Heiwa Tofu was founded in 2008 with the goal of adding value to regional agricultural products. That year, with just one employee, Heiwa produced and sold about 30,000 pounds of tofu. 17 years later, Heiwa Tofu now employs 12 people and produces more than half a million pounds of tofu annually.
In 2025, the business will add about 3,000 square feet to its facility in Rockport. This upgrade will help it nearly double its production capacity over the next few years.
All Heiwa Tofu is made from organic soybeans grown in the Northeast; one-third comes from Aurora Mills Farm in Linneus, Maine, and the remainder comes from two farms in New York State.
Heiwa Tofu is used by most colleges and health care facilities in Maine, and many K-12 public schools, including Portland, Yarmouth, and Sheepscot Valley. The product is also available at Hannaford Supermarkets and Whole Foods Market from North Jersey to Maine, as well as many independent, natural, and specialty food stores.
Heiwa Tofu has received support from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Maine Department of Education, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, Maine Center for Entrepreneurs’ MarketShare Program, University of Maine, US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development, USDA’s Agricultural Market Services, Maine Manufacturing Extension Program, Maine Technology Institute, MOFGA, CEI, and Scratchpad Accelerator.
To learn more about Maine’s Local Foods Procurement Program, and how to help Maine’s state-funded institutions achieve farm-to-institution goals, reach out to Brittany Peats, Maine DACF Institutional Market Development Coordinator, at brittany.peats@maine.gov.
