Aroostook Agriculture: Potatoes

POTATOES

Aroostook Potatoes

Maine is the fifth largest potato producing state, harvesting about 70,000 acres of a variety of spuds each Autumn. Potatoes are grown in Maine for tablestock, processing and seed, all marketed with the assistance of the Maine Potato Board.

In addition, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension provides a wealth of technical assistance for all of the crops grown in the County. The UMCE Presque Isle office runs an Integrated Pest Management program each summer to assist growers in raising quality crops, while minimizing environmental impact. The Soil Conservation Service also assists growers in maintaining proper drainage in and around fields to minimize both soil erosion and associated runoffs.

Potato Varieties

Some of the most popular varieties of potatoes grown in the County include:

Group	Variety
Round Whites	Atlantic
_	Ontario
_	Superior
_	Frito Lay Varieties (numbered varieties used mostly for processing)
Russets	Russet Burbank
_	Norkotah
Other	Shepody
_	Yukon Gold

Historically, a large number of varieties have been grown in commercial production. Some of these varieties have been developed on the Aroostook Research Farm, an agricultural research facility located in Presque Isle. Some popular varieties of the past that no longer play a major role in Aroostook's potato crop include: Kennebec, Green Mountain, and Cobbler, among others.

Learn more about the History & Origin of Potatoes.

Related Resources:
Board of Pesticides Control	Agricultural Futures
USDA	Maine Department of Agriculture
Maine Potato Board	University of Maine Cooperative Extension