Eastern Railroad Discussion > Maine potatoes by rail

A year ago, it was posted here that due to a large crop of Maine potatoes (20% larger than normal), and a drought out West reducing the harvest, that ALOT of Maine potatoes were shipped by reefer cars to Western potato plants and packers.  Alot of railcar trips were reported happening on the Maine Northern RR from a Van Buren potato shed.

Question:  how is the business doing this January?  As good as last year, or not?  Did the rail shipping work out and prove to be a good option?

I've checked the news, but haven't seen anything, hence my question here on the Eastern board, in case anyone in Maine knows.

Thanks!

Coach

I don't know how to characterize the rail shipment of Maine potatoes but there's a poster to the CP discussion forum on railroad.net that reports almost daily under the heading Intermodal to Saint John the movements of CP trains across the Moosehead past the Greenville Jct, ME live cam. It seems like every other day or so the westbound IM/manifest train 121 has 1-3 reefers loaded with Maine potatoes headed for an unspecified destination.

I understand that some french fries connoisseurs prefer Maine potatoes for their double cooking benefits.

Posted from Android

In-n-out needs tons of potatoes

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

Arby's gets theirs from the McCain plant in Easton.  All truck shipments, though.

in n out opened here in colo, but isn't too busy often here

mcdonalds gets the best potatoes in the world, frito lay behind that, idaho grown last i heard

I'll try to be more specific:  have reefer shipments of potatoes on the MAINE NORTHERN RR continued this year, like last year?  It made lots of news when it happened, due to lots of reefers being used.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'll try to be more specific:  have reefer
> shipments of potatoes on the MAINE NORTHERN RR
> continued this year, like last year?  It made
> lots of news when it happened, due to lots of
> reefers being used.

Haven't seen a thing about this, and a couple of searches just turn up the January 2022 reports that "since trucks couldn't handle the overflow" we had to use rail

it was one farm that did the deal or company/family perhaps research that ,who the producer was and see if you can find the info again this year on their f/b page or something, start by looking here

Thank you, Dan!

https://lajoiegrowersllc.com/

i looked around saw nothing new too. last years crop was extaordinary it seems, this year?