Hannaford supermarkets no longer selling Lisbon-based Springworks Farm products

Lisbon Aquaponics Giant Springworks Farm Quietly Shuts Doors, Leaving Hannaford Stores Empty

By [Your Name], Maine News Now

The 347‑square‑foot greenhouse complex that once buzzed with the green‑gold glow of aquaponic lettuce has gone silent. On Wednesday, a handful of Hannaford supermarkets in the Lewiston‑Auburn area reported that no Springworks products were on the shelves, and a search of the chain’s online store yielded the same result. The farm’s phone line has gone dead, and emails sent to its employees have gone unanswered.

Sources say the farm stopped delivering to Hannaford “a few weeks” ago, but the exact date has not yet been confirmed. “We are not able to give an exact timeline,” one Hannaford employee told a reporter. “It’s been a few weeks, though.”

Springworks, once the largest certified‑organic aquaponic producer of lettuce in New England, was a familiar face to shoppers in the region. The company supplied every one of the chain’s 184 stores with baby romaine, Boston bibb, and a range of pre‑cut lettuce products, as well as whole‑head romaine and green‑leaf lettuce for Hannaford’s exclusive line. In addition to supermarket customers, Springworks shipped to Whole Foods, Roche Bros., Food City, Sysco of Northern New England, and local schools.

Founded in 2014 by Bowdoin College student Trevor Kinkel, Springworks grew from a student‑led experiment to a multimillion‑dollar operation that, in 2023, secured $22 million in financing for a 120,000‑square‑foot greenhouse expansion. The company’s website claims it produced roughly five million heads of lettuce per year and 160 metric tons of tilapia, the fish waste of which feeds the plants in its aquaponic system.

“While FAME cannot comment on the specific circumstances of any individual business, including Springworks, we recognize the significant impact that business closures can have on employees, families, and local communities,” the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) said in a statement released today. “The greenhouse agriculture sector, the organization said, has faced substantial challenges in recent years, including difficulty attracting investment and accessing growth capital. These challenges have affected companies of varying sizes in multiple states and are not unique to Maine.” The agency added that it remains committed to Maine’s agriculture economy.

City officials in Lisbon were also asked for comment. “The city of Lisbon has no comment at this time,” said Ross Cunningham, the town’s director of economic and community development.

The Maine Department of Labor said it had not been notified of Springworks’ closure. The agency noted that employers are only required to issue notice if 50 or more employees are affected. Corporate filings and the farm’s LinkedIn page list 11 to 20 employees, while a 2023 interview with founder Trevor Kinkel claimed the company had almost 40 staff members and was planning to add 40 more.

On the farm itself, no trucks were seen in the parking lot on Wednesday. The phone, once a steady line of communication for orders and supply requests, now rings only to silence. The only evidence of activity is the faint hum of pumps in an empty greenhouse.

The sudden disappearance of Springworks’ lettuce from Hannaford shelves has left a gap in the chain’s “green‑leaf” and “baby romaine” lines. While Hannaford has not yet announced a replacement supplier, grocery shoppers in the area have expressed concern that their local produce options will be reduced.

Springworks had long been a symbol of Maine’s growing green‑economy movement, combining aquaculture and hydroponics to produce high‑quality, locally grown lettuce with minimal environmental footprint. Its abrupt exit from the market underscores the challenges that even well‑established agribusinesses face in a climate of high capital costs, regulatory hurdles, and uncertain consumer demand.

As the city of Lisbon watches, the fate of the once‑busy greenhouse remains unclear. Whether Springworks will rebuild or its space will be taken up by a new venture, the local community and regional grocery shoppers will be waiting to see what comes next.