“MUD ‘EM IN, MUD ‘EM OUT!” It was over 40 years ago when we first heard this crusty, well-worn weather observation muttered by an old yet fully-determined Maine Potato farmer one wet Fall.
It references the detected weather pattern that a rainy Spring will often be followed by a wet Fall, classically with a dry Summer sandwiched in between.
So, Maine Potato farmers after having gone through tough planting from wet ground last Spring, kept tucked in back of mind the premonition that hard, muddy digging could be ahead for ‘digging’ this Fall.
So far this Fall, rain has regularly been interrupting Potato harvest.
Here in this shot, it was last Saturday morning, following a four-day-break because of rain. With chilly gray skies, temps in the low 40s and high winds courtesy of T.S. Fiona we work to pull our ‘Juko’ Potato Harvester through a mud hole. At left, Caleb is crouching and attaching a special shock-obsorbing tow rope with a clevis to the drawbar of our Oliver 1850 Diesel. Similarly, Justin is bolting the other end to the Oliver 1750 pulling the Juko. Jim in driving the 1750. We had success getting unstuck on the second try.
Today we’re again waiting for dry ground.
It is hard-won experience and sarcasm which has spawned some local gallows humor, “God gives the Aroostook farmer good weather in the Spring to plant potatoes, and good weather in the Fall to dig potatoes. Though not necessarily in the same year.” Caleb, Megan and Jim
