PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 8, 2026
Vertical Harvest, a hydroponic farm in downtown Westbrook, is being sued for allegedly failing to fully pay back a broker that secured a $48.75 million federal loan to get the farm started. The lawsuit alleges Raiven Fund Management, a Canadian venture capital firm, misled the broker, Waterside Commercial Finance, into agreeing to defer payment of 2% of the proceeds of the USDA loan, which amounts to about $975,000. Waterside is seeking full payment of damages, attorneys’ fees and any other penalty the court finds appropriate. Vertical Harvest is a four-story hydroponic farm that expects to produce 3 million pounds of leafy greens annually. It received nearly $60 million in financing. CEO Nona Yehia said Thursday, “the claims being asserted are inaccurate and materially misleading.”