News

New Marketing Assistance Now Available for Specialty Crop Producers

USDA Makes $2 Billion Available to Support Expansion of Current and Development of New Markets WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) $2 billion Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program, aimed at helping specialty crop producers expand markets and manage higher costs, is now accepting applications […]

USDA Allocates $2B to Boost Specialty Crops, Expand Storage Post-2024 Natural Disasters

Support is available to producers nationwide, and will significantly assist producers of citrus and other specialty crops in the Southeast after Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton USDA also offers new flexibilities to help producers access USDA disaster programs WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2024 – Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the creation of new programs that […]

Maine Potatoes Available At Restaurants Around Bangor For Tourney Time And Beyond

PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE – The Maine Potato Board has announced that the Caribou Russet potato and other varieties of Maine Potatoes are being featured in restaurants in and around Bangor starting with High School Basketball Tournament Week. Restaurants began featuring the then-new Caribou Russet potato five years ago around tournament time. While some restaurants regularly […]

Maine Potato Board Announces 2022 Industry Recognition Award

(PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE) – The Maine Potato Board has selected the Victor and Gloria Winslow family of Mapleton for the 2022 Maine Potato Industry Recognition Award.  This year’s recognition is awarded under a new, broader category for individuals or families who have shown outstanding commitment and support of the Maine potato industry. Walter E. Whitcomb, […]

Ninety Nine Restaurant Serving All Maine Potatoes

WOBURN, MA – The Maine Potato Board is announcing that Ninety Nine Restaurants are now exclusively serving Maine Potatoes. The restaurant chain’s 103 locations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York are serving Maine Potatoes in the mashed, baked, skins, and fries. The baked potatoes are 100% Caribou Russet potatoes, […]

Maine Potato Board Announces 2020 Young Farmer of the Year

(PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE) – The Maine Potato Board directors have announced that Matt Griffeth of Caribou has been selected as the 2020 Young Farmer of the Year, along with his brothers John Jr. and Stephen Griffeth. The brothers farm in Caribou, Limestone and Fort Fairfield, raising potatoes and small grains. The Griffeth brothers attended Caribou […]

Caribou Russet Potato Back on the Menu in Bangor for Basketball Tournaments

PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE – The Maine Potato Board has announced that the Caribou Russet potato will once again be used in two restaurants in Bangor starting with High School Basketball Tournament Week. Geaghan’s Pub & Craft Brewery will be using the Caribou Russet in a variety of potato-based dishes, and Hops House 99 inside Hollywood […]

Maine Harvest Festival This Weekend

The Maine Harvest Festival is set for Nov. 23 & 24 at Bangor’s Cross Insurance Center. Hours are 10-4 and features chefs, growers, foods, beverages, and more all from the State of Maine. The 2019 Maine Harvest Festival is presented by the Maine Potato Board.

Caribou Russet Potatoes Back on Shelves, Soon in Restaurants

PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE – The Maine Potato Board has announced that the Caribou Russet potato will once again be available to consumers at the Maine Harvest Festival in Bangor this weekend. This marks the fourth year the Caribou Russet is being made available at the annual festival celebrating the fall harvest from farmers and food […]

2019 Farm Family of the Year

(PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE) – The Maine Potato Board has announced the Chandler family of D C Farms in Mapleton as the 2019 Farm Family of the Year. Darren, along with his brother David, farm primarily in Mapleton and Castle Hill. Darren and David’s father, Darrell Chandler, is retired but still is available with advice and a […]

2019 Young Farmer of the Year

(PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE) The Maine Potato Board has announced that Curtis Harrison of New Limerick has been selected as the 2019 Young Farmer of the Year. Curtis is the son of Paul and Karla Harrison, also of New Limerick. Curtis and his wife Sarah have two children, son Chauncey, age four, and daughter Ruby, age two. Curtis […]

2018 Farm Family of the Year

(PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE) – The Maine Potato Board has selected the Donald Fitzpatrick family of Houlton as the 2018 Farm Family of the Year. Donald planted his first crop of potatoes when he was a freshman in high school, and this spring he helped plant his 66TH potato crop. Donald learned a lot from that […]

