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C rack open a history book, and you'll find that 1914 was an eventful year for this old world. Much of Europe and West Africa had erupted into what would come to be called World War I. Mexico was in the midst of a revolution. Ernest Shackleton and his crew had set sail in an ultimately failed but still-fascinating attempt to find a water passage across Antarctica. And in the northeast corner of the United States, a farm was purchased by a collective of potato growers—with funds authorized by the state legislature for the University of Maine to use for the purpose—to conduct research on soil, climate and cropping practices. Over the last century-plus, much has been accomplished on that plot of land that has brought the entire North American potato industry into the future, while remaining steadfastly focused on the growers, processors and wholesalers of Maine. "That was our mission 105 years ago," says Randy Smith, who has served as superintendent of Aroostook Farm since 2001, "and our mission is still, first and foremost, to serve the Maine potato industry." In its early days, the farm was home to grain and potato experiments. Early research focused on tillage practices, such as the respective advantages of high- ridge and shallow planting of potatoes. Work soon spread to fertilizers, including experiments comparing sulfate of ammonia and nitrate of soda as nitrogen sources, and experimenting with different methods of application. When the The Fire Station For over a century, the University of Maine's Aroostook Farm has put out industry fires before they can become infernos. Zenaida Ganga pollinating clones Filipina potato breeder Zenaida Ganga pollinates clones at Aroostook Farm. By Tyrell Marchant Photos courtesy University of Maine 24 POTATO GROWER | JANUARY 2020