Another nice video. I am retired and past 70 years. When I was in college a Washington potato grower association put published an add saying Idaho potatoes grow better in Washington. That started a series very funny adds from both sides.for the next 2 years.
Thanks for the video. I’m 50 miles north of Presque isle still a lot of potato fields up here, less farms from 20 to 30 years ago but bigger operation. Most high school guys would work in potato houses on weekends and school vacation. When we graduated from high school we could say we had a PHD (potato house degree) lol Love your videos
Agree! I was expecting a meetig confab right outta Las Vegas, and then ... nothing. Potato meeting left us hanging! No meeting notes or opportunity to mute Earle.
I never knew anything about how complex potato farming/processing was. I will never look a potato in the eye badly every again...or all the eyes...LOL. Love the videos :)
Great video, you do an awesome job. We live in Auburn now but grew up in Easton & Presque Isle. My father in law was a farmer in Easton & I grew up like everyone else picking potatoes & everything related to farming from about age 8. It surprising how much farming has changed since the late 50’s when we started as kids till what it’s like today. In our days we used potato forks in old potato houses to shovel up the potatoes, some houses had bucket shovelers & they were tethered with electric cords. Much different than what’s used today. Again, great video. You have to make a return trip back to the county in the summer, it’s a beautiful part of the state.
Hey there, thank you for taking the time to leave me this comment. I get to hear the stories from Ray, Dave and Shane about the old days. It wasn’t that long ago the guys used a corded bobcat to shovel, Shane included in that time. Ray and Dave have done it all that’s for sure. And Shane started when he was in his mom’s belly in a tuck and shit spreader ! Haha
I grew up in Fort Fairfield next to Presque Isle. Whenever people say “I have been to northern Maine, you know Bangor”. I just laugh. The first 22 years of my life was there. Grew up working/picking potatoes.
It is nice to see my old stomping grounds. I flew into Presque Isle in 1976 when I was first stationed at Loring Air Force Base. It was between Caribou and Limestone. I stayed there until 1980. One of my friends from high school attended Bates College so I traveled to Lewiston a few times. Great memories. My wife and I took our honeymoon traveling the coast of Maine from Portland to Bar Harbor and Eastport.
It is amazing how much we never learned in school. People in the south have no idea Maine grows so many potatoes. Arkansas is a huge grain crop producer along with a good amount of cotton.
We didn’t learn that much about agriculture from what I remember. I grew up in Ohio. Some of the other near by schools as 4H programs and a lot more agricultural programs. But we did not.
Potato country in Maine is endless it seems. I used to drive up to Presque Isle, Houlton, Madawaska and Fort Kent and recall that there were no towns as we know them in many areas up there. Instead the areas are a map grid designation like, "You are now entering W6C2" or whatever. Very big state. Nice post as always. My favorite channel in this genre. Cheers!
Half of Maine's land area is in the "Unorganized Territory." Our Potato farm is in Township D Range 2 WELS (TD R2), next to the organized Town of Bridgewater. "WELS" is an abbreviation for "West of Eastern Line of State". So our Township is in the second Range of Townships, same as Presque Ilse, which of course is an organized Township. TD R2 has never had enough residents to warrant it getting organized.
Hello BellsFarming. Your question about "what size is your potato farm?" seems to be addressed to me but, I think you might have been intending to respond to jimgerritsen6843, above. Cheers! @@BellsFarming
FYI: Molly, If you make your videos at least 10:00 long you'll get double the income.Once it's 10:00 long they show another commercial and you get paid double of what a video that is 9:59 or less pays. Love your channel and looking forward to more content.
Yeah I have heard of things like that. This was just a little short one. I don’t really worry much about that stuff. I really enjoy making the videos, some are long some are short :) thank you very much for the support of the channel!😊😁
@CentralNewHampshire, love New Hampshire! I wanted to retire there, but hubby won out! He is from N-ern Maine! I was born and raised in upstate N.Y. but we lived and worked in Pa. for almost 30 yrs.
Thank you Molly and Shane 👍 that was different but still very interesting,, amazing I was using a battery powered chainsaw today,I thought it was going to be rubbish but I was very impressed with it and did the job well 😊 see you next time 💓 UK 🇬🇧
Well little girl glad to see you finally got up to the County. I would like a dollar for every time I made that trip and still making it not so much anymore after my wife passed away but still try to get up there to see the family. Love your videos keep up the good work. ❤❤
Until your channel I didn’t know the cold ass north grew potatoes 🤣 always thought they came from the west anyhow glad y’all’s trip went well. Later❤️😎🇺🇸
@@BellsFarming Yes and it would be fun to see the harvesting in the Fall. Probably a 5 to 6 hour derive from Newmarket. Maybe if I can find an inexpensive motel and make it a two day trip. Plus visit during some Farm Association meeting to meet more farmers.
