Farmers in Aroostook County, Maine, have completed the 2025 potato harvest, marking the end of a season that producers describe as challenging but manageable despite a dry summer.
Scott Keirstead, owner of Clover Leaf Farms, said the early season was marked by heavy rain, followed by a prolonged dry period. "We had a bit of a wet May and June, and about the 10th day of July, it stopped raining. And the rest of July and August were extremely dry… We thought with it being a dry July and August that we were going to have a crop lost, but it wasn't as big as we expected," Keirstead said.
Keirstead noted that his operation did not use irrigation this season. "I weighed the pros and the cons and the expense and the return, and being a C grower, I'm not out to get the biggest potatoes to put to market, I'm out for numbers," he said.
Clover Leaf Farms harvested several hundred thousand pounds of potatoes this year. Larger potatoes will be sold for table consumption, while smaller tubers will be shipped to Florida for replanting in the next growing cycle.
At Atcheson Farms, co-owner Kyle Atcheson reported strong yields and consistent quality. "It was a massive crop. Quality was good. Nice straight Burbank,s beautiful Caribous, we were happy with everything here," Atcheson said. The farm supplies local processors, including McCain, McCrum, and Braley.
Post-harvest work continues for local growers as they prepare equipment and facilities for storage and the next planting season. "Loading hauling equipment ready. Servicing trucks, putting all the harvest equipment away, which is what you hear in the background here," Atcheson explained.
Keirstead added, "We made enough work to keep us busy until May, next planting season."
Despite the prolonged dry spell through July and August, producers in northern Maine reported stable outcomes as the 2025 potato harvest concluded. Fields across the region are now cleared, and equipment maintenance and storage preparation will continue through the winter months.
Source: WAGM
