Is Maine Still a Top Potato Producing State?

It's time for a little word association. Are you ready? Here we go.

"Maine"

I'm going to venture a guess that you said "lobster". Or maybe it was "seafood". There's a good reason for that: it's what Maine is mostly known for. Sure, the state is beautiful with its rocky coastline and majestic forests and parks, but the true symbol of Maine is a crustacean.

That crustacean and all of its ocean friends aren't just a symbol, though. They are what helps drive this state's economy. In fact, they are probably the most important factor in a financially healthy Maine economy.

However, there's another product that should be talked about much more on a grand scale. It's one that fills the farmland in the north. It's a versatile crop that is one of the most popular in the entire world. Yes, I'm talking about the potato.

Even with uncertain farming climate, Maine has continued to be one of the top potato growers in the country. Whether it's the popular russet, a special hybrid for the Frito-Lay company, or one of the many other varieties, Maine is proud to be one of the country's true leaders in the market.

But just how much of a potato producer is Maine? Well, according to World Population Review, Maine was the 9th highest producing potato state last year. Hey, that's not too bad at all.

World Population Review used data from the Department of Agriculture to determine its rankings. Maine ended up processing 17.9 million potatoes in 2023. That's a heck of a lot of spuds, folks. That total put Maine just behind Minnesota (18.2 million) and ahead of Nebraska (10.3).

The majority of Maine's potato farms can be found up north in Aroostook County, where the climate is just right. According to Visit Aroostook, Maine was even the highest producing potato state in the nation at one point. Of course, that was back in the 1940s, and times have changed just slightly.

Visit Aroostook also points out that the most popular uses for Maine's potato crop are french fry processing, potato chips (hello, Frito-Lay), seed, and home use. Maine potatoes are quite versatile.

Producing nearly 18 million potatoes a year does seem like a ton of spuds. However, it's nothing compared to what Idaho, the country's top number producer, is pumping out. The Gem State produced a whopping 145 million potatoes last year. It was America's only state that passed the century mark. I guess that's why they call it the potato state.

But Maine is still holding its own when it comes to the spuds, and it's great to see. So don't forget to keep supporting Maine's potato growers. The backbone of our community deserves it.