ss
“To me, there are two smells I love— the smell of New England salt air and the smell of leather. I want everyone who loves the ocean as much as I do to have fashionable accessories that they can wear on their daily adventures, even when they can’t be on the water.”
-Becky McKinnell, Founder/Designer of Wildwood Oyster Co.
THE STORY OF WILDWOOD OYSTER CO.
For my birthday in 2017, my sister surprised me with a leather hide— how amazing is that? I knew that I wanted to make a handbag and immediately started sketching designs. I wanted to create a bag for myself that was fashionable, durable and reminded me of my love for the ocean. I created this simple, minimalist handbag to fit everything— including my laptop and beach towel— so that I could wear it to work or bring it to the beach.
For the handle, I chose nautical rope because it reminded me of summer on the water— whether it’s being on the dock in Scituate Harbor where I grew up or on a boat cruising the islands of Casco Bay where I live now. The brass hardware give the bag an industrial touch that I love while still adding a little bling ;)
When I went to the marine store to choose my rope for the Wildwood Oyster Co. bag handle, I was inspired by a pile of remnant dock line. There were so many fun rope colors— traditional navy, white, blue, plus bright neons like green and orange that reminded me of lobster buoys. I always wanted to learn how to tie fancy knots and love wearing long necklaces, so I designed a long statement necklace with a heart knot for my first necklace.
When I started wearing my necklaces and the bag that I designed, I couldn’t believe the compliments I would receive! I had never worn anything before that so many people were curious about. When I was on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, a woman even bought a necklace right off of my neck! I knew that Wildwood Oyster Co. would be a brand that people loved…and so a company was born!
ss
Black Ink Coffee is a veteran owned and operated, subscription service and specialty quality coffee business. With the goal of fueling our customers dreams in life, we make it our mission to motivate and serve you.
Every coffee bag that we offer features a simple word across the top, “Begin”. This bold statement is what we stand for at Black Ink Coffee Company and it is embedded within our own beginning. We believe that every dream should be followed and every story should be written. No matter how big or small, we want our coffee to be the catalyst that gives you the courage to ink your story.
Learn more about our founder in the following piece from News Center Maine
ss
We opened in 2017 in the rural city of Ellsworth, Maine – at the gateway to Acadia National Park – as Ellsworth’s first and only production brewery. We’ve remained passionate about small-batch craft offerings, farm-to-table menus, and contributing to our community & culture.
From the very beginning, we’ve been committed to locally-sourced and sustainable ingredients and business practices, supporting our state’s agricultural systems, and we continue to explore and responsibly use the wild and foraged flavors of Maine. We’ve been brewing our flagship Foglight Maine Pilsner since 2018, with barley grown in Aroostook County and malted by Maine Malthouse in Mapleton & Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon Falls. We brew, ferment, and package all of our beers, ciders, wine, and more in our small facility in downtown Ellsworth (which features a solar array which provides over 73% of our electricity needs). All Fogtown label designs are produced in-house as well.
Our Ellsworth location features our original taproom, plus a beer garden, patio, & wood-fired pizza oven, and our second taproom located in downtown Bar Harbor features snacks and food specials, with up to 18 tap lines pouring our brews. Also, we’re available on tap and in stores all over Maine!
ss
Graduated from CNC machining program in 2011, followed by 8+ years experience in the machining field. Decided to start exploring other avenues and found CNC plasma tables as an interest. As people saw my work and enjoyed it my interested continued to grow as well.
ss
I’ve Been Making Maine Sea Salt for over 20 Years. We wanted to start a Maine business, and make something. One day I was in a health food store, and spotted some sea salt on the shelf.
I was unemployed, Sharon and I talked about making something to sell at farmers markets. I couldn’t see myself making soap. How about jam? I was in a health food store one day and there was sea salt from France on the shelf. I thought to myself, we could make salt! No one in Maine was making sea salt. Not since the American revolution has salt been made in Maine. We had no idea how to go about making sea salt. I tried several methods in the beginning. We used a pan and boiled sea water. That was expensive. Eventually with research decided solar was the best way. The sun’s energy was free! Solar is all so the best method for salt crystals to form. My father helped me build solar tables from plywood and two by fours like a pup tent. I put a liner to hold the pool and covered with greenhouse plastic. It worked great! Eventually I had over eighty solar tables. Soon found out that wouldn’t work, too much work. Harvesting each house, filling with sea water, opening and closing the doors on each end. Today we’re in Marshfield Maine. Evaporate sea water in ten, 15 foot by 200 foot greenhouses. Still a lot of work, but we manage to sell all we make each season.
