Planting Season is Here

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) -The fields are plowed, and Farmers are beginning to plant their crops. NewsSource8′s Cecilia Morin sat down with the Executive Director of the Potato Board to get an update on the planting season.

Don Flannery: “Depends a lot on weather. You know what the temperatures are. How much water we get and all those sorts of things. “I think they’ve had a pretty good spring so far so I don’t see and haven’t heard any issues, so I think it’s moving along pretty well.”

When discussing how other Farmer’s are doing with the beginning of the season Don Flannery the Executive Director of the Potato Board had some positive things to say.

Don Flannery: ”It’s early you know there’s been some planting going on some growers have gotten done some growers are just getting started to plant so you know when how much of the crop we’ve gotten in we are not sure I suspect that you know by memorial day shortly after memorial day probably be planted and you know that means that will be in good time and gives us pretty much the benefit of the whole growing season to raise the crop.

Flannery says last year’s crop was good and some of it is still being shipped. He went on to say that it’s still too early in the season to speculate about any problems that may arise.

Don Flannery: “Those sneak up on you, you know, the issues the concerns you can have sometimes catch you unexpectedly, but you know right now I think we are in good shape. It appears the crops are going to be in early and you know if we have a nice growing season, I wouldn’t expect anything unusual.”

Flannery said it is too early to know what the final acreage will be, but he feels it will be similar to what was planted last year.

Don Flannery: “What we end up with is yet to be determined. Acres I think you’ll see that Maine’s acres are pretty much what they were last year around 52,000 acres.”

Every planting season is a reason for optimism for the farmers as they look for a great growing season. Flannery hopes this year’s harvest will be similar to the last two years. NewsSource8′s Cecilia Morin.

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