants — the method used at Springworks’ 6,000-square-foot greenhouse. The method pumps water from large tanks of tilapia into troughs where lettuce is cultivated. The plants also clean the water that is then returned to the tank.

System at Springworks

“The fish provide the bulk of the fertilizer for the system,” said Kenkel. “We feed them a specific amount to fertilize the system. It goes through filtration and is added to the greenhouse.”

The lettuce at Springworks grows in floating rafts, which allows staff to move the plants and make the most use of space. As a result, Kenkel said his system is faster than traditional growing methods.

“The growth function of a plant like lettuce is all exponential,” said Kenkel. “By being able to transfer plants as they grow, we can really utilize the amount of space that they need at any given time.”

Food safety is always a concern, he said, but the cleanliness of his farm’s method is a reason he believes it’s safer than traditional ways.

On a national scale, he said, most of the country’s supply of lettuce is grown in California and Arizona. The small concentration of suppliers can be problematic when issues arise. When it comes to the contamination stemming from Yuma, Arizona, he points to the supply chain as a possible cause. When lettuce is being transferred 2,000 miles to a destination, it’s bound to change hands on its journey.

“I don’t know if its because of lack of transparency in the supply chain or growing methods out west, but leafy greens are a really common cause of food poisoning,” said Kenkel. “You worry about meat and dairy and things people perceive as having food safety issues, where in reality the lettuce you just bought is probably a more likely candidate if you don’t know where it’s coming from.”

Eric Gallandt, a professor of weed ecology at the University of Maine in Orono, agrees cutting down the supply chain has its advantages with romaine. When looking at the areas of California and Arizona where most of the country’s romaine is produced, he noted there are challenges to maintaining thousands of acres. If there is an issue such as food-borne illness, finding the source of the problem takes time.

“With local farmers, they typically know exactly where stuff comes from,” said Gallandt. “The motivation is extremely high, because chances are they’re out there looking their customer in the face every day.”

Kenkel said Springworks has fielded local inquiries from customers wanting to substantially increase the amount of romaine they’re buying from the farm — currently, the business is already selling out the greenhouse.

The local connection

Gallandt believes each farm is it’s own case, and it comes down to the individual operators.

“It really depends on the farm,” he said. “If there is a possible advantage, organic farms tend to get prices that more accurately reflect the cost of production.”

Springworks supplies 30 Hannaford stores, and reaches 120 accounts on a weekly basis. A cleaner growing method and transparent growing process is why Kenkel believes businesses are turning to Springworks.

“It’s one of the big advantages that we have a very transparent, close to home supply chain,” Kenkel said. “We work with businesses like Hannaford that require very stringent safety qualifications. We can track the plant down to what part of the greenhouse it was grown in on any given order. It’s a finer grade.”

Given the size of its operation, Springworks supplies a hefty number of Hannaford stores. In the case of romaine and other produce, Hannaford also pays attention to local suppliers.

“When we’re able to source locally, we’re able to cut down on the travel miles, and food is very fresh,” said Hannaford spokesman Eric Blom.

He said the company is always looking for local sources — regardless of size — when possible, and will often feature the products within the store.

“We are always looking for local vendors,” said Blom. “It’s something our customers value, and by supporting local agriculture, we’re supporting the local economy as well.”

And it shows with Springworks — the farm has plans to add a second greenhouse by the end of the summer.

chris@timesrecord.com