WORTH THE DRIVE
Nine Ways to Count on the County
Aroostook County tops the state both geographically and in many of the products you love.
by Jacob Pelkey
01. Eat Your Veggies
The County grows 28-million pounds of broccoli annually, making it one of the top national producers. The Aroostook County brand Stag is owned by Smith Farms, making this Maine business the largest grower of broccoli in the country. Potatoes from here are turned into vodka, Fox Family Chips, and we don’t need to remind you about french fries.
02. Four Corners Park
Founded in 2008 by Joe LaChance to increase tourism to his hometown, Four Corners Park is the only park in the world dedicated to long-distance motorcycle riding. Over the years, the volunteer-run park has grown to be a destination for motorcyclists, as well as for visitors traveling by car.
04. Up, Up, and Away
The County serves as a hot air balloon launch site for studies, research, recreation, and the extreme sport of crossing the Atlantic. Every day, the NOAA station launches a weather balloon at 7:00 a.m., despite rain, sleet, or snow. In 1978, the Double Eagle II launched from Presque Isle and completed the first successful Atlantic crossing. In 1984, Joe Kittinger launched from Caribou and became the first solo pilot to complete a transatlantic crossing. The last recreational transatlantic launch was in June of 2024. Each August, The Crown of Maine Balloon Fest celebrates all things balloon with a weekend of family friendly fun.
03. Hold Your Horses
In spring of 2023, the Northern Maine Ice Busters set a record for the World’s Largest Ice Carousel in Madawaska. The ice disk measured 1,776 feet in diameter, spanned 56-acres, weighed about 140,000 tons, and completed a full rotation in 2.5 hours, giving the crew the world record.
05. Calling all Beer & Bread Lovers
For over two decades, Aurora Mills and Farm Grains in Linneus has been growing and milling organic and kosher grains for breweries, bakeries, restaurants, and distributors throughout the Northeast. If you have enjoyed an Allagash White beer, then you’ve benefited from Aurora’s products. This family farm also is known for high-quality legumes and cover crop seeds grown using regenerative farming practices in a bio-diverse rotation method.
06. Black Bear Epicenter
With an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 bears, Maine has the largest black bear population in the eastern United States. The highest population density is in northern Aroostook County, where several well-regarded experts lead bear hunts in the North Woods.
07. Snow Day
The County leads the state with 120 inches of annual snowfall, which makes a playground for enjoying Maine’s Best Winter through skiing, snowmobiling, camping, ice fishing, and more.
08. Welcome to Nanocellulose Valley
Nanocellulose, aka nature’s super polymer, is a renewable material that offers limitless potential in a wide range of applications from food packaging, clothes, shoes, and biomedical devices. Along with the research expertise at the University of Maine, the County is a hub for innovations using forestry-based products.
09. Fishing Innovations
The Aroostook Band of Micmacs noticed that Maine brook trout were dying off due to warming water temperature and agricultural runoff, so they built a hatchery to protect the culturally-important species. Recirculating fish hatching makes Maine brook trout available for the table market for the first time. The fish is sold at Portland’s Harbor Fish Market and Jess’s Fish Market, and then from there it goes for the highest price in Portland’s hot food scene.