You were up in my neck od the woods. I worked potsto fields in New Canada and the potato house in Fort Kent. In the 80s and 90s there were 100s more potato and broccoli farmers than now. Pineland has a mashed potato plant in Mars Hill...you drove by it to get to the meeeting.
Hi Molly, I've never been to Maine but I think I would like it. Love the wilderness . Thanks for the tour. Hey I bought a battery powered chain saw a few years ago, kinda neat I was impressed. 😊
Thank you for taking us along for the long ride up to Presque Isle. It was interest to see the place that you started to check out the tables, years ago probably 12 years ago now I went up there to purchase a snowmobile and stayed overnight in a hotel that was very very close to the company that makes those tables and I drove by a couple of times thinking what in the world are those Peculiar contraptions use for? I thought there were some kind of strange pieces for outdoor tractor implements and at the time yes, I thought about how little I knew about farming, I spent too much time concentrating on snowmobiling but that was a fun little getaway and it is beautiful up there, I’ve also gone through town on my way up to Eagle Lake
This is pretty cool to see. You have some nice looking country in Maine. Yes of course it was cool to see where potatoes come from and the progress with in it. I hope you enjoyed your little vacation and hope all things was a positive thing for you.
I'm finding out by seeing all the operations, including yours, that our little pidly place( which I thought was a lot of work for 40 acres) sure didn't amount to nothing . Tks. for the tour
When you are a farmer it’s always fun to nerd out with other farmers about what you do and the equipment etc. Upper Maine looks way better without that white stuff all over and all green lol. As for beaver dams that’s where that other channel Post10 goes around and clearing beaver dams from culverts and bridges, so he’s probably out and about now lol. Great video as always!
Yes! I forgot about that channel! I just subscribed! I counted 22 beaver huts that I could see from the highway! As you can tell I would nerd out talking about beavers too lol. Yes hanging with other potato farmers is really cool. There are not many down our way.
@@BellsFarming I feel you. I’m in idaho, but all our potatoes come from Washington state around the Richland area. All the Idaho potatoes are grown in the southern half of the state and they go everywhere else. In my yard the ground is too rocky because when they built our development they took all the good topsoil from the farms that were here.
@@BellsFarming I some times get lost down the rabbit hole of unusual UA-cam videos. I have found drain unclogging videos from guys in Australia and England, I’m also watching a couple different British guys who live in France that are rebuilding old chateaus, one is a complete ruin and the other guy bought an old convert and is turning that into a air bnb. Lots of good stuff lol
I live in Maine and I have never been up that far up in the county I have said for years that I would love to just drive up there and drive around to see the sites and the potato fields in bloom and then come back home to Central Maine. I am originally from the Mid coast here in Maine and I must say that every county and each region has such beautiful nature and some sort of scenic view/beauty 😊
I’ve traveled to the County many times, including for my son’s wedding. He married a County girl. Love the potato fields in blossom. Love harvest season. Salt potatoes. New potatoes. Roadside stands selling potatoes. Poutine in restaurants. All wonderful. ❤
I am actually planning on moving there from where I am in Norway, Maine! An old taxi driver told me it's another 4 hours to get to the very tip If you're going the speed limit. Potatoe farming is a HUGE investment I want to make. If there ever is a WWIII, I will have canned and preserved potatoes lined up for miles 😊
Nice road trip! I've been to PI in May, and their weather was like our April. I was happy to see you snacking on an apple and supporting "our" industry. I always tried to get out to other farms, but real challenging to see any field work, as one is always busy doing your own farm tasks at the same time. Winter is a good time for meetings and visits.
I love apples! Yes you’re right about visiting other farms during production. I guess that’s what we use UA-cam for these days! Thank you so much for watching and commenting:)
I live in Houlton. Just had this video show up in my recommended reel. Scenic view on I-95 North for Katahdin is usually only open May to October. Thank You for visiting the County!
Oh cool! I noticed this video is reaching different people. Yeah I’ll have to catch it when we come back for the next potato meeting. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hi Molly I’m like every else here I had no idea that Maine produced so many potatoes 🥔…. I thought they all came from the northwest…. Thanks for sharing always appreciated beautiful 😊
@Bellsfarming, I was born and raised in upstate N.Y. and I didn’t know that Maine grew potato’s either, until I was stationed at Loring AFB in Oct 1986 and met my hubby who is from Limestone! We got married in Nov 1987 and I was in the USAF for ten yrs. until I was Medically discharged in 1990! After I got out of the USAF we moved to Pa. for jobs in Law Enforcement and Corrections and lived there for close to 30 yrs. After we retired we moved back to N-ern Maine to be close to hubby’s family and to help with family businesses in Aroostook County (Brooker Construction and Hometown Fuels)
Molly, You are such a fine representative, not just of your operation, but farming in general. Thank you for being so informative to a retired city dweller who escaped to the hills of E. Tennessee.
