Agriculture is our heritage
Aroostook County is well-known for its potato industry. In 2000, nearly 90 percent of all potato crops in Maine were grown in our county. Farmers have raised crops for generations, caring for the land and putting their heart and soul into their craft.
Just recently, we celebrated the annual Maine Potato Blossom Festival. The 9-day event is full of activities, with this year being the 69th festival and already the committee is preparing for next year. This amazing event brings people together from all over The County and attracts more than 35,000 visitors.
Our local businesses always get a boost by the festival, and it’s great for our economy. Guests stay in our hotels, shop at our small businesses and dine at our delicious restaurants. But the festival is about much more than just revenue — it is a reminder of our past and a celebration of our tradition as farmers and stewards of the land.
Potatoes are not the only produce that puts us on the map. Aroostook County is also home to the largest broccoli grower on the East Coast. And, our soil makes it easy to grow barley in abundance, with one third of The County’s croplands devoted to growing grains.
There are large producers of potatoes and other agriculture in Maine that help our economy, but there are also many small farmers who make a huge impact on our economy and way of life. These farmers work tirelessly around the clock to produce fresh fruits, vegetables and locally raised meats.
Our farmers are critical to our local economy and they are working hard to grow their businesses. From 2002-12, the average production per farm has risen from $111,770 to $235,215. And, of the 8,173 farms in Maine in 2012, Aroostook County has the highest number. Having a successful farming industry has a positive ripple effect on our economy which benefits all of our local businesses.
It is not all great news, however. The number of farms in Aroostook County has decreased. In 2002, there were 1,084 farms and in 2012 that number had dropped to 895. Staying competitive and selling their products on a larger scale can be challenging for small farmers, especially in our area.
In order to stay competitive, small farmers need to be able to keep costs low and market their products effectively. This can be difficult in Aroostook because we have limited access to high-speed broadband. In fact, in much of our area there is no access to broadband.
That is why I’ve once again submitted legislation to increase access to high-speed internet. I introduced legislation during this Legislature to increase access, but unfortunately we did not get the funding necessary to pass the bill. I intend to keep fighting for our farmers and other local businesses that need broadband in order to market their products, process orders and manage online banking.
Our farmers also need access to a strong infrastructure. Part of that infrastructure includes food hubs that make it easier for small farms to distribute their goods to broader markets. Food hubs are places to gather, minimally process, store and distribute local products. They can also promote and sell products.
Here in The County we already have a fantastic food hub that helps local farmers and residents. I hope we can bring attention to this great service and continue making local food more available. We know that Maine products are among the best in the world and that the world will be hungrier for them if we can get the word out.
Infrastructure, of course, also involves our transportation network. When transporting their produce, farmers need adequate roads and bridges. Otherwise, their product can be damaged and it is expensive to maintain trucks that are impacted by bad roads. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, 38 percent of Maine’s major roads have only fair to unacceptable conditions.
To that end, the Legislature passed a bond to provide $100 million in much-needed funding for construction, repairs and maintenance of the state’s transportation infrastructure. It will go to the voters this November.
We must do whatever we can to help our local farmers. While we have made strides, there is more work that can be done. As your legislator and a member of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, I will continue to fight to support Maine’s natural resources-based economy and help our local farms and businesses grow.
Rep. Robert Saucier is in his second term in the Maine House and represents part of Presque Isle. He serves on the Legislature’s Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee and the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. He is also House chair of the Maine Citizen Trade Policy Commission.
