Foodservice

Sodexo partners with urban farm to source Maine lettuce

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May 19, 2021

Sodexo, a Paris-based foodservice contractor and one of Maine's largest employers, will source as much as 80% of its lettuce products from Vertical Harvest Maine, a hydroponic urban farm, and the first vertical greenhouse in the U.S., according to a press release The produce will be served at all 14 Sodexo Maine partners, including collegiate campuses from Fort Kent to South Portland. Earlier this year, Sodexo pledged to spend at least $1 million at Maine farms and food producers in 2021.

"We are a global company that is committed to spending locally," Varun Avasthi, director of strategic partnerships, Sodexo, said in the press release. "One challenge we face when sourcing local food is Maine's short outdoor growing season. The partnership with Vertical Harvest will be a game-changer for Sodexo's ability to buy fresh produce twelve months per year," Avasthi added.

In August 2021, Vertical Harvest Maine will break ground on a 70,000-square-foot, four-story farm in downtown Westbrook. The master plan integrates residential apartments, commercial space and four-stories of parking. The company plans to grow over 1-million pounds per year of local produce, create 50 jobs, and hire Mainers with physical and intellectual disabilities, in coordination with state and local agencies.

Sodexo is one of Maine's largest employers, with 760 employees and a $21 million payroll. It serves 13,000 meals daily at colleges and hospitals across Maine, including Central Maine Medical Center and Southern Maine Community College.