PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Water is an integral resource when growing crops, but you can’t always count on Mother Nature to deliver it when you need it.
The potential for timely water delivery to crops will broaden now that the state has been awarded $863,390 in federal irrigation assistance. Aroostook County will receive $238,390 of that award.
The funding being distributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service was announced last week by U.S. Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins, along with Rep. Mike Michaud.
The funding will provide landowners with grant money to expand irrigation capacity and agricultural production on land that either has never been irrigated or has not been irrigated in the previous five years.
While the funding will benefit all growers in Aroostook County, potatoes are the heartbeat of the region’s economy. Irrigation has long been a topic on the agenda of the Maine Potato Board. Board officials have worked to come up with strategies to help farmers get the water they need to nourish their crops in a cost-effective way.
Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board, said Thursday the new money would benefit potato growers in The County.
“We were happy to receive news of this,” he said Thursday.
Both Flannery and Tim Hobbs, director of development and grower relations for the board, said new mandates are in place to protect watersheds from being drained during droughts.
On the heels of that legislation, growers began drafting water management plans for their farms, and some growers have had to secure alternate water sources for their crops.
“Some growers need new water sources or are looking to expand the irrigation capacity they already have in place,” said Flannery. “This money will be of benefit to them.”
Hobbs agreed, adding that the funding has arrived at a time when growers are facing new water regulations.
“I think that this money is a good starting point,” said Hobbs.
He added that the congressional delegation worked on behalf of growers in the state to secure the funding.
“We are very happy with them for helping us with this issue,” Hobbs said Thursday.
Members of the congressional delegation said in a joint statement that they recognized The County “faces unique irrigation challenges,” going on to say that it is “critical that these fields are fully utilized and don’t become fallow due to lack of proper irrigation.”
“We applaud the USDA for providing funding and look to work to build on this funding to meet the demands for Aroostook County farmers,” said Sens. Snowe and Collins and Rep. Michaud.
Landowners in Aroostook County are eligible to apply for program grants through their local USDA Service Center. They also may contact the Fort Kent Service Center at 834-3311, the Houlton Service Center at 532-2087 or the Presque Isle Service Center at 764-4153.