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DiscoverMaineMagazine.com
It Makes No Never Mind by James Nalley
A
t the time of this writing, Mainers will be slowly planning their Thanksgiving menus and discussing the Christmas holiday season. Being that potatoes are a staple of the former, regardless of whether they are baked, au gratined, or mashed, it is important to remember that they are Maine’s largest farm crop, followed by milk, eggs, and blueberries. As for a brief history, although early 18th-century settlers cleared out forests to make way for potato crops, it was not until the railroad arrived in Aroostook County in the late 1800s that Maine’s “Potato Empire” was established. According to Jim Gerritsen from the Wood Prairie Farm in Bridgewater, “Through the early 1950s, the annual crop of almost a quarter million acres made Maine the leader in U.S. potato production.” However, Gerritsen also stated that over the last 50 years, this empire has seriously waned, due to various factors such as shifting consumer preferences (e.g., frozen/processed potatoes vs. fresh), competition from the American West, and decades of low farm gate prices. Despite the decline, Aroostook County still produces more potatoes
than any other county in the U.S., even though production is just a quarter of its peak. Meanwhile, the area still maintains a potato-based culture in which former farmers/non-farmers schedule vacation time to help family members harvest their crops by hand. It is also one of the last areas in the U.S. where schools are still closed for Harvest Break. This is refreshing in light of the fact that increased potato mechanization has greatly reduced the opportunities for such hand work. Regarding other potato-related facts, Aroostook County Tourism stated that “Approximately 25% of Maine’s potato production is for seed to supply the East Coast, while another 45% is used for french fry processing, 20% is used for potato chips, and 10% is used for home, restaurant, and institutional raw potato use.” Moreover, the potato industry’s impact on Maine’s economy includes sales of more than $540 million, with total employment of 6,150 jobs. Finally, regarding the ongoing debate of Idaho vs. Maine potatoes, in 2018, a taste test was conducted at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Specifically, the taste testers included
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two Maine natives, two Idaho natives, and two out-of-staters. At the conclusion of the test, four students selected the Idaho potatoes and two students chose the Maine potatoes. In this case, the two who selected the Maine potatoes were both from Maine. At this point, let me close with the following potato-related jest: In the middle of the night, three thieves broke into the storage area of a potato farmer’s house. After hearing some noise, the farmer woke up and headed to the building to check what was happening. With no options left, the three thieves did the only thing that they could: hide in three different potato sacks. When the farmer arrived, he took a pitchfork and poked the first sack. The first thief said “meow” like a cat. The farmer said, “You moron! Cats don’t hide in potato sacks, after which he caught the first thief. Then, the farmer poked the second sack. At that moment, the second thief barked like a dog. The farmer said, “You idiot! Dogs don’t hide in potato sacks, after which he caught the second thief. Finally, the farmer poked the third sack. This time, the third thief, believing that it would be the smartest thing to do, screamed “Potato! Potato!”
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