By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Right between Caribou and Presque Isle will soon be the best place to buy locally grown product year-round; last Friday, July 9, representatives of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs and representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development gathered with a crowd of approximately 45 to break ground for The County Market which will be home to an indoor farmers’ market and a nursery.
Located just off of Route U.S. 1, right near what’s referred to at Dead Man’s Gulch, the facility should be up and running by this fall. The market/nursery project, which is also scheduled to feature a fish hatchery in the near future, is part of a larger economic development plan that has been in the works for approximately two to three years.
According to Tribal Administrator Michael Carlos, three different grants came together at the right time to make the project possible.
The first piece of the three-pronged grant puzzle came when the Micmac tribe received a $492,363 grant from USDA Rural Development to build greenhouses, a cold storage facility and a head-house building; the tribe produced $80,000 to match grant funds.
Second, the Micmac tribe also received a USDA Rural Business Enterprise grant for $31,739 to build a farmers’ market. Instead of building a small structure head-house for the cold storage and nursery facilities in addition to a farmers’ market, Micmac officials were able to create a larger, multi-purpose indoor farmers’ market where different types of farmers, crafters and general goods providers from all across the county will be able to rent out stalls to sell their wears.
“The biggest economic impact this project will have is a place for local farmers can sell their products year-round indoors,” said Tribal Administrator Michael Carlos. “Everyone — not just Micmac tribal members — will be able to benefit from these facilities. A lot of other things go on at a farmers’ market than selling vegetables,” he added, mentioning the cultural facet produced at a farmers’ market when a variety of vendors converge with unique wears, a bit of music and fresh food.
Aside from the produce selection and atmosphere, The County Market sets itself apart from other farmers’ markets in the sense that they will have an EBT machine in use.
The third part of the grant-funded facilities will be an indoor fish hatchery, which will come after the Farmers’ Market and greenhouse facilities. Through a Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife grant, brook trout will be raised in a small-scale fishery; though 20,000 estimated pounds of brook trout a year hardly seems small.
Aside from eventually being able to purchase entire Aroostook-grown meals at The County Market, a wide array of fruit trees and nursery raised vegetation will be available for purchase; 10,000 fruit trees and 7,000 spruce trees have already been planted, for example.
As the buildings come into being, The County gets closer to having access to Aroostook-grown goodness on their dinner plate year-round.
From strawberries to blueberries, radishes and lettuce, look for Micmac Farms produce on grocers’ shelves this fall.