Our first product, was a 1 oz size for cooking lobsters. The Packaging, was a handmade envelope with the salt inside and directions on the back. I took the “Maine Sea Salt for Cooking Lobster” to the area fish markets to sell. The reaction was, “are you crazy?” I begged them to try it, free, give it a couple days. It wasn’t long before they started calling and asked for more. That’s when I knew it would succeed.
Our salt works took off. Maine Sea Salt is throughout the United States, in Health food stores. Specialty food shops, and high end restaurants. Our packaging has expanded from the 1 oz bag. Maine Sea Salt is in convenient, refillable glass grinders. Our fancy gift jar is for special occasions. The 14 oz wide glass jar is our bulk, perfect to keep in the kitchen. My newest, is a 3 oz Salt Shaker, with a easy flip top lid. Has large holes for easy shaking. It’s great!
The Sea Water Comes From Buck’s Harbor, Maine. Visit our website to learn more of the process.
ss
I have two distinct lines. My Whimsical Wall Whales are wrought from repurposed pine boards ,and employ my excellent drawing and carving skills to bring soul, texture and animation to these whimsical anthropomorphic wall creatures. Each one is unique in character, some employ the old layers of paint in the detailing.
My Fine Line Shells feature my highly detailed pen and ink drawings in limited edition prints on Maine Scallop Shells. The images recall the traditional, nautical art of Scrimshaw and feature many local lighthouses ,Maine schooners, and New England sea creatures. A brass style easel is included with each shell. Each piece has hand drawn detailing and is signed and dated by the artist.
I am a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art . I earned a B.F. A. in 1978 and moved to Camden that same year. I was fortunate to find a house on idyllic Hosmer Pond with a view of Bald Mountain. Here I married a British sailor and raised two sons who had a beach for a front yard. I worked in a fine artisan craft store and art gallery for 35 years in downtown Camden .
My fine art and illustration training enables me to work in different mixed medias ,which I continue to explore on large and small scales. I am primarily interested in the power of line to describe emotion, movement and the ephemeral nature of reality. The natural world in its complexity and extraordinary beauty, is a constant source of wonder and inspiration.
ss
Maria Kokenos is the maker responsible for Silybum creation. Her soul lives in the tip of a pencil, her dancing feet and in the dirt under her fingernails. She sources meaning from passion, and dedicates her days to practice and creation. She is empowered by the versions of Self that she has invented and is constantly inspired to meet the parts that develop next. Everyday is full of uncertainty and intention. Her art is deeply infused with imagination, earth, and soul.
Silybum Arts is a Maine coast art studio focusing on sculptural ceramic. Maria sources inspiration from the deep, whimsical pockets of Maine woodlands, mountains and coastline. Her creations represent a curious and youthful nature that we are all drawn to. An item that connects you to a wild space, moment, or idea. In an effort to express the human experience through her sculpture, Maria also incorporates a lot of figures depicting different emotional weights and release.
Silybum Arts used to house both Maria’s dried floral design and ceramic, but flowers have officially branched off into “Fogwood Gardens,” and now Silybum will just be ceramic.
ss
Jenny is a Midwestern girl who unexpectedly found herself living long-term on the East Coast. Frank was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts (so it is a complete mystery how he ended up living a rural lifestyle). Both Jen and Frank are health care providers by training, but somewhere along the line realized they are happiest living, playing, and working close to nature, and sharing those experiences with others. We both share a love of New England history and traditional skills as well as the day to day rhythms of living on a 1700s era Maine farm. We have been making maple syrup for the last 10 years in the traditional fashion via a wood fired evaporator and classic, 19th century styled sugarhouse. Frank has long appreciated the beauty and uniqueness of wood and during the quiet times makes wooden gifts from wood sourced mostly from the farm. It has been a joy (and at times a struggle) to learn how to build a small farm business from the ground up without the benefit of having generations of family on the farm preceding us.
ss
I have been painting for over 50 years. I have just felt most myself with a paintbrush ever since I met one when I was 5 years old. I went to quite a few art schools before setting off on my own course. I moved to Maine in 1987 to be closer to nature and have a garden where I could grow a lot of flowers. Flowers and nature are my inspiration, I see nature as a whimsical being, and I portray her as such.
ss
Portland Boat Mattress was born out of our sister company Portland Mattress Makers. Since 1938, Portland Mattress Makers (originally Maine Bedding and Furniture) has been handcrafting mattresses and box springs in our factory in Maine. Being on Casco Bay, we received many requests to build custom mattresses for many of our customers’ boats. Over time, we were making so many boat mattresses we decided to start a new company.
