How historic drought affects potato harvest in Aroostook County

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 28, 2020

The potato harvest is part of the family business for Bartlett Farms in Littleton, a small town next to Houlton. But it isn’t business as usual this year because Aroostook County is experiencing a drought of historic proportions, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture declaring The County to be a drought disaster area. Rivers have dried up considerably, and potato crops, as with other crops in the area, have suffered due to the lack of water. The USDA has made Aroostook farmers, as well as those living in adjacent counties, eligible for emergency funding.