The Maine Harvest Festival is set for Nov. 23 & 24 at Bangor’s Cross Insurance Center. The Northern Aroostook Potato Growers' Association began in 1888, organized through the Aroostook Pomona Grange. “But we’ve been pleased with what we’ve been getting. May have been originally used to harvest potatoes, this beautiful basket has graced my country house for a long time. In the coming weeks, potatoes will be sold to commercial suppliers across the country to be turned into things like french fries, potato chips and bags of fresh potatoes for home usage. Potato growers have managed to harvest 85 percent of their fall crop despite recent delays in Maine caused by excessive rainfall, according to the Maine Potato Council. “It’s hard to tell, but I’d say we’re getting close to halfway done.”. Order 1 Lb Maine Red Potatoes Online. The potato harvest is part of the family business for David Bartlett, who runs Bartlett Farms in Littleton, a small town next to Houlton. Potatoes grow best in areas with nutrient rich soil, ample rainfall or irrigation, along with warm days and cool nights. The USDA announced the appointment of 31 individuals to serve on the National Potato Promotion Board. Flannery said that when the first official day of harvest—Monday, Sept. 23—came around, heavy rain showers prevented farmers and their workers from heading outside. But, in 1940, the Maine Potato Growers, a marketing coop, began, and remained stable. Once full, the truck heads off to a potato house owned by the Bartlett family along Route 1 in Littleton, where the potatoes are dumped onto another conveyor, much of the dirt being sieved out and any remaining rocks and tops are removed, before the crop is placed in a large pile to be stored. Maine, on the other hand, thinks that the flavor of our potatoes is all that is necessary to market our superior product. Carpenter says that number is too small, and the school has to be considerate of the other students who do not work the harvest. Fields are covered with flowering potato plants on Sunday, July 19, 2020, near Fort Fairfield, Maine. That’s because Bartlett Farms grows smaller, seeded potatoes, which are easier to grow as opposed to the larger, more recognized russet potato. Last year's harvest was strong, and this year should have seen about 3,000 new acres brought into production, but the sudden arrival of COVID-19 has changed all that. It’s a … Crop Harvest Calendar for Maine This page has a table below that tells when each fruit or vegetable is normally ready to be harvested in Maine! This week, 23 national agricultural organizations sent a letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee backing Michael Regan to serve as EPA administrator. Most farms use a … Maine Potato Harvest -. Maine has about 47,000 acres of potato fields. Ideal temperatures for harvest, he said, are those no higher than the low 70s during the day for comfortable working conditions and above 35 degrees at night so that soil does not freeze overnight. Certificate is available on our website. In one of Bob Bartlett’s fields—“the rockiest one,” he tells us—a harvester rattles and hums while workers stand at the top of the machine’s conveyor and hand-separate chaff from the diminutive seed potatoes, fresh out of the ground. I was drawn to the hearty rounded shape, the beautiful workmanship of the weaving (notice the braiding on the underside! CARIBOU, Maine (AP) - Maine’s potato growers are hustling to make up for lost time after the September harvest was brought to a virtual standstill by record-breaking heat this week. Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board, which promotes Maine’s potato industry, said that the poor harvests would create a “strong demand” for Maine-grown potatoes. A Pest Management Hotline has the latest details on the growing season. It’s a … Hours are 10-4 and features chefs, growers, foods, beverages, and more all from the State of Maine. But despite the loss due to drought, David Bartlett expects to pull through this harvest season, and hasn’t looked into getting any emergency funding. The latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that an average of 45,823 acres of potatoes were harvested in Maine in 2017. https://www.potatogrower.com/2020/09/how-drought-affects-maine-potato A potato remains in a field after harvesting in Fryeburg, Sept. 27, 2017. While 65 percent of harvested potatoes are shipped to processing plants such as those owned by McCain’s Foods in Easton and Penobscot McCrum—who is in the process of constructing a plant in Washburn—20 percent is devoted to seed potatoes and 15 percent are sold to the fresh food market. This