MAINE POTATOES TRAVEL FAR AFTER WESTERN DROUGHT

PORTLAND, MAINE » Maine’s potato growers had such a bumper crop this past season that they stepped in to help their big brothers out West who were short on spuds.

Farmers from Maine shipped potatoes by rail for the first time in four decades this winter thanks to a strong harvest in the state and heat and dry weather that stymied farmers in renowned potato- growing states Idaho and Washington. The potatoes made their way more than 2,500 miles for processing in climate- controlled rail cars.

All told, 21 million pounds of potatoes, virtually all from growers in northern Maine, flowed through a rail- connected warehouse owned by Lajoie Growers LLC. That equates to more than 530 truckloads of potatoes, said co- owner Jay Lajoie.

“It’s a good chunk of potatoes,” said Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board.

Most of the Maine potatoes went to processors in Washington state, where much of the french fries and other products are exported. The shipments to Idaho were seed potatoes, including Maine’s Caribou russet, which will be planted this spring.

Chris Voigt from the Washington State Potato Commission said processors were grateful for the potato shipments, but they’re hopeful Maine growers’ services aren’t required in the future.

It also proved the value of rail lines for agriculture, especially during a shortage of trucks in the pandemic, Lajoie said.

While Maine is known for its lobsters, the state was indeed once the nation’s potato capital through World War II. Other states increased production in the 1950s. Idaho and Washington are currently Nos. 1 and 2, and Maine ranks ninth, according to the USDA.

A heat wave with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees Fahrenheit hit the Pacific Northwest in June, just as potatoes were starting to grow. The result was reduced yields and lower quality, Voigt said. The extreme heat reduced yields by nearly 10% for potato growers in Idaho and Washington, while Maine potato yields grew more than 30% thanks to good weather.