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PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Cavendish Farms, one of the premier potato farms and packing plants in Aroostook County, has indefinitely suspended farming operations at its Presque Isle site due to market conditions.
According to emailed information released last week by Mary Keith, vice president of communications for J.D. Irving, LTD, human resources personnel at Cavendish Farms met with Presque Isle employees March 4 to discuss the closure.
In total, two full-time management, one full-time administrative, five full-time seasonal and five short-term seasonal employees will be impacted by the company’s decision to immediately suspend farming operations.
“Employees have been provided with standard severance packages and the company is also working with human resources at other operations in Aroostook County to see if the skills and experience of the farm employees might suit hiring requirements at other operations like the new sawmill in Ashland due to open this summer,” said Keith.
Tim Hobbs, director of development/grower relations for the Maine Potato Board, said the news was disappointing.
“Cavendish is certainly one of our larger growers, and any time you lose that kind of acreage out of your production area it’s going to impact all the affiliated businesses that support agriculture in the area,” said Hobbs, “… your suppliers, fuel providers, etc. We will notice the loss for sure.”
Company officials confirmed that the land will not be sold and will be retained should market conditions improve and farming potatoes becomes a viable option in the future.
