FREEPORT, Maine — One of Maine’s most prominent beer brands has been nominated for an international award for its work with environmental causes.
Maine Beer Company could win an annual award from the nonprofit 1% for the Planet for its partnership with the Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment across town. The agricultural center hosts child camps and produces fresh food—with produce from the farm sold in the brewery's salads—focusing on sustainable farming and climate resilience.
The brewery is a longtime member of 1% for the Planet, which boasts 5,700 for-profit businesses; each pledging to donate one percent of their gross profits to environmental causes.
The annual awards are given out in three categories. Maine Beer Co. is one of three finalists in the "Partnership" category. The company recently helped the Wolfe’s Neck farm buy solar panels for its dairy barn, and donates to the facility regularly.
Wolfe's Neck Executive Director Dave Herring smiled and said the two love each other.
"We knew when they moved to town here that it was gonna be a great opportunity for us to partner with a business that cares about producing good products but, perhaps more importantly, cares about the outcomes and the impact that they have as a company and as a business," Herring said.
Maine Beer Co. CEO Steve Mills believes the company's rapid growth in facilities and popularity was due to customers knowing the commitment it makes to its neighbors and to its planet.
"We certainly don’t look at giving 1% of our gross annual sales as a cost," Mills said. "We look at that as a benefit."
