Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 J U LY 1 3 , 2 0 1 5 creek in his home town of Kalispell, Mont., he noticed the fi sh had died. He did some research and linked the deaths to chemical runoff from a large farm upstream. Seeing the dead fi sh piqued his interest in water issues, which in turn led to his interest in aquaponics. Kenkel says he's learned most of what he now knows about the farming method from Google searches. He built his fi rst system in the eighth grade using money from summer jobs. His parents pitched in, as lighting for the system was expensive. Kenkel says he grew most of the family's greens in the garage, but found he could cut lighting costs with an outdoor heated greenhouse. "I tested a lot of variables that we now use in our commercial system here," he says. Starting from scratch It's been a challenge to get capital and knowledge in aquaponics, Kenkel says. But one wouldn't know it driving up to the farm stand, stocked with fresh toma- toes and greens, and looking at the 6,000-square-foot greenhouse behind it. Dingley Press, a commercial printer in Lisbon, had purchased the property for expansion, but instead leased it to a local farmer, who ran the farm stand for 17 years. Kenkel bought the land and farmhouse last year, but still buys produce from the farmer, Rick Belanger, who has another site. "We're happy to have it," Kenkel says of the farm stand, which diversifi es his income stream. He also just bought 70 chicks to raise in a refurbished shed, and is selling an educational aquaponics kit called the MicroFarm for $199. Kenkel started Springworks during a gap year in his schooling. He was recovering from two concussions he got in the same high school football game. e fam- ily moved from Montana to Gloucester, Mass., so he could get treated at Massachusetts General Hospital. His father, who works in the fi nancial services fi eld, helped with the business plan and found six equity investors. Kenkel said his family owns a controlling interest in the company, but he declined to name the investors, saying only that they are interested in sustainable technology. " e investors have been hands off ," he says. "We will need fi nancial partners in the future, both fi nancially and intellectually. e investors have been helpful so far. A lot of them are experienced in busi- ness and some of them are involved in technology, but not computer technology." To date, Kenkel, his parents and the fi nanciers have invested about $1 million for the greenhouse, property, farm house, the aquaponics system and MicroFarm kit. He is using two acres of the 168 acres he owns. ere are three employees and four interns. In the greenhouse, Styrofoam rafts of plants fl oat on long troughs fi lled with water. e rafts are in order of plant maturity, with the most ripe plants closest to the picking area. Most of the plants P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY 800.777.5244 www.TalkWithNorton.com Specialists in business insurance and employee benefits. Talk with Norton. MAXIMIZE THE REWARDS. Minimize The Risk. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » It's been a challenge to get capital and knowledge in P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY The Micro Farm kit, which can be used in homes and at schools and was developed by Springworks Farm, uses fi sh waste to fertilize plants in the grow bed.

• Cover