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Relocating To Maine, Making The Move

Relocating to Maine, making the move.

The outward migration from city to country continues in the Northeast.

This blog post about why the move to Maine.

What to expect, why people pick Maine as the map location in relocation.

Packing up, breaking ties and filling out the change of address form. Your Worldly possessions sorted through to lighten the load for the trip north. The big heave ho, let’s go to Maine.

Big Green Bridge To Maine. Lots More People Using It To Move To Maine.

Why do people move to Maine?

Here’s top of the list I hear daily from out of state Maine real estate buyers.

“Not happy where I live now. “

What are they not happy about specifically? Just too many people where they live on the planet. High cost of housing and tired of renting, wanting to own. Crime, traffic and simply where do all these folks come from crowing into their daily lives wonderment.

Maine is the 4th lowest crime area and lowest cost state for car insurance for a reason. Less people, less problems caused because of too many folks squished in your living space. The pressure to protect yourself and possessions is a big concern in large population areas. All that goes away in small rural Maine communities.

Fun In Maine Is Low Cost, No Cost. Make Your Own DIY For Life Enjoyment.

When the city mouse travel to Maine on vacation, they notice how friendly Maine people are to each other.

Only natural beauty and space surrounds you when you live in a small rural community in Maine.

Skyscrapers and the wail of EMS vehicles fades away. Trees, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and wildlife replace your background. Hiking the trails of Baxter, skiing down Sugarloaf or Sunday River, slowly paddling a kayak on a bottle smooth Maine lake. Picnic lunches on the rocks over looking the Maine coastal waters at Acadia National Park. Just the tip of the what to do on vacation in Maine fun things options ton consider.

Life Is A Maine Beach. Salt Water, Fresh Air, A Summer Breeze At A Maine Beach.

Maine offers a four season picture book setting of backdrops to complete the relocation dream.

With this kind of setting and on vacation in Maine, why wouldn’t you wonder what if I lived in Vacationland full time? Waking up to everyday in paradise. How could you not consider relocating moving to Maine between the ears and behind the eyes? It starts with a simple three day long weekend trip to Maine and then feel the tug on your heart strings. You want to be air brushed into the Maine landscape more than once a year on vacation.

Maine is a contrast to most places.

Refreshing, unspoiled, not discovered and like the state’s motto, “the way life should be.”

A move, any relocation to Maine or anywhere is a change. The older we get, the less easy upheaval is for most. There is lament and regret tacked on to the life change bill when you really love certain aspects of wherever you live now. But migration to Maine, lots of reasons for the transition consideration after COVID. The move to Maine for what is missing, what a city setting can not offer in the concrete jungle.

Growing Your Own Food, Knowing Where What You Put On The Family Table Came From Today, Tomorrow, Next Week.

The move to Maine, is it self inflicted and free and easy?

Or was it a take it or leave it job transfer? Is the relocation to be closer to elderly parents who need more daily assistance? Or to be closer to grandchildren? The lower cost of living, smaller house prices and what you do for fun no or low cost. That’s a big part of the tug of war to get to Maine.

The motivation to move to Maine has many facets.

The state of Maine is in the top ten healthiest places to live. But at the end of the day, it all distills down into expectations from the actual move to Maine. What do you expect the relocation move to Maine to mean in your life today? Everyone wants happily ever after until “The End”.

Walks, Talks, Everyone Brings A Covered Dish To Enjoy. That’s Small Town Living In Maine.

Give and take, more or less in any relocation should be expected moving to Maine or anywhere.

Second question I hear from folks from out of state Maine real estate buyers ask is “are people friendly”?

Will I fit in? If you did not where you are leaving before heading to Maine, there is a big red flag. Don’t ignore it. Where you live now, why or why not do you feel warm and fuzzy?

Getting involved, being accepted means to have friends, you have to be one first. Are Mainers friendly and accepting to new people sharing the landscape? Honestly, it depends on how things play out after the move to Maine. Volunteer, be sincere, want to help and pitch in to make a difference. Do that and you are an asset to any community.

Small Town Living In Maine, What’s It Like? Home Made, Local Talent, Volunteers Pitching In.

