After five decades in farming
Dan stewart shifts down
Longtime Presque Isle farmer Danny Stewart is looking forward to retirement, and the freedom to travel and visit grandkids, while still aiming to keep his fields and store running.
Stewart took over the farm when he was a senior in high school after his father died unexpectedly, and he’s been at it for 48 years, growing potatoes and vegetables on about 50 acres currently and selling those and other foods and crafts at his shop on Route 1, four miles south of Presque Isle.
Now, approaching age 66, Stewart wants to downshift a bit, so he and wife Lucille, a former secretary at the University of Maine Aroostook Research Farm, can enjoy themselves and their four grandkids.
“I can have some time to spend with our grandchildren, if the kids are up and want to go to the lake,” he said.
Stewart also has a bit of wanderlust, with an urge to explore the vast and diverse United States. “We generally go to Florida a little bit every year, but I’d just like to travel around and see some of the country. I want to go west to look around and see the Grand Canyon,” he said.
Stewart said he much enjoyed the farm life, especially the spring rituals, “when you get on the tractor and smell the fresh dirt and you’re rolling it over” — although he sees challenges ahead for people who want to make a living farming. Particularly with industrial potatoes, he said, “It’s pretty hard to get into, with the size of the operations now and the amount of land that you’ve got to have.
The Stewart’s Farm store has long been a popular destination for locals and Aroostook travelers since it opened in 1966, selling fresh veggies, a dozen varieties of potatoes, fruits and preserves, along with Stewart’s own crafts such as barrels, furniture and cribbage boards.
The store likely will remain open despite Stewart taking a step back. He’s planning to rent out the farmland and the shop — and he’ll still be growing a bit himself. “I’m still going to work. But I’m not going to worry about dealing with a crew and being around the store.”