MPB Scholarship

The Maine Potato Board will once again be offering a $500 scholarship to those pursuing a career in Agriculture, Agri-Business, or Natural Resources. The application deadline is March 23, 2018 (postmarked). To apply, simply print out this Scholarship Form, fill out, and send to: Maine Potato Board Scholarship Committee 744 Main Street – Room 1 Presque Isle, […]

Maine Potato Board awarded Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant to Study Pulse and Oilseed Crop Production

Presque Isle, ME – The Maine Potato Board is pleased to announce it has received a $105,527.00 grant from the USDA – Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (Northeast SARE). These funds will support the two year project, “Developing Best Management Practices for Pulse and Oilseed Crops in the Northeast”. A lack of best […]

2017 Legislative Tour – Day 2

Before leaving Presque Isle, we spent some time learning about the equipment needed to raise potatoes and other county crops.  Wow!  BIG Tonka toys!  Some of our legislators enjoyed trying their hand at driving a tractor around (with a coach, of course) at Theriault’s John Deere.  The tractor, regularly priced at $274,000 was on sale […]

Maine Potato Board Legislative Tour 2017 – End of Day 1

The legislators on tour had a great dinner at the Presque Isle Snowmobile Club to finish the first day.  We were joined by a number of growers so everyone had the opportunity to meet and have conversations about the industry and what is on the agenda for day two. MPB executive director Don Flannery gave […]

Maine Potato Board Hosts 2017 Multi-Day Legislative Tour

Nearly two dozen state legislators, plus some guests, arrived in Aroostook County on Tuesday to participate in the biannual potato industry legislative tour, guests of the Maine Potato Board. Visiting legislators are from all over the state, with a number of them making their first visit to the county. From Sinclair to South Berwick, Bethel […]

Managing Blackleg of Potatoes

Andrew Plant— Plant Pathologist, Maine Potato Board Written in Consultation with: Gerry Saddler, Plant Pathologist, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA); Amy Charkowski, Plant Pathologist, Colorado State University; and James Dwyer, Crops Specialist, UMaine Extension Blackleg is a bacterial disease of potatoes. During the disease development, an inky dark colored and sometimes slimy lesion […]

Soil Maintenance and Refurbishment

Dominic Lajoie- Maine Farmer and Andrew Plant- Maine Potato Board As farmers, at the end of a long growing season when temperatures drop, when crops get harvested and put into storage, and when thoughts (daydreams) stray to traveling to warmer destinations or taking a snowmobile trip, we are often snapped back to the reality of […]

MPB Scholarship

It’s that time of year again! The Maine Potato Board will once again be offering a $500 scholarship to those pursuing a career in Agriculture, Agri-Business, or Natural Resources. The application deadline is March 31, 2017. To apply, simply print out this Scholarship Form, fill out, and send to: Maine Potato Board Scholarship Committee 744 Main Street […]

Caribou Russet Now Available in Select Stores

The Maine Potato Board has announced that its newest variety – the Caribou Russet potato – is now available in select stores in Eastern Maine. PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE (Dec. 20, 2016) – The Maine Potato Board has announced that its newest variety – the Caribou Russet potato – is now available in select stores in […]

New Scientific Papers Highlight Importance Of Vegetable In Diets of Children

Understanding vegetable consumption of infants and toddlers will be critical to the effective development of the first-ever federal nutrition guidelines to include this age group Read the article below for APRE’s full release: (McLean, VA) January 15, 2016 – What role do vegetables play in meeting the nutritional needs of children? Do infants and toddlers […]

2015 Legislative Tour Pt 1

The first update on this year’s MPB Legislative Tour up north! Twenty-three legislators from around the state of Maine arrived in Aroostook County Monday, July 13 for an up close and personal view of Maine’s potato industry and related agriculture. The Maine Potato Board is hosting the legislators on this traditional tour. Held every other […]

