MPG hosts Farm Days Expo

    Maine Potato Growers (MPG), Inc. hosted their fifth annual MPG Farm Days Trade Show & Expo on April 5-6 at the Forum in Presque Isle. The show featured all of MPG’s divisions and more than 30 vendors.
    MPG Farm Days offered growers the opportunity to have a hands-on look at the latest products and services MPG has to offer. Participants were invited to review various product lines, attend equipment demonstrations and have qualified staff or vendor representatives answer questions they may have had. The Expo is the only local show of its kind specifically targeted to the needs of the farming community.
    Following the first day’s events, over 250 were present for the Grower Dinner. Newly-appointed Commissioner of Agriculture Walter Whitcomb was keynote speaker following the membership dinner.
    “We’ve been here three months and it’s been a fascinating time. I think I’ve been up here at events in Aroostook County as much as I’ve been anywhere, since it’s the heart of Maine agriculture. It’s a great time to be involved. We’ve got a Governor that’s very, very anxious to reduce the regulatory burdens on farmers as well as everybody else,” said Commissioner Whitcomb.
    “The show continues to grow and is always eagerly anticipated by local growers. It has been a great success once again this year,” explained Pierre Patenaude, MPG president and CEO. “MPG’s mission is to efficiently provide value products, services and marketing to all of our customers. Our Farm Days Trade Show & Expo plays an integral part in attaining our mission,” he added.
    MPG is a diversified agricultural supply and marketing cooperative based in Presque Isle and has served the needs of Maine’s agricultural and resource based industries and its surrounding communities since 1932. Marketing division activities consist primarily of the purchase and resale of potatoes and grain. Supply division activities consist primarily of sales of agricultural supplies and services, crop inputs and services, farm equipment and maintenance, petroleum products and retail hardware sales.