Reminds me of growing up on my Dad’s farm. After the barley and wheat harvests it was straight onto potatoes - grown for crisps (“chips” in US). A busy winter job was “riddling spuds” that had been harvested in the autumn.
Harvesting potatoes is a lot more involved than I would have thought. Your and Shane potato operation is very impressive. The storage of the potatoes has to be a very different process than most people would understand. I’m assuming that the temperature and humidity are controlled to keep the potatoes from rotting. I’m amazed at how much dirt and rock gets into the storage barn. Do you’ll sell your potatoes to a whole seller or retail them your selves? I don’t every remember seeing Bell farms potatoes in a store. You guys are like all farmers you are people with many talents and skills Simple put we can afford to pay people to fix all the problems on the farm. The potato operation looks very labor intensive to me. The machine that digs and windrows looks like it requires lots of hands on to keep it operational. And by the way your truck driving skills are impressive most people cant fill a truck while combine is moving. It does take very careful driving skills to keep combine moving while filling the truck. Enjoy your videos very interesting and educational. I had no idea potatoes were such a labor intensive crop.
Hey there! Most of the time we can get 90 of the dirt out of the potatoes. We have a few fields that are notorious for dirt lumps and rocks. We do our best. We do wholesale the potatoes and sell them in our local store. We deliver to lots of local restaurants too. Thank you so much for watching!
I have a whole new appreciation for the humble potato and will never look at a bag of them sitting on a grocery shelf quite the same way again. Access to food is so easy for us, thank you for creating awareness around how much work is required to make that happen. I imagine these take quite a bit of time for you to create while also working the fields. I think a video collaboration with other farms with different crops and introducing them as an educational segment in elementary schools would be a great idea.
Hey there, thank you very for taking the time to leave me a comment. It is funny how a lot of folks don’t think about where their food comes from. Our local school is doing some introduction to Maine agriculture- I should probably make a special video for the kids. Thank you for watching. And yes these videos do take a lot more time to create them people probably think. I know I didn’t realize how much thine they would take. But I enjoy the process. It’s fun to share how cool farming is!
The people who grow the world’s food (plants and animals) are probably some of the most under appreciated people in the world. Without the hard work, knowledge and dedication that they put into their products, most of the world would starve. Thank you for all you do and sharing some of it via video with everyone. 👍🏽👍🏽 Best wishes for everything you do. Subscribed. I find this type of content very interesting for some reason.
Great video! I've never seen the potato harvesting process. I never would have realized how much dirt and rocks are picked up and have to be physically separated from the potato crop harvested. This video is very fascinating. Thank you for sharing, I really enjoyed it. Have a great day.
I miss the days of being on my Uncles' farms during harvest time. It was a lot of work, but always felt so satisfying. Thanks for sharing, these videos take me back.
Very capable lady she knows what she doing of her daily job obligations.I like your videos learning about agriculture,she knows about repair machinery very hot and smart lady you are.Your potatoes are👍Greetings for this farmer lady.
Hey I just happened onto your channel, i’m a truck driver from Canada, but do all of my work in the US I deliver to a few places in your area. Actually, I Hall brand new corrugated boxes to Smith’s Farm in Westfield, and also Penobscot McCrum in Washburn, and a few more! I enjoyed watching your latest video!
Wow, this is so fascinating to watch and very satisfying, growing up in Maine I’ve worked all around the area for the telephone company but I’ve never been able to actually see an operation so thank you
Grew up on a small farm (corn mostly) and can say it is not easy or fun. We moved to the city just as I old enough to drive either a combine or grain wagon. Long days and nights were common. Thank you for your hard work. I agree with the saying ... if you ate today, thank a farmer.
Just realise how long i have been followed you. Watching Ahao grow up, Dawang be fatten up and your baking skill level up over years has been one of my great joys.
I remember driving truck during potato harvest. It was the best job ever. We had 2 windrowers and 2 harvesters. Didn't take long to load a truck . We didn't have trucks with automatic trans, ours were standard. Imagine what she's doing and having to do your own shifting. It wasn't bad, just had to pay attention while under the harvester boom. Great video love harvest
Hey thanks! All the other trucks are standards. I drive one when we are harvesting corn, I have been brave enough to drive with potatoes yet! Next year I will :) I love harvest time. Where was the farm you worked?