2015 Legislative Tour Pt 2

The second half of the update on this year’s MPB Legislative Tour! Dominic LaJoie gives Rep Michelle Dunphy of Old Town an impromptu agronomy lesson on potato tubersDay 2 was a long day on the legislative tour. The bus pulled out at 7:30 with a first stop at Theriault’s John Deere dealership. The stop afforded […]

Potato Storage Course Offered

Cavendish Agri Services and Dr. Robert Coffin along with David DeLodder are pleased to offer a Potato Storage Certification Course to improve storage management practices. Course Description To: Anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of managing potato storages Date: Week of March 23-2015 Location: Florenceville, New Brunswick Registration fee: $750 Outline: Millions of pounds of […]

Access All ‘Focus on Potato’ Webcasts, Plus 12 Other Resources for $25

The Plant Management Network, publisher of “Focus on Potato” and other crop management resources, is offering a special discount for potato growers in North America. Through this limited-time offer, potato growers can get one-year access to PMN’s entire collection of nearly 50 “Focus on Potato” webcasts, plus a dozen other resources housed on the Plant […]

Fox Family Potato Chips News

Big announcement for local, Maine business! It doesn’t get much better than having a Bon Appetit editor commend your chips in a national, respected “foodie” publication. And that’s what happened last month for Rhett Fox in the January magazine. In an article praising 13 regional chips “worth paying shipping for,” various Bon Appetit editors identified […]

NPC Statement on IOM Evaluation of Potatoes in WIC Program

Read the full, official release! Today, the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report that is the first in a series to evaluate the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Full Release

Maine Potato Industry Members Invited to Open House

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity! Maine potato growers and others in the industry are invited to a special Open House hosted by Crane Brothers Farms in Exeter, Maine on Friday, January 23. Crane Brothers recently completed a first of its kind “envelope” Maine potato storage, which they are pleased to show and explain […]

SFA CEO Urges Congress to Approve Federal Standard for GMO Food Labels

The following release was distributed by the Snack Food Association (SFA) On December 10, Snack Food Association (SFA) President & CEO Tom Dempsey urged Congress to approve legislation creating a federal standard for labeling food produced with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Representing food manufacturers before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, Dempsey […]

2014 Young Farmer of the Year!

The Maine Potato Board has announced that Robert M. Irving of Caribou, ME has been selected as the 2014 Young Farmer of the Year. Robbie is the son of Steve and Patti Irving of Washburn. Growing up on the farm, Robbie is the sixth generation of the Irving family to raise potatoes in central Aroostook, […]

Grant Funds Available

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry has announced that grant funds are available. Please read the following for the public notice. Public Notice for RFP # 201411868 The State of Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Division of Agricultural Resource Development has a requirement for grant proposals which, if approved, will become […]

Lose the Weight, NOT the Potatoes

Newly-Published Research Shows Potatoes Can Be Part of a Weight Loss Regimen The following release was sent out by our friends at the U.S. Potato Board. Great news for all you potato loving folks out there! DENVER (October 20, 2014) Research published last week in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition demonstrates how people […]

2014 Potato Pickers’ Special: The Winners!

The winning crews receiving coffee and donuts! Monday, 9/22 – Bruce Flewelling Tuesday, 9/23 – Double G Farms Wednesday, 9/24 – Labrie Farms Thursday, 9/25 – Gene Helstrom Friday, 9/26 – Lawrence Dumais Monday, 9/29 – Fred Flewelling Tuesday, 9/30 – Hemphill Farms Wednesday, 10/1 – Buck Farms Thursday, 10/2 – LaJoie Growers Friday, 10/3 […]

Commissioner Announces Appointments to Maine Seed Potato Board

Commissioner Walt Whitcomb has announced the appointment of David McCrum of Rumford Point and the re-appointment of Dominic Lajoie of Van Buren to the Maine Seed Potato Board. David McCrum has agreed to serve as a commissioner’s appointment and Dominic LaJoie has agreed to be re-appointed to the position of a person producing potatoes in […]