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V O L . X X X I N O. X I X 64 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine B U S I N E S S R E S O U R C E S A 'mushrooming' business North Spore, an urban mushroom farm located in Portland, FAME provided commercial loan insur- ance and other financing through the State Small Business Credit Initiative program in partnership with Bath Savings Bank. Gap financing was provided for leasehold improvements when the company expanded and for a working capital line. North Spore started small and has grown in size and offerings. e company was launched in 2014 by three college friends — a mycologist, an organic farmer, and a photojournal- ist. e common bond was their love of mushroom foraging. North Spore is on a mission to dis- rupt the food system by empowering people to grow and harvest their own healthy edible and medicinal mush- rooms. e company touts the positive environmental impacts of mycelium (e.g. soil nutrient cycling, bioreme- diation) and the potential for mush- rooms to naturally improve health and wellness and become a key sustainable meat alternative. North Spore is committed to the environment and sustainability and strives to provide organic, natu- ral, non-GMO and locally sourced materials from companies that share its values. Organic lettuce is a growing field At Springworks Maine Inc., an aqua- ponic organic lettuce farm in Lisbon, FAME has supported the company's growth through various forms of financ- ing, including Seed Capital Tax Credits, a direct loan and loan insurance in part- nership with Farm Credit East. FAME's support enabled the com- pany to construct a fourth greenhouse The Finance Authority of Maine works behind the scenes on a range of financing programs aimed at the state's businesses. Here are a few examples of Maine businesses that have worked with FAME and banks in the state to get financing. The Finance Authority of Maine is behind many of the state's leading businesses B y F A M E s t a f f P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F FA M E North Spore, an urban mushroom farm in Portland, was founded by, from left, Jon Carver, Matt McInnis and Eliah Thanhauser.