Wow - you can grow rice in Maine
Who knew?
Maine rice farm to hold rice paddy transplanting party
http://www.pressherald.com/2017/05/25/benton-rice-farm-to-hold-transplanting-celebration/
BENTON — When you think of farms throughout Maine, crops such as blueberries and potatoes are probably the first things that come to mind. But at a farm in Kennebec County, the specialty crop is probably the last one that comes to mind for the state: rice.
Ben Rooney, co-owner and farm manager for Wild Folk Farm on Wyman Road, said he began farming rice simply to try it out. It wasn’t something he had planned to do, but when the farm was founded five years ago, Rooney said the intent was to try different things.
“For me personally, I’m interested in experimentation,” Rooney said.
If farming rice in Maine sounds out of the ordinary, that’s because it is, Rooney said. The practice is uncommon in the state, but Rooney said many kinds of rice grow well in Maine’s climate. Last year the farm produced 2,500 pounds of rice. This year, Rooney said he’s aiming for 4,000.
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