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26 Oct, 2026

Former Lisbon lettuce grower Springworks Farm sold for $1.1 million at auction

26 Oct, 2026 - Tranzon Auction Properties

Bidders gather at Springworks Farm at 347 Lisbon St. in Lisbon Friday morning for the farm's auction, Mike Carey, CEO ofTranzon Auction Properties, second from right, describes the property and terms of the sale to bidders. The property eventually went for $1.1 million, far below the opening bid of $6 million. (Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer)

LISBON - Springworks Farm was sold at auction Friday to an anonymous private investor from Lisbon for $1.1 million.

The investor, who declined to disclose his name, said he didn't have any immediate plans for the property.

Springworks Farm was a thriving aquaponics farm in Lisbon that sold to a host of grocery stores and schools, and was the exclusive supplier of organic and other lettuce to Hannaford from 2021 until earlier this year.

The auction was for the farm of 168 acres, two abutting lots, 117,000 square feet of greenhouse growing space, 56,000 square feet of light industrial buildings, and all related equipment.

The auctioneer opened bidding at $6 million. After a silence, one of the handful of bidders in the room offered $500,000. Auction principles gathered in another room and returned with the auctioneer announcing that theone bidder had agreed to raise his bid to $1 million.

Bidding then picked up between the initial bidder and the anonymous private investor, who eventually won with a bid of $1.1 million.

"The town of Lisbon has been wonderful to deal with through this whole scenario," said Mike Carey, co-ownerof Tranzon Auction Properties, which handled the auction. "They care about what happens in their community. We're happy to see that property go to a third-party and there will be continued use here."

Springworks founder Trevor Kenkel purchased the land for the farm in June 2014 for $457,500. Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.

At its peak, the farm supplied all 184 Hannaford stores with baby romaine lettuce and Boston bibb, plus anassortment of pre-cut products in select stores, including single cut romaine, single cut Boston bibb, and salad mix.

The farm also sold products to Whole Foods, Roche Bros. Supermarkets, Food City, Sysco of Northern New England, Lisbon K-12 schools, and other local institutions.