Aroostook County is experiencing a drought of historic proportions, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture declaring The County to be a drought disaster area. Rivers have dried up considerably, and potato crops, as with other crops in the area, have suffered due to the lack of water, reports Alexander MacDougall for Bangor Daily News.
The USDA has made Aroostook farmers, as well as those living in adjacent counties, eligible for emergency funding through the Farm Service Agency to help make up for the loss in crops.
But despite the loss due to drought, potato grower David Bartlett expects to pull through this harvest season, and hasn’t looked into getting any emergency funding. That’s because Bartlett Farms grows smaller, seed potatoes, which are easier to grow as opposed to the larger, more recognized russet potato. “We’ve had dry seasons before,” he said. “But never anything like this.”
Source: Bangor Daily News. Read the full report and watch a video here
Photo: Potato grower David Bartlett. Creator: BDN Staff Photo/Alexander MacDougall | Credit: Houlton Pioneer Times
September 28, 2020 at 08:21PM
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How historic drought affects potato harvest in Maine’s Aroostook County - Potato News Today
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