TIMELINE

February 2010

Local entrepreneur Eli Cayer founded the Urban Farm Fermentory with the vision of exploring seasonally available flavors fermented with local sugar sources found naturally in apples, honey, and grains. At the time UFF was far smaller than it is today, nestled in a small workshop in the midst of Portland’s East Bayside, a-then industrial zone of scrap yards and run-down garages. Our first greenhouse was built on the abandoned rail line behind the building, and hosted freshly grown ingredients as well as bees for honey.

 

 

August 2010

The first batch of fresh apple cider came in, and after many trials Eli decided that wild fermentation using native yeast produced the most interesting and flavorful characteristics for future ciders and meads.


September 2010

Eli purchases used oak barrels from Allagash Brewing and releases Baby Jimmy, our unique barrel-aged dry cider. It is this very same fall that we first experimented with hopping ciders, paving the way for the Hopped Cidah UFF still crafts today. Between 2010 and 2011, we continued to produce kegs of the Baby Jimmy and Hopped Cidah and began self distributing kegs around the state of Maine.

 

 

July 2011

The State of Maine finds out that kombucha is an alcoholic beverage (averaging 2%) despite being sold as a non alcoholic beverage. Kombucha is taken off the shelves nationally for 6 months while existing producers scramble to reformulate a watered down, filtered or pasteurized version of true kombucha. Eli immediately writes several formulas for kombucha and is granted the first licence in the nation as a low alcohol fermented tea wine. The UFF stays true to this probiotic beverage and rolls out its kombucha line at 1.5%abv. using the old Baby Jimmy barrels for a unique oak flavor. Not long after, UFF began incorporating wild Maine blueberries and ginger root into our year-round lineup, as well as small bottled runs of seasonable kombucha flavors such as strawberry, elderflower, elderberry, bassil, hopped, chaga chai, and chaga mint.


March 2012

Our growing popularity also attracted other beverage producers to the East Bayside area, creating a small brewing neighborhood that increased exposure to the art of fermentation. While we were still hand delivering products within the state of Maine, it was in early 2012 that larger scale distribution began in Massachusetts.

 

 

May 2013

UFF expanded its production as we acquired more space within 200 Anderson, and worked with several producers to create a small food hub and maker-market for local farmers. With demand for our product growing, we signed with Pine State Beverage Co. for statewide coverage throughout Maine.


April 2014

With this jump in production, we raced to fill our new markets with product and unveiled our new and expanded tasting room where fermentation enthusiasts could experience our new draft seasonals and foraged flavors.

 

 

August 2015

Big changes took place as UFF expanded entirely into the rest of 200 Anderson, forming the full sized production facility, tasting room, and event space we currently remain in today. This expansion was celebrated with a fresh rebranding of our image and plans for an even wider variety of products soon to come.


October 2016

We signed with Craft of New York to provide products to NYC and the Hudson Valley. In the meantime, Eli broke ground on the development of the Gruit Brewing Co. to experiment with grain-based fermentation, which became a staple of UFF. Vinegar beverages and elixirs such as the Fire Cidah started to take form, along with a new and improved greenhouse filling the old rail yard. It is here that we continue to grow and harvest many of our fresh herbs and brewing ingredients.

 

 

July 2017

UFF went international, teaming up with several Icelandic breweries on a number of collaborations. We also began to explore jun (xun), a honey-based non-alcoholic probiotic beverage, similar to our signature kombucha. More than anything, 2017 saw Eli’s vision fully realized with seven types of fermented beverages offered, foraging crews collecting ingredients throughout Maine, a greenhouse producing herbs, and a hosting space for community events and workshops.


April 2020

It goes without saying that 2020 was met with complications, and adapting to meet the challenges of a post-COVID world proved difficult for everyone. We closed our tasting room, ended events, and narrowed production to ensure the safety of not only our employees, but the people of Portland. UFF continued to supply customers with beverages via curbside pickup and online ordering while heeding the precautions of the CDC.

 

 

October 2020

We began our next phase of growth by sharpening our vision to expand the model of UFF Portland to other regions to explore the localized flavors and natural ingredients of more than just Maine. With production opening in New York and Pennsylvania on the horizon, we’re thrilled to share their unique seasonal tastes with the world. There have been bumps in the road, and there will certainly continue to be, but whatever tomorrow brings we’ll be ready for it. The vision can only grow from here, and as we continue to redefine what is possible, we’ll continue to look to our past for guidance. We welcome you to join us on this journey.