Three barking very large dogs on a very small lot and using your neighbor’s house lot for creating lawn fertilizer. Those disrespectful daily habits could cause tension. Lose your place on the neighbor’s Christmas card list. So does talking daily about where you moved from and what you liked better about “back home”.

I have eavesdropped on conversations at a corner store stop for coffee and heard “how stupid the people of Maine are” about a variety of subjects.

It begs the question, why did you move here then?

If it is so great, why did you move? Remember you relocated, no one hooked a chain around one leg and pulled you to Maine. It was your idea to cut the ties to the other side of the Big Green Bridge. Lots of local resources for moving to Maine. Lots of things living in Maine that you will enjoy that were missing from your last out of state address. Plenty of what’s missing in Maine that makes you smile too. What traffic lights, what road rage, what porch pirate, etc living in small town Maine.

Moving to Maine means planning to volunteer.

Local home town proud Mainers are actively involved in their communities. You are going to be too for the easiest way to feel part of the local fabric. Just pitch in, try not to complain and be an asset.

Reading A Book, Not A Care In The World! They Say Life Is A Beach. The Maine Waterfront In Maine With A Good Magazine Just Before Dozing Off.

Because you lived somewhere else, new ideas on how to make a local event even better the next time happens. There are so many ways to make a difference and everyone in the community glad you moved to Maine.

You take ownership of a successful event. A small Maine town is really like a big family. It is not uncommon to find others moved to Maine before you from the same area you just left.

Ways to make others in Maine wished you had picked somewhere else to relocate.

Complain pretty much all the time about anything and everything.

Don’t volunteer but expect your neighbor to meet your every need.

Forget contributing to the local charities and being proud of where you live.

Put up way way too many no trespassing and keep out signs.

Don’t mow your lawn and make sure your property is a pigsty eye sore.

Play loud music round the clock and be a nuisance.

Argue with teachers, neighbors, the police on a regular basis.

Complain, find fault and never offer solutions.

Post your unhappiness all over social media.

You get the point. Be friendly, have manners, take pride in a community makes you an asset wherever you land in Maine. But easy does it. Making the transition relocation move to Maine takes time and the first year is critical.

In many ways simple living in Maine is becoming a minimalist.

If you are not happy where you live now, do some soul searching to study the reasons why. It may not be all economic reasons. More than just living cheaper thought about driving the bus to get you and loved ones to Maine.

Multi generation reasons to buy a lot of Maine land with the option for family members to all get their very own a piece of ME. Hear that reason for the move to Maine a lot too. Where else can you get all this unspoiled Maine land and for such a low cost per acre??

How’s This For a Back Drop Reading Your Favorite Vacation In Maine?

For some it is starting over in a new relationship. Or putting the drama of where you live now in the rear view mirror as you head up Interstate 95. Did you come from a family of inlaws or outlaws and too much interference? Maybe smaller school classrooms, a better place to raise your kids is near the top of your move to Maine list.

Personal safety is right up there for many Maine real estate buyers picking Maine for relocation. It’s an investment buying property in Maine like hedging a bet. Feeling deep inside the World is changing and if all heck breaks loose, Maine seems a sure thing. Have many who bought Maine land, not done anything with it but enjoy knowing I own a piece of Maine. It does not make them preppers or end of the World doomsday predictors.

The last bit of advice relocating to Maine, moving to the Pine Tree State is sample lots more than one blog post or video.

Make the trip to Maine to look around and size her up before cashing in your poker chips.

Maine Is Family, Teaching, Walking, Talking And Doing Things With Your Kids.

Watching A Parade Of Local Friends Family Neighbors In Your Small Maine Town. Part Of Living Here In Maine. Open Front Porches Used A Lot In Maine.

It’s ideal for many but all of us are wired a just a tad differently. Why the move to Maine is thrown into gear tied to a lot of personal factors. What do you hope to achieve moving to Maine? Today there are many strong online opinions on how you should lead your life. Not a lot of tolerance to other ways of doing it for some. Ever noticed vacation rentals for all the hints on the walls about Breathe. Relax, Nap. Laugh, Live, Love.