I wasn't trying to give you a hard time about your truck lol. Lots of people are too nervous to even try. You're doing great. We had two farms. One was in Carlingford, NB Canada, on the border with Fort Fairfield, Maine. The other was in California Settlement, NB Canada on the border with Limestone, Maine and Loring AFB. I have lots of memories living and working on the farm with my father. @@BellsFarming
Send those potato scraps to the Germans to make schnapps out of them that could be a new line for you and your husband potato schnapps people would probably pay top price for that😊👍
I grew up in Island Falls, picked potatoes from 1st grade to freshman year, when I moved south to Lincoln. My dad (until 1968), 5 uncles, and my grandfather were potato farmers
Our old machine was an air machine that did separate rocks, but it was rough on the potatoes. We got our new harvester a few years ago. This was the first time we used it in that field with potatoes. Ha! We won’t be planting potatoes there again hahah
It's nice to see a serious farmer who shares great information on RU-vid as opposed to the far too many Farm Drama ego stars. Many thanks, don't change anything, we think your great.
I grew up in Fryeburg with potato fields behind the house, never realized how much work it takes to get them out of the ground and into storage! Great video
I am so fascinated by this whole operation, I homeschool my boys and they would absolutely love to see it in some way if possible as they both love watching farming videos, is there any time that you folks could entertain myself and my boys for an educational tour?
@@darrenniles2448 hey there, I have had some a local school reach out about agriculture education. I am planning on trying to organize some kind of kids workshop. I will let you know if I can make that happen soon! Thank you for watching.
Molly, You need to talk the Boss into buying a Harriston ClodHopper to deal with all those rocks and dirt lumps. Sold mine a couple years ago, after we got out of potato production. Was a life saver for us here in Michigan. Excellent machine, takes minimum labor to operate.
It was a time long ago that I drove a potato feild truck in Missouri ,,,and they had green New Holland potato harvesters really fast ,, and a contract with Frito lay ,,,this was in 1990 or so ,your truck has a gate valve on one of the heater hoses under the hood , that will stop the heat roasting you out of the driver seat lol thanks BigAl California
I am the son and grandson of the second largest potato growers in the north east from 1936 to 1969. The potato cellar dad built back in the 1950’s never worked out. We bagged 5’s-10’s-50’s and 100 pounds. We also sold to Wise potato chips in berwick Pa. I farmed on shares with our neighbor, Bob England who leased our farm from 1974 to 1986. He had 5 potato trucks some of which were my dad and Grandpop that he bought at our sale. One,and my favorite was a 1945 EH Mack with a Lockwood kit body. My second favorite was the 1953 IHC R190 snub nose.
I think that Bell farms sold some potatoes in the past to frito lay. Everything we do now is table stock. We have one small chip company that makes chips with our potatoes now. It sounds like you have good memories of the farm!
Hey It's nice to meet a fellow PA guy...I ate many many WISE potato chips growing up in Pittsburgh lol. Nice to see that connection to those who started the chain.
Quick tip try and always load over the driver tires first so you have better traction and more clearance for the boom..Make a pile over the tures and get that door shut. 40 years on 30,000 acres only 1 boom strike.
I was wondering if you were out of ME or not until I saw the Fryeburg comment. I’m over in NH so the accent sounded familiar, even though I never heard one “a-yuh” from anyone. Actually great to see some US potato harvesting for different content. Also nice seeing local area content like you and Duffy Ag. Looking forward to more of your content!
Oh YES mankind all over the world has been waiting for this day Very satisfying viewing experience. Being a city slicker who worked on farms in Switzerland it is also bittersweet. Lots of hard work and farm equipment that is very dangerous. I will always cherish that time. Including the 2nd day when it was castrating the piggies day seeing the little balls roll across the cold concrete floor. Please Be careful around the equipment, it is unforgiving. God really is a genius. he even figured out how to keep the seat belt in place.
So many rocks, what do you do with all those rocks and the dirt that gets picked up? You drive that truck like a boss Molly, looks like you are living the dream.
Hey again! Yeah I would say I am living a dream! I love my life so much. Thank you for watching! The rocks and dirt just get dumped on the property where it’s needed or low hahah. We usually do not have that many rocks!
