Maine Lawmakers Tour Aroostook Farms to Explore Potato Innovation, Technology, and Policy Impact

The Maine Potato Board organized a special tour this week to give lawmakers an up-close look at one of the state’s most iconic agricultural industries — potatoes.

Jim Thorne, Maine State Representative:

"We like to call this the Aroostook County Potato tour, and what we are doing is we’re coming up and we are seeing and seeing some of the operations and growing of the county and potato growers and some of the people who support that industry."

Senators, House Representatives, and other legislators are making multiple stops during the tour to learn how Aroostook’s farmers are adapting and innovating. 

Brent Buck, General Manager of United Ag and Turf in Presque Isle:

"We’re showcasing some of the new technology for on sprayers, trackers, and GPS. The new technology in the sprayer will see a plant that it doesn’t want, and it will turn on a nozzle to spray just that one spot in the field, as opposed to the older technology, where you literally turn it on at the end drive through the field and then shut it off."

The goal of the tour is not only education but also policy awareness. Some lawmakers say the visit is helping them understand how legislation impacts the field.

Scott Cyrway, Maine State Senator:

"When we go and say, “No, we aren’t going to do peace work anymore, we are just going to do minimum wage.” That takes away all the competition, out it takes away the income that the farmers can make because if you say,“Hey, you’re making this much an hour,” what‘s the drive?"

The tour has visited the Maine Potato Board’s seed facility, Porter Farms, United Ag and Turf, and Buck Farms in Mapleton, where malt and barley are grown. The group still has many other stops to make.

Jim Thorne:

"We just have so many stops between now and Friday that it’s overwhelming in some cases."

Lawmakers are not just getting a taste of the county’s signature crop — they’re gaining a deeper understanding of the people, policies, and innovations that keep Maine’s potato industry thriving. The tour’s last stops are on Thursday, and the group will leave the county Friday morning.