Thank god I’m a COUNTY BOY!!! My friend Cary had hats made in 1973-74 when the John Denver song came out. My wife made my sons and I shirts just last year. There is no place on earth like The County.
That's awesome but need to go up a little further up Route 1 next time for the great scenic ride to Madawaska and then Fort Kent. Then the backroads past Eagle Lake for the ride back... Its like time stopped....
Omg to see trees hahah come to the northern plains hahaha very few trees all prairie land and the soil in some places it is black, sandy, loamy and in my area hahaha we call it gumbo. so it is heavy into clay. When it is dry it could be like concrete or smoother then fresh laid asphalt. wet can be slicker then ice when traveling though it,... or so soft,.. that you bury your truck up to its doors. we have potholes in our two lane tracks to our place and sometimes they will hold water all summer long. some people think they can just follow the road.. they get into it and blam they bury up to the doors. So when new people come out i always say we are gonna play a game. "Simon says" and Simon meaning me says follow Simon drive only where Simon drives.. do not go out on your own. Which some have and buried their SUV's or Trucks and i pulled them out and then they spent anywhere from 20 to 100 dollars at car wash washing the gumbo mud off and then cleaning inside. Funny though of all the years i don't understand why people don't start a big brick factory out of this stuff. Back in the homestead days....they used a lot of this to make sod homes and they weathered for years and years. watched show one time on You tube a family in Texas made a home out of their red clay soil there and a brick making machine.. looked awesome when they were done. But trees like what you get to see wow one day one day i will see your trees look s like i will have to plan a road trip out there to your beautiful state. drive safe you two take care.. life is an adventure good or bad it is what makes us us. so make the best adventure you can make. we only get to live life once.
good day, seen something from Bells Farm again, nice trip, excursion to potato growers and everything to do with potatoes from the ground to your plate, there are some distances there in America that you can't do in 1 day of travel, nice, have fun, see you next time Fee
I was wondering did you grow up in Maine? I was born in NH but moved to maine at 1 year. It has also been good to see how potatoe farming is done. My husband is a lobsterman so i see the water side of things. Hi to Shane and keep doing you. Velcro lab Quigley😊
I grew up in Ohio. I moved to Maine about 15 years ago. Now that hard work being a lobsterman. Thank you for your support! It’s funny to see people opinions of Shane and I. Shane smokes all the time is making jokes constantly. All we do is laugh together. 🐕💚
@@BellsFarming Something just came to mind. Agriculture developed locally around population centers, and as the country’s population spread across the continent, there had to be localized farming to supply the wants of the local population. We didn’t always have railroads, trucking, or airfreight to move agricultural products around. Thanks for your interesting channel. Have a great day! 👍🏼
I hope you do a video of seed cutting , we used a diltzwetzel German machine years ago. It would be interesting and looking forward to planting and how y’all do it these days 🇺🇸
Great tour thanks..I plan on going up there myself next year..I get my seed from mfx..great area 4 seed good isolation and cold! Which you want for seed production..
We used to visit there every summer back in the 60's . My Aunt would play solitaire and talk to herself in French. she would get mad when she lost!🙂 I had an Uncle who had a camp on Long Lake and ran a Jewelry store in Fort Kent. @@BellsFarming
Of all my trips to PI it’s the older days that were cool. Potatoes sold on the side of the road on the “trust” system, make your own change & a $6 lunch that left you not wanting dinner. Good people but yikes it’s changed.
I don’t know all the available sprout inhibitors out there. But there are kinds that are applied in the packing house as a gas. And there are liquid applications that are applied during the packing process.
Hey Molly, I work with an older man who grew up in Maine. He's now 84 and in good shape. Our work is in Florida...Ugh....However, he knows about your farm and Bell's Potatoes. Small world, huh. He is quite familiar with Aroostook as well. Growing up in NY I didn't realize that Maine is such a big potato producer. What would be the 5 top produced crops in Maine?
Well you’re right. Seed potatoes are grown special for cutting and planting! So it’s actually a potato that is being planted like you said. But potato plants do have “seeds” they are part of the plant that is above ground. It’s kinda weird and cool. I don’t know much about that process. But we plant potato’s as seed.
I wonder how much of that new potato equip goes over into to New Brunswick and PEI. What did you get for a saw ? I am looking at the Husky 540iXP, big money but seems to be the go to saw for electric.
@@BellsFarming excellent. I just found some videos of the MSA300. I think it is a bit stronger than the Husky. A bit more money, but also a bit more saw.
Another nice video. I am retired and past 70 years. When I was in college a Washington potato grower association put published an add saying Idaho potatoes grow better in Washington. That started a series very funny adds from both sides.for the next 2 years.
