At the Good Table F oundation’s property in Castine, a nondescript tan shipping container sits alongside the driveway. But inside the container is one of the area’s most dynamic, high-tech hydroponic farms.

An all-volunteer organization, Good Table Foundation grows fresh greens for distribution through food pantries.

Founder Greg Nitzkowski had seen similar hydroponic container models in California. He and his wife Barbara were inspired to bring the concept to Castine, where they retired after being long-time summer residents in the area. They incorporated the organization as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2023 and began operations in 2024.

The operation supplies fresh greens to Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry in Ellsworth and Caring Community Cupboard in Old Town. They operate the farm 365 days a year, and all of the produce they grow is donated. Volunteers from GTF harvest, process, and deliver the produce in a single day, delivering more than 200 4.5- ounce bags of greens each week. The mix can include kale, lettuces, arugula, and more, all packaged in compostable, labeled bags just as they might be in a traditional retail setting.

Located on a former brownfield site, the farm turned to CEA technologies like vertical farming, container growing, and hydroponics to bypass poor soil quality and limited space issues. "Our motto is, 'Make every acre count,'" Trevor explains. Using over 300 vertical towers, the farm can produce thousands of heads of lettuce in a single cycle.

Educational greenhouses and hydroponic systems
MOFC's success lies in using hydroponic systems and greenhouse technologies. High tunnels—polyplastic-wrapped structures provided by the USDA—protect crops from unpredictable weather, while Dutch bucket systems optimize the production of crops like tomatoes, with each bucket yielding 35 to 50 pounds. By integrating hydroponics, the farm circumvents the need for long-term soil regeneration, a process that can take up to 10 years on previously developed land.

The program was launched in March in partnership with the By the Hand Club and Kenilworth Union Church. The hydroponic container farm operates in any climate and without the use of harsh chemicals. So far, it’s produced eight harvests.

"When we have a full container, we’re looking at about 4,000 heads of lettuce that we’re currently growing," said Joe Jones, senior director of entrepreneurship at Bowen Harvest. "The cycle is about 4,000 and that equates to about four acres a year."

Mid-Ohio Food Collective celebrated the opening of its technology-rich "smart farm" in the Hilltop on Tuesday, though it's already been producing fresh food for several months.

Everything grown at the seven-acre farm on Wheatland Avenue goes to Mid-Ohio’s food banks and markets. CEO Matt Habash said the farm came from the idea that MOFC had to do things differently to keep up with a growing need.

The site also has a futuristic LED-light year-round mobile growing center housed in a repurposed shipping container.