year, a prolonged drought has made the ground harder to dig. David Bartlett used to run the farm jointly with his father, but assumed full control after Bob, who is 80, began to fall into ill health. The farm by Foxcroft Road is just one of several locations where the Bartletts plant their potato fields. Exceptions are the Bintje (140 days) and the Irish Cobbler (85 days). A teen drama set during the fall potato harvest in a small northern Maine town. Throw them in the pot when you boil your live lobster for some additional flavor. Exemption; farm vehicles transporting potatoes. Maine has about 47,000 acres of potato fields. David Bartlett and his workers will be harvesting nonstop from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. — roughly from sunup to sundown. Last year's harvest was strong, and this year should have seen about 3,000 new acres brought into production, but the sudden arrival of COVID-19 has changed all that. The Maine Potato Lady is a certified organic handler through MOFGA Certification Services, LLC. Potato farming took […] But the tradition’s days may be numbered — Maine Potato Board executive director Don Flannery recently told the Associated Press he would “be surprised” if it lasted another decade. Latitude, most potatoes take from 90 to 100 days to mature. Another 45 percent is used for french fry processing, 20 percent for potato chips and 10 percent for the fresh market for home, restaurant and institutional raw potato use. We publish SPUDLINES three times per year during winter and Pest Alert weekly during the summer. Follow these simple instructions to enable JavaScript in your web browser. The appointees will serve three-year terms. Four workers who were supposed to be on the harvester fail to show up. However, potatoes will grow in many types of soils. Regional pest information is gathered through an extensive IPM program. Now that you know when to dig potatoes, the question becomes how. 7. Directed by Aron Gaudet, Gita Pullapilly. It was supposed to be a great year for Maine potatoes. Maine Potato Board's executive director said farmers won't harvest if it's too warm because the quality of the potatoes could suffer in storage. Houlton , Me ., Sept . By 1994 however, Maine had fallen to the eighth ranked potato producer and the seventh in the number of acres devoted to potato cultivation in the United States. “We’ve had dry seasons before,” he said. The harvest season is here and so is the season for soup. “He works 100 percent all of the time,” Bob Bartlett said of his son. https://newengland.com/today/living/new-england-history/potato-recess Exceptions are the Bintje (140 days) and the Irish Cobbler (85 days). Though he normally runs about 200 acres of potatoes, this year he’s down to 180. Idaho surpasses Maine in extolling the virtues of their potatoes with a huge advertising budget. They began harvesting their crops on Sept. 14, and have only 10 acres remaining before they complete the harvest for this year. “This fall it’s been a little wetter, but much cooler.”. To harvest potatoes that will be kept in storage, the plants should be dead for several weeks, to allow the skins to "set" or harden. Nowhere will you find higher quality Organic Certified Seed potatoes for planting in fields or gardens. In one of Bob Bartlett’s fields—“the rockiest one,” he tells us—a harvester rattles and hums while workers stand at the top of the machine’s conveyor and hand-separate chaff from the diminutive seed potatoes, fresh out of the ground. “But the people who were supposed to be on the harvester didn’t come.” Though the Bartletts have had people miss work before, four workers not showing up at once is unprecedented. Dear readers, if you care to watch the few short YouTube videos below, I believe you will agree with me that modern day potato planting and harvesting machines used by some of North America’s leading farming operations are second to none… The machines featured here were designed and manufactured by Spudnik Equipment Company. Potatoes can be planted earlier on lighter, better-drained soils as these soils dry out and warm up earlier. “There are no ways to make up harvest days once you lose them. Maine io now shipping a little over 200 cars per day and many more are going into storage each day . Here at 47N. He can be found helping his son get in the family’s crop, and on this day was working at the potato house. Nearly 25 percent of Maine’s potato production is for seed to supply the east coast. Fields are covered with flowering potato plants on Sunday, July 19, 2020, near Fort Fairfield, Maine. 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