By Joshua Archer
Special to the Pioneer Times
CARIBOU — Potato growers and vendors from around the state of Maine, as well as the U.S. and nearby Canadian provinces, met at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center last week for the 30th annual Maine Potato Conference.
James Dwyer, crops specialist and professor with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service in Presque Isle, said the purpose of the conference is to bring the “latest information and research about what’s happening in the [potato] industry nationwide to the potato industry here in Maine.
The two-day event, which sold out last November, included lectures ranging from crop rotation, potato viruses, soil management and current farming techniques. Growers who attended also had the chance to speak with industry vendors at a trade show hosted by the Central Aroostook Young Farmers, as well as acquire pesticide recertification credits.
“One of the biggest events is the Florida test results. Those are the readings out from Florida on seed where the winter grow-out takes place,” Dwyer said.
CEO of the U.S. Potato Board Blair Richardson, who oversees activities and programs implemented on behalf of potato growers across the nation, was on hand to listen to growers and hear what they want from the government organization.
“We’re in the middle of a five-year strategic planning process, we’re going to set the next plan and the direction for the organization. Part of this is to get input from growers to tell us what they want — this is the time to tell us because this is when we’re creating our programs,” Richardson said.
According to Richardson, the U.S. is facing transportation issues when it comes to growing, but says Maine has an advantage over a number of areas due to its proximity to markets. New transportation regulations determine how long truck drivers can be on the road, “this is going to have a big impact on the distribution of potatoes across the country,” Richardson said.
“There are always problems — it’s consistent in agriculture. Right now we have a retraction in trade because of the strong U.S. dollar compared to the Euro, and also with the port slowdowns on the West Coast, which are affecting exports, so how that plays out over the next six months is going to be vary important to our industry,” he added.
There are good things happening in the potato industry too, according to Richardson. “The perception of potatoes at the consumer level, in legislative circles and research circles is improving, research that’s been conducted by the U.S. Potato Board and the Alliance for Potato Research and Education is showing better information about the nutrient value and nutritional content of potatoes. Potatoes are not fattening, they’re a good healthy part of our diet.”
Jay LaJoie, farm manager for LaJoie Growers LLC of Van Buren, operates a five-generation potato, vegetable, and grain farm. He said he attended the Jan. 21-22 conference and hoped to, “get the latest and greatest information that is coming down the pipe. Any way that we can improve our farming practices to become more sustainable in the industry is what we strive for as growers.
“Maine growers, in general, are always on the right sustainable track, but it’s very important as growers to be up-to-date and well educated on what’s out there and what we can do to improve our farming practices,” LaJoie said.
