Maine Memory Network

Potato Basket, Littleton, ca. 1940

Contributed by: Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum Date: circa 1940 Location: Littleton Media: Ash splints

Potato pickers, Caribou, ca. 1930

Contributed by: Caribou Public Library Date: circa 1930 Location: Caribou Media: Photographic print

Maine Eats: the food revolution starts here

From Maine's iconic lobsters, blueberries, potatoes, apples, and maple syrup, to local favorites like poutine, baked beans, red hot dogs, Italian sandwiches, and Whoopie Pies, Maine's identity and economy are inextricably linked to food. Sourcing food, preparing food, and eating food are all part of the heartbeat of Maine's culture and economy. Now, a food revolution is taking us back to our roots in Maine: to the traditional sources, preparation, and pleasures of eating food that have sustained Mainers for millennia.

Laboring in Maine

Workers in Maine have labored in factories, on farms, in the woods, on the water, among other locales. Many of Maine's occupations have been determined by the state's climate and geographical features.

Presque Isle: The Star City - Harvesting Potatoes - Page 5 of 13

"Harvesting Potatoes INTO THE BASKET FIRST Potato Picker's Basket, Presque Isle, ca. 1940Presque Isle Historical Society After the potatoes…"

Presque Isle: The Star City - Harvesting Potatoes - Page 13 of 13

"Former farmer Larry Park talks about how a potato harvester works.  SOURCES Richard W. Judd” AROOSTOOK A Century of Logging in Northen Maine”…"

Aroostook Potato Harvest: Perspective of a Six Year Old
by Phyllis A. Blackstone

A child's memory of potato harvest in the 1950s

The Cup Code (working at OOB in the 1960s)
by Randy Randall

Teenagers cooking fried food in OOB and the code used identify the product and quantity.