By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — There are many things that The County is known for, but arguably none more than community. Produce stands that sprout up along Aroostook roads during the summer bring a lot more than freshly-picked produce to the table; farmers know their customers almost as well as they know their produce, and the customers know who’s responsible for growing their favorite greens. It’s a cyclical flow of communal information and feedback, which helps to keep business growing strong.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Stephany Soucy, of Woodland, selects a batch of fresh peas from Skonieczny’s Fresh Farm Produce located in the Miller’s parking lot. Pending frost, Skonieczny’s should have fresh peas right up until the end of September.
“Farm stands are just another facet that makes up this thing we call community,” said Skonieczny Fresh Farm Produce farm stall manager Jen Fuller.
Skonieczny Fresh Farm Produce, for example, has been selling vegetables from their farm stand out of the same location in the Miller’s parking lot for the past 36 years. Over that time, the 19 different types of vegetables that the farm stand sells have been table-tested and customer-approved to precisely match the taste-buds of Aroostook County.
“We always have new varieties of vegetables being developed for our customers,” explained Fuller. “If it doesn’t make it past the table test, it doesn’t make it to the farm stand.”
People can be particularly picky about their produce, which is why Skonieczny’s is always sampling different types of vegetables for flavor, yield, texture and a list of other characteristics that can make or break a salad, let alone dinner.
According to Fuller, right now is the perfect time to pick up beans, “Yellow and green, even if you’re not a big fan, they’re really sweet.”
Farm stands can be found dotting many of the major roads in the area, and stopping to take a gander can yield some delicious results.
Skonieczny farm stand started selling produce this year on July 11 — a little earlier than normal because of an early growing season — and will be selling produce to The County until about Oct. 10. Skonieczny’s sets up stands in Caribou, Van Buren, and Presque Isle.