Thank you 😊
Thanks for the video. I’m 50 miles north of Presque isle still a lot of potato fields up here, less farms from 20 to 30 years ago but bigger operation. Most high school guys would work in potato houses on weekends and school vacation. When we graduated from high school we could say we had a PHD (potato house degree) lol Love your videos
Wow! That’s really up there! Thanks for commenting mr PHD
What happens at the potato convention stays at the potato convention! LOL
Agree! I was expecting a meetig confab right outta Las Vegas, and then ... nothing. Potato meeting left us hanging! No meeting notes or opportunity to mute Earle.
I never knew anything about how complex potato farming/processing was. I will never look a potato in the eye badly every again...or all the eyes...LOL. Love the videos :)
Hahaha good one :) thank you for watching
Great video, you do an awesome job. We live in Auburn now but grew up in Easton & Presque Isle. My father in law was a farmer in Easton & I grew up like everyone else picking potatoes & everything related to farming from about age 8. It surprising how much farming has changed since the late 50’s when we started as kids till what it’s like today. In our days we used potato forks in old potato houses to shovel up the potatoes, some houses had bucket shovelers & they were tethered with electric cords. Much different than what’s used today. Again, great video. You have to make a return trip back to the county in the summer, it’s a beautiful part of the state.
Hey there, thank you for taking the time to leave me this comment. I get to hear the stories from Ray, Dave and Shane about the old days. It wasn’t that long ago the guys used a corded bobcat to shovel, Shane included in that time. Ray and Dave have done it all that’s for sure. And Shane started when he was in his mom’s belly in a tuck and shit spreader ! Haha
I grew up in Fort Fairfield next to Presque Isle. Whenever people say “I have been to northern Maine, you know Bangor”. I just laugh. The first 22 years of my life was there. Grew up working/picking potatoes.
I’m glad I finally made it up there. We will be going a couple times a year now I think! Thanks for still being interested in potatoes :) 🥔
@@BellsFarmingmy sister still lives in Mars Hill
It is nice to see my old stomping grounds. I flew into Presque Isle in 1976 when I was first stationed at Loring Air Force Base. It was between Caribou and Limestone. I stayed there until 1980. One of my friends from high school attended Bates College so I traveled to Lewiston a few times. Great memories. My wife and I took our honeymoon traveling the coast of Maine from Portland to Bar Harbor and Eastport.
My dad was stationed at Loring from 67-70. We lived on base.
Thanks you for sharing your story :) I really need to see more of the coast!
Thanks for bringing us along Molly, always fun to see what you guys get up to in this industry.
Thank you! Soon we will be out of the packing house! I’m excited to be doing different things again
It is amazing how much we never learned in school. People in the south have no idea Maine grows so many potatoes. Arkansas is a huge grain crop producer along with a good amount of cotton.
We didn’t learn that much about agriculture from what I remember. I grew up in Ohio. Some of the other near by schools as 4H programs and a lot more agricultural programs. But we did not.
Maine also has 95% of all the United States wild Blue berries
@LoganSmith, yes!!!
Potato country in Maine is endless it seems. I used to drive up to Presque Isle, Houlton, Madawaska and Fort Kent and recall that there were no towns as we know them in many areas up there. Instead the areas are a map grid designation like, "You are now entering W6C2" or whatever. Very big state. Nice post as always. My favorite channel in this genre. Cheers!
Half of Maine's land area is in the "Unorganized Territory." Our Potato farm is in Township D Range 2 WELS (TD R2), next to the organized Town of Bridgewater. "WELS" is an abbreviation for "West of Eastern Line of State". So our Township is in the second Range of Townships, same as Presque Ilse, which of course is an organized Township. TD R2 has never had enough residents to warrant it getting organized.
I find this all very interesting. I wonder what other states and these unorganized territories. Thank you very much for commenting.
What size is your potato farm?
Thank you very much!
Hello BellsFarming. Your question about "what size is your potato farm?" seems to be addressed to me but, I think you might have been intending to respond to jimgerritsen6843, above. Cheers!
@@BellsFarming
FYI: Molly, If you make your videos at least 10:00 long you'll get double the income.Once it's 10:00 long they show another commercial and you get paid double of what a video that is 9:59 or less pays. Love your channel and looking forward to more content.
Yeah I have heard of things like that. This was just a little short one. I don’t really worry much about that stuff. I really enjoy making the videos, some are long some are short :) thank you very much for the support of the channel!😊😁
I lived in Monticello for about 5 years. Started working Tommie Goods from Good Farms. Moved back to Wilton , ME, to be with grandkids.
I love it here in Maine! I moved here in 2009.
Bellsfarming, So Molly, where are you from originally? Just curious because I am from upstate N.Y. and married a Maine boy, too! 😂 LOL!
Thanks for showing everything you do. I'm a farmer from Nebraska and really enjoy how you farm there.
