Maine Seed Potato Board

In 1945, an act of the Maine Legislature established the Maine Seed Potato Board to ensure an adequate supply of foundation seed potatoes for the state's commercial seed potato producers and ultimately for the Maine potato industry. The commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture serves on the Board along with eight potato producers who represent the seed, tablestock and processing industries in the state.

In 1947, the Board purchased an isolated farm in Masardis, now known as the Porter Seed Farm, enabling it to better control and manage the production and quality of foundation seed stock. The facility is equipped with tissue culture production and disease testing laboratories, seed storages with climate control systems, greenhouses, and an irrigation system, to support the production of nuclear and foundation seed.

The facility provides tubers grown in vitro (microtubers), greenhouse grown tubers (minitubers) and transplants, and foundation seed potatoes to Maine seed growers. Production of field-grown nuclear and foundation seed is based on seed requests from Maine growers. The contracts terms and conditions specify the responsibilities of the grower and the Board.

To meet the needs of our seed industry and to better utilize resources, the Board makes a serious effort to match production volumes and varieties produced with contract requests; however, some years the farm may have additional seed for sale.

For additional information about the Porter Farm, contact Dr. Vikram Bisht, Program Director of the Facility at (207) 435-6060 (e-mail Vikram.Bisht@maine.gov).

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