WEEKLY SENATE UPDATE

HOMEGROWN POTATOES

Although I spend most of my weekdays working in Washington, D.C., I return home nearly every weekend to Maine.  Meeting with constituents, attending events, and spending time with family and friends helps me stay in touch with the people I represent in the United States Senate.  I hear from Mainers on many of the issues that are important to them through the thousands of letters and phone calls they send to my Washington office, but nothing compares to being home.   

The weekend of July 16^th was no exception.  I once again had the honor of walking in the Maine Potato Blossom Festival Parade in Fort Fairfield, which was led by the 2005 Farm Family of the Year, the Robert Irving Family of Caribou.  The Irving Family Farm goes back to the farm John Irving founded in Caribou in the late 1800’s.  His descendants farmed in the same general area through the 20^th century.  Kenneth Irving bought the Henry Mitten Farm in Washburn in 1936, to which the Irving family now calls the “home farm”.  With this kind of tradition, it is no wonder that residing in Aroostook County is often referred to as “the way life used to be”. 

While it has not been a perfect season so far, this year’s potato crop looks promising, and the Maine Potato Blossom Festival, which ran from July 8^th to 17^th this year, offered an atmosphere sufficient to buoy the spirits of the most pessimistic among us.  The 58th Annual Maine Potato Blossom Festival featured all of the old favorites that have made the festival so successful over the years.  From contests to the Potato Blossom pageants, this Aroostook County tradition has something for everyone.  The festival is a precursor to a bountiful harvest and one of the cornerstones of life in “The County”.  In fact, residents plan family reunions, conferences, and many other events around the Potato Blossom Festival – it is truly the biggest event of the year.     

Of course, the real guests of honor at the festival are the Maine potato, potato farmers, and the entire potato industry.  The potato industry has long been one of the major components of the foundation of Maine’s economy.  Although it does not receive the widespread attention that newer industries such as biotechnology, financial services, and medical research do, the fact remains that growing, processing and marketing potatoes continues to quietly be one of Maine’s steadiest sources of employment, especially in Aroostook County.  Potato farming supports myriad other economic activities in Maine.  Suppliers, processors, and marketers all provide jobs to many other businesses in Maine and beyond. 

            An additional boost to Maine’s potato industry has been the growth of value-added potato products prepared for cooking.  Sold in markets such as schools and hotels, these potatoes are a growing niche market for companies like Sysco of Houston, Texas, which named a Maine company the “supplier of choice” for its Eastern Division.  In addition, other Maine companies supply potatoes that can be found in Le Menu and Healthy Choice products, as well as partially cooked, precut specialty potatoes that can be found in supermarkets throughout the East Coast and Midwest.

            Mainers have nothing to be modest about when it comes to the quality of our home grown agricultural products, especially Maine potatoes.  The potato farming tradition and the Maine Potato Blossom Festival that has sprung from it are integral parts of life in Maine – and they are part of what makes returning home so special.