When Carlos and Jean Quijano started Coast of Maine back in 1996, it seemed only logical to name the company after arguably one of the most beautiful locations on earth, the place they had lived most of their lives, first just in the summers, later year round.
The fact they were making garden soils by composting local coastal resources like salmon, blueberry, seaweed, lobster and mussels, made it all the more natural a choice. And to illustrate that point, the image gracing their bags is an aerial view of mid-coast Maine, with North Haven, an island in Penobscot Bay, and the Camden hills in the distance. It was painted by Maine artist, Eric Hopkins. (Visit Eric’s Gallery in Rockland , ME)
The only downside is those searching on line for an incredible place to take a vacation often as not find themselves on our website. But, if you are looking for gardening information and some of the world’s most unique and effective gardening products, you have come to the right place.
Maine’s coastal resources, especially the lobster, are a big reason travelers come here. Once processed, the leftover shells, berries, fish bones, etc. need to be quickly disposed of. And, that is where we come in! Coast of Maine collects these biologically rich leftovers and brings them to our compost facility in Downeast Maine. Once there, our hardworking, experienced staff quickly get to work mixing and preparing the large compost windrows.
Like experienced chefs using the Maine environment as their oven, our staff will touch, smell, take temperatures and test to make sure each batch of compost meets the rigorous standards required of organic growers. In fact, composting is as much an art as a science, compared by some to making wine or beer.
Once cured and matured (like fine wine!) and teaming with microbes, we bag it, wrap it, put it on a pallet and ship it to local, independent retailers throughout the Northeast. You will not find our products in the big box stores.