Publications and Reports

“Farmed sea scallops from Maine.” That has a nice ring to it and now consumers will have some expert culinary guidance on how to prepare these delicious shellfish. Recipe Ideas for Farmed Sea Scallops. The Whole Story is a new cookbook released today co-authored by local fisherman Marsden Brewer and natural history writer Marnie Reed Crowell, both Stonington residents. CEI announced the release of the publication as part of a three-year initiative funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research to further develop scallop farming efforts in the state of Maine.

The Maine Historic Tax Credit (HTC) incentivizes business and real estate owners and developers to rehabilitate and reuse income-producing historic buildings in Maine. The
tax credit encourages investment in downtown areas to spur revitalization, and to create affordable housing. The Credit was substantially expanded in 2008, and immediately, despite the Great Recession, its use took off and has continued. From 2009 to 2019, 106 projects were certified and placed in service in Maine.

Combined, these 106 approved projects:
• Generated $525 million in construction investment;
• Rehabilitated 3.6 million square feet of commercial and residential space;
• Created or preserved 1,911 housing units, of which nearly 1,300 were affordable; and
• Generated 200-700 full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs through construction spending alone annually for the past decade.

Atlantic sea scallops present an exciting aquaculture opportunity in the northeast US and the processes and equipment for scallop production continue to evolve with Maine leading the way. A new publication just released by Maine Sea Grant, UMaine, CEI and Pine Point Oyster Company is here to help growers get started in this high-potential industry.

Maine grain companies are expanding to meet growing demand from artisanal bakeries, the exploding craft beer industry, and consumers who increasingly crave products that are imbued with a compelling place-based story. Maine grain infrastructure businesses can achieve appropriate scale and deliver profitability and regional economic impact by capturing only a tiny percentage of the expansive Northeast market.

Maine’s food sector is poised for growth.  Expanded food production and value-added processing is widely recognized as a key opportunity for Maine’s future.

A skilled and abundant workforce is necessary to fuel the growth of Maine’s food sector. The state’s labor market is tight and food sector businesses face challenges to attract, train, and retain an adequate  workforce. To begin to address the food sector’s workforce challenges, Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) convened a series of stakeholder meetings throughout Maine to explore the state’s employment trends, learn from business leaders about success stories in employee development and retention, and identify opportunities and resources to cultivate a robust workforce for the future.

A set of tools for integrating Maine seafood into food distribution systems.

How Maine can embrace immigrants and strengthen the workforce.

Increased demand for culturally appropriate, locally produced foods presents a compelling opportunity for Maine farmers to diversify crops and generate new sources of farm income. CEI and its collaborators introduced five ethnic, or specialty, crops (fava beans, amaranth, molokhia, African eggplant, and mustard greens) to the local marketplace. Market research informed the selection of high-demand crops compatible with Maine growing conditions and shaped a marketing strategy that optimized access to these vegetables for a rapidly growing niche of consumers. The pilot demonstrated the economic potential of these crops and established the foundation for successful broad-scale replication and export to larger markets in Boston.