Mars Hill FFA members Hannah Shaw and Charlie Pierce work at a potato house, taking rocks out of the conveyor at County Super Spuds.
All the way in the top right corner of the United States in Maine, small communities depend on potato farms. Joseph Houlton planted the first potato crop in Aroostook County in 1807. This sparked the beginning of a tradition that holds a special place in the hearts of Aroostookans.
Around 1945, after World War II, farmers needed help on their farms. The solution they decided on is called Harvest Break. Essentially, they cut the school’s summer break by three weeks to create an additional school break during harvest time, from mid-September to mid-October. During this time, students worked long, hard days in the potato fields, picking potatoes for 25 cents per barrel.
Mars Hill FFA members and potato truck drivers Harleigh Allen, Caden Bell, Dayton Taylor and Hannah Shaw smile in front of a potato truck.
Over time, equipment has advanced, and students no longer need to pick potatoes by hand. However, schools still continue the three-week Harvest Break. Working on a farm during this time remains a valued tradition that reflects the agricultural roots of Aroostook County.
Students still find ways to help local farmers during Harvest Break. Some of the jobs they can do include working in a potato house, driving a potato truck, working on a harvester and operating other machinery. This year, the Mars Hill FFA Chapter had 55 members working on potato farms during the break.
Mars Hill FFA members Rebecca Shaw and Jillian Grass work for Grass Family Farms.
This experience benefits FFA members by providing them with a Supervised Agricultural Experience and an opportunity to give back to their community. Grass Family Farms has FFA members help with the potato harvest every year.
“Harvest Break has allowed a lot of students who didn’t grow up on a farm to have an opportunity to gain skills,” says Grass Family Farms Owner and Past Maine FFA State President Kevin Grass. “As farmers, we give students responsibilities that they have never had before. They gain skills they will be able to utilize throughout their lives, making them more well-rounded. It is known in New England that Aroostook County students have a work ethic. Harvest Break teaches students not to be ashamed of where they are from. I have gained many meaningful connections with students through the farm. Overall, Harvest Break gets kids involved in agriculture and will help them down the road.”
Since 1992, the farm has given back to the Mars Hill FFA Chapter by donating seven acres of a field and the equipment needed to farm potatoes. The potatoes grown are Russet Burbanks, which are sent to McCain Foods after harvest. With this generous donation, the Mars Hill FFA Chapter brings in around $23,000 each year. This money provides members with opportunities to travel to the National FFA Convention & Expo and the Washington Leadership Conference.
Mars Hill FFA member Collin McCrum gives back up directions to a potato truck driver.
“Harvest means more than just a job; it is a way of life,” says Mars Hill FFA member Collin McCrum. “I don’t wake up every day of the three-week break thinking ‘I’m going to a job.’ I’m going to a place where people of all kinds go to achieve one goal: put food on the table for millions of people.”
The dedication and effort Mars Hill FFA members put into this opportunity is something that will be remembered by farmers and community members for years to come.