The biggest critics online have never been to Maine.

Or lived here for such a short period and in only one corner of Maine. Some have a vendetta. Like they are producing a 60 Minutes expose to save the World. Not the best resource when charting your life course on should you move and where if you do. Some critics are sincere, others would not be happy no matter where they live. The later are not the best to provide the list of reasons to move to Maine.

Tasty And Wholesome, That Is Maine Simple Living.

Living in Maine and not expecting a quick fix to what’s wrong that caused your relocation move means easy does it.

Stay positive and be sensitive to why so many love calling Maine their home. Realize where you left has some features you will miss. Many times it takes lots of people, a bigger population to offer this, that.

Is the gain and sacrifice worth it on your personal quality of life list of what’s important? Maine resources to help in the transition and doing your home work relocating to Maine .

Home On The Maine Farmstead. Lots Of Chores And Outdoors Year Round When You Decide To Homestead.

Relocatin To Maine … Cashing in on your house equity and toying with moving to Maine because just sick sore and tired of city life?

Getting more space inside and out is a big perk of owning and enjoying Maine real estate. Less rules and more control of your life. Pursuing an outdoor healthier lifestyle in Maine is way easier than a crowded urban landscape with over the top regulations, zoning, HOA’s.

Gardening, exercise, heating with wood, pitching in on the local level of community affairs. Maine scores top of the class for a simpler healthier lifestyle. But where you should be at this point in your life? Life is a series of continuous adjustments. Relocating to Maine involves lots of considerations and your real estate needs and quality of life needs change.

Only Fresher Maine Seafood Is Still Swimming In The Sea,

Pretty high on Maine but what if your loved ones are somewhere else? Have seen many make the mass exodus in this direction. More than one family member deciding let’s move to Maine to help each other out .

How’s the Maine real estate market today?

The outward migration to Maine still has the real estate market like playing musical chairs. In a nut shell, the real estate market nitty gritty is a tight market due to too much demand and a lacking inventory supply. This makes relocating to Maine mean expect to lose out on a big of multiple buyers after the same property listing.

Lots of qualified Maine real estate housing buyers in all sixteen counties.

But prices statewide in December a 9.23 percent price increase over a year ago statistics. With a 5.51 percent decrease in housing sales.

Watch real estate videos for Maine properties.

Videos for real estate are by far the easiest way to tap, slide, sit back and listen, watch, learn. Here to help whoever is reading this Maine blog post. To learn the lay of the land, to study the short cuts to make the transition less painful than it has to be. Glad will give you the local insider perspective as a life long native of Maine.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA

December 26, 2023
Maine Made Christmas Presents

Maine made Christmas presents.

Something not from across the pond or with a “made in China” sticker on the bottom. Low tech not high tech and made in Maine. When you think something unique to Maine, what comes to mind? Christmas tree or wreath to be part of your holiday tradition? Or presents with something from LL Bean? Maybe a wild Maine blueberry scented candle or pie or jar of jam?

Maine is famous for it’s lobsters, variety of fish from pulled in from deep in the sea.

The Only Fish Fresher Is Still Swimming In The Maine Sea!

With all this coastline, 228 miles but 3,478 miles of inlets, coves, harbors and other watery hide aways, Maine fresh shellfish is part of a lot of Christmas celebrations.

Growing up oyster stew, shrimp cocktail or crab melts all showed up on the Christmas Day or Eve tradition. If you were born and raised along the coast of Maine, seafood of all types could be a regular meal time staple. Digging for clams, shucking oysters, cracking lobster legs and filet of all kinds of native fish.

Chances are someone you are related to has a commercial fishing license or back in the family tree did.

Or you run a boat heading out to sea and are born for the salt air and sea swells as you head out of the harbor in search of a big catch.

Fish Fresh From The Maine Coastal Sea. Barnacle Billy’s Crew Ham It Up For Tourists. The Maine Coast Has Lots Of Seafood Eateries.

Further inland, up into the belly of Maine and away from Boston, traveling to interior Maine. The holiday meal time Christmas celebration is pulled from old tattered and fade recipe cars. Gooseberry and mince meat pies. After hearty farmstead country style servings of vegetables of all kinds.

