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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 M AY 2 9 , 2 0 2 3 L O C A L LY G ROW N dirt road in rural Oxford County winds uphill and opens to a clearing where rows of towering cannabis plants grow, each in its own structure. It's a low-tech setting for what's become an innovative cannabis-growing operation. Nate Burdick, owner and founder of Upward Organics is committed to low-carbon growing practices via outdoor crops and sun-powered greenhouses. But Burdick didn't start off in the cannabis industry. e Bentley University business graduate got an office job out of school and after many years of stress, he came to the realization that maybe this wasn't the path for him. "Two of my college roommates were caregivers and they asked me if I wanted to come to trim for them. [ey asked] 'Can you water my plants while I'm away?' And that is how I got into this field," says Burdick. Burdick was a caregiver at another plant and fell in love with growing. He bought the property in Porter to start his own business and put a lot of "sweat equity into it," he says. Upward Organics was created in 2018. Burdick bought his property in Porter which is off the grid and put a solar mount on it. is was just the beginning. Saving the environment one plant at a time Upward Organics grows cannabis outdoors which is believed to be the most sustainable, ethical and economical method for reducing the environmental burden of cannabis production. ey are one of three cultivators in the country that are part of the 1% for the Planet. "Our mission is to produce the highest quality cannabis possible with the lowest environmental impact," says Burdick. Burdick built greenhouses to withstand the drastic Maine temperatures. He uses a mix of solar panels and a wood-burning furnace that heats the greenhouse sediment. e company is 100% electric. It doesn't use pro- pane or fossil fuel to heat the property because it wants to offset the carbon footprint with solar power. While developing the business the first step was installing a water system for his outdoor plants. Burdick installed a Blumat watering system that gives the outdoor plants the water they need instead of getting water at once for a set period of time. is process helps save on water and labor. e system har- vests rainwater and has less electrical demand. In 2021, Burdick began building his greenhouse which he has named Alpha. is greenhouse has 36 plants in production. e plants are grown in open- topped bags. Nate Burdick, owner and founder of Upward Organics, got into the cannabis business by chance. F O C U S C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » P H O T O / F R E D F I E L D Our mission is to produce the highest quality cannabis possible with the lowest environmental impact. — Nate Burdick Upward Organics Maine's fast-changing cannabis industry requires being fleet of feet B y A l e x i s W e l l s

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