TIMES RECORD • October 22, 2020
Seth Kroeck and Maura Bannon, managers of Brunswick’s Crystal Spring Farm, have announced the receipt of a $250,000 grant from the USDA. The grant provides funds for processing and marketing costs of value-added agricultural products, such as Crystal Spring’s organic carrots and blueberries. Over the last decade, Crystal Spring became the largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in Maine. In 2018, they grew over 160 varieties of vegetables and served over 600 members from the Midcoast to Portland. In 2019, Crystal Spring changed their business model, moving from a CSA to establishing a value-added business based on two organic commodities, fresh carrots and wild blueberries.