Cultivator Showcase features 8 small businesses in Maine

screenshot of a bearded man wheeling a beer keg on a dolly

Screenshot / Courtesy/Maine Center for Entrepreneurs South Portland’s Foulmouthed Brewing was one of eight companies featured at the virtual Cultivator Showcase Oct. 27.

Write a Comment

By Staff

The Maine Center for Entrepreneurs hosted its second annual Cultivator Showcase as a virtual event on Oct. 27, drawing 125 people who virtually “toured” eight of Maine's growing food, beverage and agriculture companies across six counties from Cumberland to Aroostook.

“The last seven months have been difficult for everyone, and the food industry has been hit hard, especially in the food service sector,” Sue Hanson, the program’s manager, said in a news release. “While retail food sales have increased, which is encouraging, they have not increased enough to cover the losses experienced at food service."

The event was live-streamed from O'Maine Studios in Portland and included pre-recorded company videos, live presentations and an interactive question-and-answer session. Click here to view.

The eight Maine companies featured were:

Aurora Mills and Farm, in Linneus
Avena Botanicals, Rockport
Bigelow Brewing, Skowhegan
Foulmouthed Brewing, South Portland
Maine Cap N Stem, Gardiner
New England Distilling, Portland
Pemberton’s Gourmet Foods, Gray
Thirty Acre Farm, Bremen.

The Cultivator program, provided in partnership with FocusMaine, supports the growth of Maine food, beverage and agriculture companies over a 12-month period by providing hands-on strategic assessments, tailored professional resources and interactive business forums focused on overcoming the specific strategic challenges participant companies face as they attempt to grow and scale.

Including the featured companies in this year’s showcase, to date Cultivator has served 18 growing businesses across Maine.

The showcase was originally intended to take place live in April and normally includes product sampling. The sampling portion was replaced by live presentations and chef-inspired cooking tips of company products.

"The Cultivator program is a cornerstone in FocusMaine's strategy to grow good jobs in Maine,” Kim Hamilton, president of FocusMaine, said in the release. “It is extremely well-positioned to tap into growing regional and global consumer demand for authentic, high-quality and locally produced foods.

"With support from MCE's Cultivator program and other FocusMaine partners, we know that these extraordinary food, beverage and agriculture businesses will help our communities thrive, strengthen the Maine brand, and create better jobs for the people in Maine.”

Maine Center for Entrepreneurs is launching and accepting applications for the 2020-21 Cultivator Program. To learn more about the program, see the MCE website.