BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 25, 2022
Aroostook County in the northernmost part of Maine has the largest concentration of potato farms in the state. Farmers there produce most of the 56,000 of acres harvested in the state worth a total of $540 million in sales and employing 6,100 people. Most still dry farm without supplemental irrigation, putting them at risk of a drought. But more growers are looking at it as an option, with about 25% of the potato acreage being irrigated. So far, climate change has brought mixed news for farmers. It is linked to warmer temperatures and drought, but also brings more frequent and intense rainfall that can damage crops with rot or soil erosion.