Potato Grower

www.potatogrower.com 21 The organization now consists of four joint owners—Jay LaJoie, who acts as secretary/ treasurer and farm manager; his father, Gil, who serves as vice president; Gil's brother Dominic, president of the company; and a cousin, Lucas, who manages the processing sector of the business. "What's nice about our operation is that everyone has their own expertise," says Jay LaJoie. The LaJoies have never shied away from changing things up if they felt it would benefit their operation. "Over the years our markets have really diversified," says Jay. Indeed, over the years the LaJoies' potato operation has gone from being primarily a producer of table stock to a farm that produces for every sector of the industry. Table beets are also a big part of the farm, and vegetables such as carrots and cabbage have been known to make an appearance as well. "There seems to be a growing demand for colored varieties," says Jay, noting that blue potatoes are a major source of income. "We're also seeing more requests for small packages of seed -50- pound bags, garden orders. We even work with some mail- order magazines who market smaller orders of those specialty varieties." Jay has led the farm's effort in recent years to promote and increase soil health, experimenting with different rotations and cover crops, mostly green manures. The LaJoies begin harvesting an early crop of potatoes in early August, so there's a big push to cover that potato ground as soon as possible to help it establish root systems and protect against erosion. They keep meticulous records to determine which cover crops and/ or traditional methods work best in which fields and with which crops. The LaJoies have always seen value in having a voice in the industry and being involved in their community. Currently, Jay serves on the administrative committee of the U.S. Potato Board. Dominic has served on the Maine Potato Board and currently sits on the executive committee of the National Potato Council. "The way I was brought up, my family was very much involved in the community and the industry as well," says Jay. "We really have a passion to see our local community and region succeed in agriculture, and the industry on www.potatogrower.com 21 Top Fond memories Since 1900, the LaJoie family has success- fully farmed on the same piece of land near Van Buren, Maine. Photo courtesy LaJoie Growers LLC Bottom Dream team (From left) Lucas, Jay, Dominic and Gil LaJoie, standing near a display exhibit- ing some of Maine's ag history, show off some specialty chips that are a product of colored LaJoie potatoes. Photo courtesy LaJoie Growers LLC

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