Specially like the views of your hanging out of your window. Your harvester needs a bunker to keep on going during changing trucks. This system takes a lot of time driving next to the harvester.
I agree, that would make it a lot more streamlined. We got this harvester about 3 years ago. I imagine if we decide to grow more acres and when it’s time for an upgrade it will be one of the first things Dave will want. We see other larger potato farms have them, and they are awesome. Thank you for watching!
My boys and I needed to get away from town to clear our heads, my mum, their great grandmother passed away in the night so we decided we were going to head all the way up to Waterville to a pet store buy some tropical fish on the way we made sure we stopped at Bell Farms stand, we had a short sweet visit picked up some potatoes a couple other precious things and we were said there wasn’t much action going on but we know you folks are probably busy repairing equipment this time of year, we would love to have purchased a couple of sweatshirts a couple of T-shirts so when you get stuff like that in next, please let us know and we sure would love to tour the farm, I wondered if my seven-year-old might take off on me and just all of a sudden start working on something with you folks
Hey Darren, sorry I missed you. I think I actually heard your kidos while you were here. Ericka told me that someone stopped in who watches the channel. It amazes me that people are actually interested enough to come by. She also said you got out pennywise #2 potatoes. I would have suggested the chefs as someone who has never had our potatos. But I guess you watched the video and knew what you were getting. Thank you again for the support. I am working on shirts and hats:)
Well Molly, after watching one of your videos I took the boys we went down to Biddeford picked up a bag at market basket turns out they were yours we got the white then I watched another video when you cut open the potato which was really interesting and explained a little more about it and I thought we should get the yellow maybe it might of been the other way around anyway when you said there was a different category I will say I’m not sure how you word it you don’t call them Carl maybe grade B I think that’s what I told the girl out front and she said oh, I number two, and I thought yes I’d like to purchase why not take one, it was a rough day for us after losing my mum we had a great time there if I knew that you were nearby I would have sent for you I told the boys that no doubt you and the guys were out back working on equipment so we had it out but we will come see you another time, we enjoyed our visit we hope to do the whole homeschool tour if possible and the next time we come back hopefully we can buy T-shirts and sweatshirts and coffee mugs, keychains pans magnetic screwdrivers shall I go on? Anyway Have a wonderful weekend, we love your channel who wouldn’t want to come visit
I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Yes a tour can be possible, but it better if I can arrange it. I like to do those things in the summer when we have more going on. Except potatoes. I kinda feel bad you got #2 potatoes. They are the seconds and are not pretty to look at. Not the best representation of our product to a new customer. Next time you are planning to come by send me a message on Instagram so I can say hello!
I purposed to get number two Potatoes after watching your videos because they look like potatoes my mum used to have you just cut out the spots that don’t look as perfect but there’s nothing wrong with them, I would probably always buy those for you folks because I can go down to market basket and Get a hold of your ultra premium quality …. thank God they are only 10 minutes away, the bag I got for Dave is going well so amazing we boiled tomato and just kept them around in case we wanted to microwave it or grab and go I’ve snapped on a couple Of your top quality boiled potatoes and I will eat them just like an apple they are so good, The boys had a great time looking around the shop we got some bacon and some popcorn as well and I even bought one of the tote bags
@@darrenniles2448 Thanks Darren! I’m working shirt and hats by the way I’ll let you know when they will be available thanks for all the support! I’m sorry for your loss ❤️🩹
Hi Molly! Finally getting around to the videos I missed. The Spudnik 6200 is a great name! Also, how deep down are the potatoes that you dig up? It as nice to see the process at work.
Hey Steve! I’m glad you are checking out the older videos! At planting they are out about 5 inches into the ground. And the potatoes grow down into the ground as they grow. So they are pretty deep
Very interesting video. I've grown potatoes in the garden but had never seen how they were grown and harvested commercially. It seems fairly automated up to the storage area where a lot of hard, manual labor is required. The accumulation of rocks was surprising. What do you do with them?
Hey James, we normally do not have that many rock! There is always dirt and some rocks that have to be removed, but that was the most I have ever seen too! Usually we dump the rocks out back somewhere on the property haha. Thank you for watching!
