CASTINE, Maine — Driving down The Shore Road in Castine, you're sure to see a bright white shipping container sitting right on the side of the road.
While the location may seem odd, what's stranger are the things you can find inside. Opening the door, you're welcomed to a variety of different vegetables and greens growing on vertical panels.
"We've owned the farm for about two years now," hydroponic farmer and president of The Good Table Foundation Greg Nitzkowski said while filling more panels with plant saplings.
Through the use of ultraviolet light, some water, and a couple hundred saplings, Nitzkowski said he's able to grow 600 pounds of produce ranging from lettuce and kale to carrots and radishes.
"We can grow 365 days a year in a controlled environment. It's a local product and it's super highly nutritious," Nitzkowski said.
He said he enjoys trying some of the produce he grows in addition to prepping it himself.
"I just go through it all and peel off pieces every once and a while," Nitzkowski said.
He does it for those in surrounding communities struggling with food insecurity.
That's why he said he's partnered with The Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry in Ellsworth to provide those in need with fresh produce, free of charge.
"What was inspiring to us about Loaves and Fishes is they have taken the idea of humanizing and treating their customers like they're in a supermarket," Nitzkowski said.
According to Loaves and Fishes volunteer and board trustee Daniel Wilkey, the organization sets up the pantry in a way where people can shop for whatever items they want rather than just being handed a box of non-perishable foods.
"The client comes through and they go through each aisle just like they're in a regular store," Wilkey said while giving NEWS CENTER Maine a tour of the pantry.
Because of the enclosed environment that Nitzkowski grows the vegetables and greens in, Pantry Manager Dan Schnebeck said they're able to provide fresh produce to people year-round, making it feel even more like a traditional store.
"In the past, we pretty much had iceberg lettuce that we purchase, now this is an alternative and it's healthier," Schnebeck said.
With the new partnership and Nitzkowski's agreement to provide the produce free of charge, Schnebeck said The Good Table is helping the pantry give more people struggling with food insecurity a variety of healthy options in a welcoming and familiar place.
"Over the last two to three years we've seen a 300 percent increase in the number of families coming to the pantry, so anything we can do to stretch our dollars is fabulous," Schnebeck said.
The Good Table Foundation and Loaves and Fishes said they're now in the process of identifying which produce is most popular with shoppers. If you'd like to volunteer at the pantry, Schnebeck said you can visit their website to sign up.