What are you farming? Corn and beans?
@@BellsFarming We grow corn and soybeans.
We do a lot of no till
I didn’t realize that Northern Maine was that flat. Thanks for sharing your video.
I was surprised too. Mt Katahdin is in northern Maine. I wasn’t able to show it though. It’s a relatively large mountain
I don't miss the drive to caribou Maine to pick potatoes from central NH years ago. A lot of them do broccoli now instead of potatoes. Thibedu farm
Yes that’s a long drive!
@CentralNewHampshire, love New Hampshire! I wanted to retire there, but hubby won out! He is from N-ern Maine! I was born and raised in upstate N.Y. but we lived and worked in Pa. for almost 30 yrs.
Thank you Molly and Shane 👍 that was different but still very interesting,, amazing I was using a battery powered chainsaw today,I thought it was going to be rubbish but I was very impressed with it and did the job well 😊 see you next time 💓 UK 🇬🇧
Thank you! I was impressed by mine too. It will work great for the little things. I can stop using my skilsaw lol
Looks like a fun trip...last time I was up that far north I was moose hunting with my father and grandfather, It's a drive!
I was hoping to see a moose. No luck this time. I did count 22 beaver huts that I could see from the highway, so that was cool!
Great picture of you on the thumbnail! Great smile 😃!! Have a great day!!
Thank you 😊
I have no idea man was such a potato state. I’ve been to Idaho many times, but never thought of Maine. Fun video!
Thank you! I really didn’t know Maine grew potatoes before I met Shane
Well little girl glad to see you finally got up to the County. I would like a dollar for every time I made that trip and still making it not so much anymore after my wife passed away but still try to get up there to see the family. Love your videos keep up the good work. ❤❤
I’m sorry to hear about your wife. ❤️ thank you very much for watching our videos :)
Thank you and I wouldn't miss your videos for the world.
Omg love that area was station there for three years and love that area great hunting as well
It’s very beautiful. Well all of Maine is beautiful! But the rolling fields were a nice scenic view
I love the county!!! Caribou girl!!!
🥔 🥔 land
Awesome! I really enjoyed the trip and I’m looking forward to going back. Thank you for watching!
I knew you would buy something 😊 Those meetings are always informative and you get to learn tips and ideas how to operate more efficiently.
I always enjoy continuing education! I have so much to learn
Until your channel I didn’t know the cold ass north grew potatoes 🤣 always thought they came from the west anyhow glad y’all’s trip went well. Later❤️😎🇺🇸
PEI in Canada is famous for their potatoes, a bit further north yet, an island of red soil
Yeah I only found this out when I met my husband. I thought all potatoes came from out west too. The trip was fun! Short but good.
I am really glad you made this video. Someday, I want to visit Aroostook County. You answered my question on who makes
potato equipment.
It’s was a cool trip. You should visit in July when the fields are in blossom 🌸
@@BellsFarming Yes and it would be fun to see the harvesting in the Fall. Probably a 5 to 6 hour derive
from Newmarket. Maybe if I can find an inexpensive motel and make it a two day trip. Plus visit during
some Farm Association meeting to meet more farmers.
Another Great Video 👍 Great content, keep up the great work! Best channel on UA-cam 👍
Hey thank you! That means a lot!
You were up in my neck od the woods. I worked potsto fields in New Canada and the potato house in Fort Kent. In the 80s and 90s there were 100s more potato and broccoli farmers than now.
Pineland has a mashed potato plant in Mars Hill...you drove by it to get to the meeeting.
Yes is did! I saw that. I didn’t know they made mashed potatoes there!
Hi Molly, I've never been to Maine but I think I would like it. Love the wilderness . Thanks for the tour. Hey I bought a battery powered chain saw a few years ago, kinda neat I was impressed. 😊
Yeah I love it here in Maine. It’s very beautiful! And the saw is going to be very handy!
Thank you for taking us along for the long ride up to Presque Isle. It was interest to see the place that you started to check out the tables, years ago probably 12 years ago now I went up there to purchase a snowmobile and stayed overnight in a hotel that was very very close to the company that makes those tables and I drove by a couple of times thinking what in the world are those Peculiar contraptions use for? I thought there were some kind of strange pieces for outdoor tractor implements and at the time yes, I thought about how little I knew about farming, I spent too much time concentrating on snowmobiling but that was a fun little getaway and it is beautiful up there, I’ve also gone through town on my way up to Eagle Lake
This is pretty cool to see. You have some nice looking country in Maine. Yes of course it was cool to see where potatoes come from and the progress with in it. I hope you enjoyed your little vacation and hope all things was a positive thing for you.
Thank you!
@@BellsFarming your very welcome.. thank you.
I'm finding out by seeing all the operations, including yours, that our little pidly place( which I thought was a lot of work for 40 acres) sure didn't amount to nothing . Tks. for the tour
Farming is alot of work no matter how many acres it is! Thank you for watching!
