Sunday July 12 2026

Weekly Updates from the Ridge

There are places so quietly themselves that the rest of the world seems to be the strange one — wide fields under wide skies, where the work is real and the seasons keep their word.

Someone asked me what there is to do in Aroostook County on a Saturday night.

I said, "Watch a potato and see which one of you blinks first."

Maine is making waves with its first-ever Blue Economy Week, a major three-day conference set for September 30 through October 2 in Portland at the Holiday Inn By the Bay.

The event is expected to draw hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and industry leaders eager to explore opportunities within Maine's $6.8 billion ocean and coastal economy — a sector that already supports more than 90,000 jobs statewide.

Topics on the agenda span a wide range of marine industries, including fisheries, aquaculture, seafood systems, marine biotechnology, ocean data, coastal infrastructure, boatbuilding, and marine energy. Attendees can look forward to panel discussions, startup spotlights, an exhibitor showcase, a demo event, and organized field trips.

The conference is a cooperative effort among some of the region's leading institutions, including the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, the University of Maine, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, and Northeastern University's Roux Institute, with backing from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development and the Maine Technology Institute.

A newly created Blue Economy Center — established by the Maine Legislature this past session — is lending major support to the initiative. Maine Technology Institute President Brian Whitney described the center as "the central coordinating entity for all blue economy initiatives," designed to connect partners, align efforts, and strengthen communication across the sector.

For a state with deep roots in the sea, Maine Blue Economy Week signals an ambitious push to turn those traditions into a thriving, forward-looking industry.

Aroostook County, Maine hides some genuinely remarkable quirks beneath its quiet potato fields:

• Larger than two states: Aroostook County covers roughly 6,800 square miles, making it larger than both Connecticut and Rhode Island combined — yet it holds fewer than 70,000 residents.
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• A border with its own dialect: Communities along the St. John Valley near the Canadian border developed a unique French dialect called Brayon, distinct from both Québécois French and Acadian French, still spoken by some older residents today.
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• School potato harvests: For much of the 20th century, local public schools officially cancelled classes for several weeks each autumn so students could help harvest potato crops — a practice known as "Harvest Break" that persisted in some districts into the 1990s.
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• A Cold War air fortress: Loring Air Force Base in Limestone was once one of the most important Strategic Air Command bomber bases in the U.S., chosen specifically because its extreme northern latitude gave B-52s a shorter flight path to Soviet targets.
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• An international time anomaly: Several Aroostook towns along the New Brunswick border observe Atlantic Time rather than Eastern Time, meaning parts of Maine run an hour ahead of the rest of the state.

Maine's downtowns are calling out for a comeback. A survey of 3,000 respondents by financial media company MarketBeat ranked Presque Isle's Main Street and Rumford's Congress Street among the top historic downtowns Americans most want to see revived.

Residents cited rising rents, big-box competition, and lack of investment as key culprits behind downtown decline — but they're not just feeling nostalgic. Nearly a quarter want diners and cafes back, while others called for live music venues, farmers' markets, and walkable public spaces.

Encouragingly, 83% of respondents said small-town Main Streets are worth saving, with broad support for public funding to make it happen.

Q: Why do locals in Aroostook County sometimes refer to their home simply as "The County"?

A: Aroostook County is so vast — larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined — that residents developed a quiet pride around its sheer scale. Over generations, calling it "The County" became a badge of identity, signaling that no further geographic clarification was needed. It stands alone in Maine's cultural geography.

Q: What unexpected crop besides potatoes has become increasingly significant to Aroostook County's agricultural economy?

A: Broccoli has quietly grown into a notable crop for The County. The region's cool summers and fertile soils create ideal conditions for broccoli production, and several operations now supply markets across the northeastern United States, diversifying what was once an almost entirely potato-dominated landscape.

Q: How did the closure of Loring Air Force Base in 1994 reshape the Aroostook County community around it?

A: Loring, once one of the largest Strategic Air Command bases in the country, anchored the Limestone area economically for decades. After its closure, the community transformed the site into Loring Commerce Centre, repurposing runways, hangars, and housing into an industrial and business park — a resilient reinvention that other rural communities have studied as a model.

Maine is seeing a tentative rebound in visitors from Canada, with border crossings ticking up slightly in March and April compared to the same months the prior year — a welcome sign after months of steep decline.

The downturn had been driven by strained U.S.-Canada relations, including President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs and repeated suggestions that Canada could become the 51st state — remarks that prompted many Canadians to rethink trips south of the border.

The recovery appears to be gaining momentum. Canada's own statistics agency recorded a 15% year-over-year jump in Canadians returning home from the U.S. by car in May, suggesting cross-border travel is picking back up on both sides.

For Maine, the stakes are high. Canadian visitors have long been a cornerstone of the state's summer tourism economy, particularly along its popular southern beaches. Governor Janet Mills and industry leaders have made direct outreach to Canadian travelers a priority, working to reassure them that Maine remains a welcoming destination.

Whether the uptick signals a lasting turnaround — or just a brief pause in the broader chill — remains to be seen as the peak summer season gets underway.

Plan Around Aroostook's Shoulder Season for Unforgettable Solitude

Most visitors think of Aroostook County, Maine as a summer or winter destination, but the true magic happens in late September and early October. The vast potato fields turn gold and rust, the crowds vanish entirely, and lodging prices drop significantly. If you are planning a trip, call ahead to small family-run motels in Presque Isle or Caribou directly — many offer unadvertised weekly rates during this window that can save you 30 to 40 percent compared to peak season.

Beyond the savings, this timing puts you on the ground during the potato harvest itself. Local farms along Route 1 often welcome curious visitors to watch the mechanical harvesters at work — something you would never stumble upon by visiting in July. Ask at any diner in Houlton or Fort Fairfield and locals will happily point you toward an active harvest field. It is the kind of authentically Aroostook experience that no travel guide will spell out for you.

This week, we’re encouraging our community to support the Houlton Humane Society.

They do the hard, quiet work of caring for local animals, helping pets find safe homes, and supporting the bond between people and their animals across Southern Aroostook.

Whether you can adopt, foster, donate food or supplies, volunteer, or simply share their posts, every little bit helps.

A strong community takes care of its people — and its animals.

Let’s show some love this week for the pets waiting for their next chapter.

Aroostook County, Maine has a hidden gem that rewards slow drivers: roadside farm stands scattered along Route 1 and back roads through towns like Houlton, Littleton, Monticello, Bridgewater, and beyond.

Some stands are staffed; others still operate on the honor system — leaving cash in a box for fresh potatoes, berries, eggs, maple syrup, baked goods, and whatever the harvest brought that week.

Spots like Treeland Farms, Sunnyside Family Farms, and Burkhart's of Bulrush Farm Mercantile are among the local favorites worth seeking out.

Farm stand hours shift with the season, so treat the drive itself as part of the experience.