Over 280 industry professionals gathered on May 12th to discuss the commercial real estate implications of Maine’s booming food and beverage economy. Maine has become a culinary destination, known for not just lobster, but beer, coffee, organic produce, sea and freshwater products. An exploding foodie culture means a growing need for production facilities, enhanced supply chains, specialty storage and many other real property infrastructure assets, old and new.
Betsy Biemann who directs the Maine Food Cluster Project at Harvard University gave a top-level overview of these trends, stating the number of breweries in Maine has doubled since 2012; there is a growing demand for local, organic food seen by the increasing number of independent grocers and food co-ops; the aquaculture industry remains strong up and down the coastline; and farmers are extending the growing season using old and new technologies and production methods.