When you are a farmer it’s always fun to nerd out with other farmers about what you do and the equipment etc. Upper Maine looks way better without that white stuff all over and all green lol. As for beaver dams that’s where that other channel Post10 goes around and clearing beaver dams from culverts and bridges, so he’s probably out and about now lol. Great video as always!
Yes! I forgot about that channel! I just subscribed! I counted 22 beaver huts that I could see from the highway! As you can tell I would nerd out talking about beavers too lol.
Yes hanging with other potato farmers is really cool. There are not many down our way.
@@BellsFarming I feel you. I’m in idaho, but all our potatoes come from Washington state around the Richland area. All the Idaho potatoes are grown in the southern half of the state and they go everywhere else. In my yard the ground is too rocky because when they built our development they took all the good topsoil from the farms that were here.
@@BellsFarming I some times get lost down the rabbit hole of unusual UA-cam videos. I have found drain unclogging videos from guys in Australia and England, I’m also watching a couple different British guys who live in France that are rebuilding old chateaus, one is a complete ruin and the other guy bought an old convert and is turning that into a air bnb. Lots of good stuff lol
I had no idea Maine was that Big!!!!!!!
It’s really big! Lots of wilderness up north.
Road trip!!👍 Approximately 14 hours NE of where i am in Ont! Love seeing the processes in action!
Thank you!
Loved the video guys. Always interesting seeing different operators and equipment.
Thank you! It’s fun to see other farms operate! Thank you very much for watching :)
I live in Maine and I have never been up that far up in the county I have said for years that I would love to just drive up there and drive around to see the sites and the potato fields in bloom and then come back home to Central Maine. I am originally from the Mid coast here in Maine and I must say that every county and each region has such beautiful nature and some sort of scenic view/beauty 😊
Maine is so beautiful! I’m from Ohio. And Maine is just amazing. I have not been up north for the blossoms yet. I am going back for that this year!
I’ve traveled to the County many times, including for my son’s wedding. He married a County girl. Love the potato fields in blossom. Love harvest season. Salt potatoes. New potatoes. Roadside stands selling potatoes. Poutine in restaurants. All wonderful. ❤
Good Morning. Just turned on the tube and guess what my fav two..... Great way to start the day
Thanks! This video is just a little one from Tuesday! I’ll have another one out tonight I believe.
Awesome video nice to see how other farms run their facilities. Maine is king of potatoes. ❤
Yes it is nice to see other operations! It was a fun little trip!
You make me want to look at a bag of potato's now and see where they are from. I never even knew they grow Potato's in Maine. Great video.
Thank you!
I am actually planning on moving there from where I am in Norway, Maine! An old taxi driver told me it's another 4 hours to get to the very tip If you're going the speed limit.
Potatoe farming is a HUGE investment I want to make. If there ever is a WWIII, I will have canned and preserved potatoes lined up for miles 😊
You look amazing Molly!
Xx❤️🇬🇧
Thank you!😊
Nice road trip! I've been to PI in May, and their weather was like our April. I was happy to see you snacking on an apple and supporting "our" industry. I always tried to get out to other farms, but real challenging to see any field work, as one is always busy doing your own farm tasks at the same time. Winter is a good time for meetings and visits.
I love apples! Yes you’re right about visiting other farms during production. I guess that’s what we use UA-cam for these days! Thank you so much for watching and commenting:)
Thanks for letting us ride along.
Awesome video great road trip. Very interesting big potatoe industry.
I live in Houlton. Just had this video show up in my recommended reel. Scenic view on I-95 North for Katahdin is usually only open May to October. Thank You for visiting the County!
Oh cool! I noticed this video is reaching different people. Yeah I’ll have to catch it when we come back for the next potato meeting. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Love to see potato farms , when a potato farm is in bloom it is beautiful. Great video and that's a good place for that snow .
I’m excited to visit during blossom. We see our fields, but to see that many acres must be amazing! We were getting hammered with snow tomorrow!
My first time going to Maine was 10+ hours van and trailer trip from northern NY to Presque Isle. I remember seeing all the potato farms on the way.
Yeah that’s a long drive. It was nice to see all the potato fields on the rolling hills.
Always learning something on your channel. It's refreshing and informative. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you 😊
Hi Molly I’m like every else here I had no idea that Maine produced so many potatoes 🥔…. I thought they all came from the northwest…. Thanks for sharing always appreciated beautiful 😊
I really didn’t know either until I met my husband.