Venison from hunting season and pulling from root cellars for bread and butter pickles.

Deviled eggs, sticky sweet cinnamon buns and trays of home made sweets. Thinking about losing weight? Not during the holiday season in Maine. The feast is part of the one size fits all Christmas present the entire family enjoys. The big fat evergreen fir or pine tree in the living room corner is loaded down too. With fragile, precious decorations from Christmas past.

Artistry Thanks To Mother Nature. What You See On A Walk In Maine Over The Holidays In A Maine Peaceful Winter.

Photos of your brother or sister glued behind colored construction paper hanging on the boughs with multi color twinkling lights.

The power of a Christmas tree ornament you inherited from the growing up collection is immense. Memories and reminders of family members are spiked from these tree decorations enjoyed as a child. Throwing money at new flashy decorations is not needed when you hang on to and cherish these Christmas family ornaments.

This year’s tree hunted down, cut fresh and straight from your own land out behind your house.

Maine Is Real, Peaceful, Not Crowded. Winter Is Peaceful, Time To Hunker Down.

Christmas of yesteryear in rural Maine was not determined by how far into debt you went to pull it off on December 25th.

Home made hand knit mittens, sweaters, scarves. Carefully stitched quilted blankets worked on earlier in the year completed just in time to wrap up and slide under the family Christmas tree.

Practical gifts purchased with lots of thought because you remember the family member saying they wished they had this or that item. Money manged better when less of it to spend. Because of how hard it was to earn and save.

Thought and time put into what paper to use wrapping the gift up not parked by the tree in a gift bag with only tissue paper concealing it.

And the stockings as big a deal as the presents carefully wrap, ribbon and bowed under the Maine Christmas tree. Did you start first with the Christmas stockings?

How do you start the opening up of the wrapped presents in your home growing up? Free for all every man for himself? Or oldest or youngest goes first and then rotate around the room? Waiting for the grandparents to arrive and quite a breakfast spread served up first? Growing up in Maine…

Did you leave cookies and milk, a carrot for Santa?

Elf on a shelf and family parties, watching the same old Christmas films? Was there a Christmas Eve service in your holiday celebration? When did you stop traveling and started having Christmas celebrations in your own home? It is all about having yourself a Merry little Christmas with the ones you love.

Enjoying the child made gifts from school. Remembering when who made them had that small of hands and was lower to the ground. Home made items, decorations hand strung, Christmas cards taped around a doorway, putting on a feast of sweets and no one possibly able to go hungry.

A lot of the Christmas celebration one of gratitude like the Merle Haggard song “If we make it through December”.

Knowing despite it all, you and I are luckier than most.

Reaching out to help ringing the Salvation Army kettle bell. Knowing what families or individuals are suffering this holiday season. Doing anything possible to make things brighter for them. No doubt you know of some family where Christmas is not going to be so easy this season because of a loss. The hole, the missing family member that won’t be part of the Christmas celebration.

Delivering a cut, split cord of wood to help with the heat.

The Amish in my area have every Thursday designated as community day. Taking turns delivering the labor, materials and services needed to keep every household a float. Not a check from Uncle Sam for relief. A helping hand and a strong back the Christmas gift given all year long. Not just at the tail end of days marked on the kitchen wall calendar.

Getting off the couch, replacing feeling sorry for yourself with fresh air, outdoor scenery going for a walk in the woods. You never know what you will find hidden in the back forty acres of a Maine farm property.

Treasure In The Woods Getting Your Firewood To Heat Your Home! Old Cars Past Their Prime. Hanging Around For Hunters, Hikers, Land Brokers To Visit.

Maine made gifts for Christmas.

What items did you shop for on your list this year? Books, magazine subscriptions, movie tickets, museum passes and donations to local libraries, the animal shelters, food pantries. Know anyone in your community that needs a warm winter coat? That has no winter boats, hat, scarf and mittens or gloves? There are so many private ways to brighten someone else’s Christmas to secondary gain your own.

