Aroostook County work ethic still rings true

by Angie Wotton
Special to the Houlton Pioneer Times
These days, potato harvest for most of us might only include noticing subtle changes like the increased traffic of loaded potato trucks on the road or getting stuck behind a tractor hauling a piece of equipment, causing us to grumble for the forced slow-down. In addition, town sprawl has encompassed what was once farm fields, further shielding agriculture from the public’s visual interaction. I would guess that Fitzpatrick’s farm field across from Marden’s shopping mall is an anomaly, not only in The County but in the State of Maine.    This fall, while working on a soil sampling project with the Maine Department of Agriculture’s potato seed inspectors, I felt like a part of the harvest once again and realized how much I missed it. Watching farms in action, it struck me how important agriculture is economically to southern Aroostook, especially at potato harvest time. The number of people needed to bring in a crop involves truck and tractor drivers and harvester help and potato house help and many, many hours put in to make it all run smoothly.
While the stereotype may exist of the difficulty of finding good, dependable workers, the opposite is also true since there are more who stick with it, working consecutively long days with not much of a break, especially with the beautiful “digging” weather of October.
Workforce aside, the amount of fuel and equipment and parts needed to harvest the crop is also a major contributor to our local economy. This is true whether the farm is harvesting 12 acres of potatoes or 400 acres. All provide jobs and support of our communities through purchases of farm supplies and equipment and even food. Remembering back to my own days on the harvester, coffee breaks and lunchtime were much-anticipated events during the day.
And let’s not forget the work ethic. Some would argue that the once-famous County work ethic was no longer but it remains, continuing to have an impact outside of Aroostook. This proved itself recently when my nephew, attending college in South Portland, was looking for a job with a construction company there. Once the owner found out he was from The County, he hired him, claiming that he’d hire anyone from Aroostook because they were good workers. That matters and farming historically has and continues to play a major role in forming that ethic.
Thanks in part to the local food movement farmers have become local heroes once again. The next time you get “stuck” behind that tractor on the road, take a moment to appreciate the hard work and contributions that farmers make working the land, helping to keep our rich agricultural heritage and economies working.
Angie Wotton loves her work as district manager for the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District. She also raises pastured pork and vegetables with her husband on their small West Berry Farm in Hammond. She can be reached 532-9407 or via e-mail at angela.wotton@me.
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