@Bellsfarming, I was born and raised in upstate N.Y. and I didn’t know that Maine grew potato’s either, until I was stationed at Loring AFB in Oct 1986 and met my hubby who is from Limestone! We got married in Nov 1987 and I was in the USAF for ten yrs. until I was Medically discharged in 1990! After I got out of the USAF we moved to Pa. for jobs in Law Enforcement and Corrections and lived there for close to 30 yrs. After we retired we moved back to N-ern Maine to be close to hubby’s family and to help with family businesses in Aroostook County (Brooker Construction and Hometown Fuels)
I've only been to Acadia State Park and Portland. Had no idea Maine was a potato capitol. Nice work.
Thank you!
Always fascinating to see Maine and the state Stephen King is from...
Yes! Maine is great. But not that spooky:)
Molly, You are such a fine representative, not just of your operation, but farming in general. Thank you for being so informative to a retired city dweller who escaped to the hills of E. Tennessee.
Thank you very much! I really do love agriculture! Thank you for watching
I nice little break away from the farm!
The packing house videos are always interesting :-)
This packing house was huge!
Probably drove right by me in Houlton. I would've waved lol. I got to be in Presque Isle tomorrow for an appt. Have fun in the County!
Haha sorry I missed you! Haha
Thank god I’m a COUNTY BOY!!!
My friend Cary had hats made in 1973-74 when the John Denver song came out. My wife made my sons and I shirts just last year. There is no place on earth like The County.
That's awesome but need to go up a little further up Route 1 next time for the great scenic ride to Madawaska and then Fort Kent. Then the backroads past Eagle Lake for the ride back... Its like time stopped....
That sounds awesome! Next trip when we have more time!
Omg to see trees hahah come to the northern plains hahaha very few trees all prairie land and the soil in some places it is black, sandy, loamy and in my area hahaha we call it gumbo. so it is heavy into clay. When it is dry it could be like concrete or smoother then fresh laid asphalt. wet can be slicker then ice when traveling though it,... or so soft,.. that you bury your truck up to its doors. we have potholes in our two lane tracks to our place and sometimes they will hold water all summer long. some people think they can just follow the road.. they get into it and blam they bury up to the doors. So when new people come out i always say we are gonna play a game. "Simon says" and Simon meaning me says follow Simon drive only where Simon drives.. do not go out on your own. Which some have and buried their SUV's or Trucks and i pulled them out and then they spent anywhere from 20 to 100 dollars at car wash washing the gumbo mud off and then cleaning inside. Funny though of all the years i don't understand why people don't start a big brick factory out of this stuff. Back in the homestead days....they used a lot of this to make sod homes and they weathered for years and years. watched show one time on You tube a family in Texas made a home out of their red clay soil there and a brick making machine.. looked awesome when they were done. But trees like what you get to see wow one day one day i will see your trees look s like i will have to plan a road trip out there to your beautiful state. drive safe you two take care.. life is an adventure good or bad it is what makes us us. so make the best adventure you can make. we only get to live life once.
Hey tater lady
I enjoyed this video 😊
Thank you 😊
good day, seen something from Bells Farm again, nice trip, excursion to potato growers and everything to do with potatoes from the ground to your plate, there are some distances there in America that you can't do in 1 day of travel, nice, have fun, see you next time
Fee
😊❤️
Potato Conference! I have to move to Maine! 😀
Great video!
Thanks for the video!🐾
Hello from nearby NB. Keep the vids coming Molly.
Thank you 😊 hi
Great Video...I love Road trips...
WELCOME 🤙
thiss is nice ! goodnight-Bells. ;))
Thank you! 😊
Hello from Maryland
Hey hey!
I was wondering did you grow up in Maine? I was born in NH but moved to maine at 1 year. It has also been good to see how potatoe farming is done. My husband is a lobsterman so i see the water side of things. Hi to Shane and keep doing you. Velcro lab Quigley😊
I grew up in Ohio. I moved to Maine about 15 years ago. Now that hard work being a lobsterman. Thank you for your support! It’s funny to see people opinions of Shane and I. Shane smokes all the time is making jokes constantly. All we do is laugh together. 🐕💚
Before I stumbled across your channel, I had no idea that potato farming was happening in Maine at all. I'd always thought of it as an Idaho thing.
Yeah before I moved here I had no idea either!
Plenty of states have potatoes as part of their agricultural production. Michigan has potato farmers.
yes :) We have a little map in our break room of all the large potato grower states. I was surprised at all the potatoes being grown all over the US!
@@BellsFarming Something just came to mind. Agriculture developed locally around population centers, and as the country’s population spread across the continent, there had to be localized farming to supply the wants of the local population. We didn’t always have railroads, trucking, or airfreight to move agricultural products around.
Thanks for your interesting channel. Have a great day! 👍🏼
On a related note, I wonder how many lobsters they're catching in Idaho. ;-)
Nice to get out and about.
It really was
I hope you do a video of seed cutting , we used a diltzwetzel German machine years ago. It would be interesting and looking forward to planting and how y’all do it these days 🇺🇸
Oh I will! We are going to get seed in the next few weeks!
So you took my suggestion to show where you get your seed potatoes. Good video.
Yes! I might ride with Dave and show the whole process :)
bad weather today... here spring is "ante portas"!
We are going to get a bad snow storm tomorrow!
Almost in Canada..... With the exchange you can buy Canada for 50 bucks
Hahaha
Kool video
Nice video Molly Road trips are always fun!
Yeah just a little trip. :)
@@BellsFarming "Farmer vacation."
I was there at the same time, I enjoy the County.
I did too! We will be back for the next potato meeting.
THANKS!
Oh yeah! I remember how there was a lot of difficulty getting back into the us! How long did it take him?
I hope you enjoyed it and go up there to vacation not just for work
Thank you!
Great tour thanks..I plan on going up there myself next year..I get my seed from mfx..great area 4 seed good isolation and cold! Which you want for seed production..
I learned something from you!
@@BellsFarming that is good..how is Shaun coming on those pics for me on that brusher?
@@BellsFarming love to meet you guys in person sometime.
if you decide that you want that brushed you will see us :)
@@BellsFarming ok..can you guys send some pics?
I love it when you take us along on your excursions, we get to see how other farms work. Great video ❤
Yeah, it’s really neat to see the other farms too!
A very long an boring stretch of road after Bangor!
👍👍❤
Hahah, I counted 22 beaver huts that I could see from the highway though. That’s was pretty cool!
@@BellsFarming
🙄😂
Hahah
I always get hungry watching your videos. I wonder why…. 🤔 Well, I’m off to fry up some French fries…. 🍟
Yum!
My dad was from Madawaska. Right on the border.
I didn’t make it there this time. But I know someone who is from there also. He speaks French too :)
We used to visit there every summer back in the 60's . My Aunt would play solitaire and talk to herself in French. she would get mad when she lost!🙂 I had an Uncle who had a camp on Long Lake and ran a Jewelry store in Fort Kent. @@BellsFarming
We miss the burgundy sweater on the thumbnail. :)
When they take the Roll Call for the Potato Meeting...do they start off with, "One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato...Four"?
Hahaha
Of all my trips to PI it’s the older days that were cool. Potatoes sold on the side of the road on the “trust” system, make your own change & a $6 lunch that left you not wanting dinner. Good people but yikes it’s changed.
There are still good people :) I found everyone to be really nice!
Real reward after two long days - A battery chain saw.
My kinda reward. :)
Kick it or ticket lol i love maine its home
😁
What is the industry standard for post harvest spraying for preservation and anti budding of potatoes? What chemicals are being used?
I don’t know all the available sprout inhibitors out there. But there are kinds that are applied in the packing house as a gas. And there are liquid applications that are applied during the packing process.
I have heard that some of the farms are going to growing broccoli
Yes. I have head that too. There is some broccoli being grown already up there. I don’t know that farms though.
Great road trip , what brand battery chain saw did you get? Maybe you can show it in a video, I want to get one too.
I will show it in a video. I ended up getting a Stihl. Seems like it is a good one
I live in Presque ❤
I’ll be visiting again for the festival this summer too!
@@BellsFarming Hope to see you both around👍
Hey Molly, I work with an older man who grew up in Maine. He's now 84 and in good shape. Our work is in Florida...Ugh....However, he knows about your farm and Bell's Potatoes. Small world, huh. He is quite familiar with Aroostook as well. Growing up in NY I didn't realize that Maine is such a big potato producer. What would be the 5 top produced crops in Maine?
Oh that’s cool yes small world! Glad to hear he is still working at his age! Thanks for the comment
I grew up in Limestone.
That was my first trip to the north, but it was great, I’m looking forward to going back in the summer :)
Well I'll be darn, I didn't know potatoes had seeds, I thought the eye of the potatoes was were you get the plants from 🤔
Well you’re right. Seed potatoes are grown special for cutting and planting! So it’s actually a potato that is being planted like you said. But potato plants do have “seeds” they are part of the plant that is above ground. It’s kinda weird and cool. I don’t know much about that process. But we plant potato’s as seed.
@@BellsFarming thanks for the information, I should have known that if I thought hard enough 😅
Good video. Since Aroostock County is mentioned in the title, it should have been pronounced at some point. I still don't know how to pronounced it.
You are right! Hahah I will try to get it in a video for you :)
I wonder how much of that new potato equip goes over into to New Brunswick and PEI. What did you get for a saw ? I am looking at the Husky 540iXP, big money but seems to be the go to saw for electric.
I ended up getting a stihl. Our favorite chainsaw/ mower shop had this one. He said it was the best they sold. I’ll give it a try :)
@@BellsFarming excellent. I just found some videos of the MSA300. I think it is a bit stronger than the Husky. A bit more money, but also a bit more saw.