Thank you for following our Me In Maine blog posts through out the year and Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA

December 20, 2023
Maine Dentist Sees A Foo Foo Coffee Trend

Maine dentist sees a foo foo coffee surgary trend.

Initially this Houlton Maine veteran dentist was shocked at a pattern seen in one segment of his dental office exams. During a Rotary Auction nightly session last week, Dr Karl Woods told me at first he was stumped. The segment that suddenly was having a number of tooth cavities that previously did not need so much of his chair time.

It is no secret there is a shortage of dentists to service small rural areas that Maine has. So we all have to easy does it on the use of a Maine dentist when they are stretched so thin.

Maine Land. More Acres, Lots Of Wildlife, Less People!

It took a little questioning and study to get to the “why” so much of a spike in tooth decay.

Many in this particular segment of his dental practice causing so much concern he deduced were recent, brand new Maine drivers.

The new habit and freedom of spinning through the drive thru, rolling down the window at say Duncan Donuts or Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Aroma Joe’s.

The Maine dentist with a little study and questioning learned why the spike in cavities in patients that had none or very few of them. The Foo Foo coffees and all that sickening sweet heaping sugar and additives. Foo foo coffees. That’s what I call them and don’t think I have a bone to pick with any coffee drinkers.

Heck no.

But those foo foo coffees and extra splash or this and this and that. Those babies are expensive in more ways than one. Besides the cost of the drive thru drink, now you better be factoring in the “quality time” with your local Maine dentist into the expense.

Straight up, make it black and just the coffee is my preferred way to enjoy a hot, steaming cup of Joe.

Keep it easy to remember, very simple. No heaping sugar times four or eight. Hold it. Keep your squirt of cream. No thank you to the caramel twist of mist or turbo this and that. But I realize it’s not your grandparent’s or the cowboy’s way of preparing and drinking coffee these days.

I must be a coffee dinosaur.

Not too particular and can even be from this morning’s pot of coffee. Fine and dandy to 2nd time nuke, the heat it up for this afternoon’s pick me up pause cup.

These days the Keurig one personal coffee serving NASCAR quick shot of coffee is pretty darn convenient.

Squeezing Apples, Making Cider For Family Enjoyment.

No pot of coffee wasted and poured down the drain. But back to the Foo Foo expensive coffee laps around the drive thru. Not just on your birthday or to celebrate a promotion or holiday.

Many trips through and ching ching the sound of your daily addiction? Add it up. Do you spend over 30 dollars a day on your coffee fix?

So word to the wise from a local Maine dentist.

Read the sugar content in whatever the new driver, any one in your household is consuming for hot, cold, any kind of coffee drink. It used to be Mountain Dew was the big no no for sugar mixed with caffeine.

Long before five hour energy or Red Bull came along.

Besides the holes in your teeth needing expensive high speed drilling and repair, what does all that sugar do to jack up your heart?

What are PVC’s you say?

More on the negative effects of too much sugar. Then ramp it up with too much caffeine that can mess with your heart’s lub dub 5-6-7-8.

So how do you like your coffee and when?

First thing in the early morning to wakey wakey?

With a cigarette after desert or feeling frisky?

Coffee, not just for industrial use to keep truckers alert and on their toes behind the wheel of an eighteen wheeler.

And do you have new young Maine drivers that are finding the ease to open up the drive thru app to get their elixir of choice? Watch out.

Your first sign of a problem may come in the form of a dental office bill.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730

November 28, 2023
Picnics in Maine

Picnics in Maine.

What do those three little words conjure up in your mind? Family time out in nature? Romance gazing into another’s eyes, munching on grapes and admiring the view? Or just to get off the highway to recover from white line fever and the “10” and “2” on the wheel. There was a time in Maine when all kinds of secondary road rest area picnic stops were available to make travel easier, less expensive.

Picnic Rest Stops Along Maine Highways. Once Small Roadside Stops, Many Tables & Grills!

Maine picnics. Picturing a weaved basket with a lid to open? Kool-ade, twisting off the thermos top to pour hot coffee. Maybe a mason jar full of ice water to fill a paper or tin cup.

Feasting on home made egg salad or tuna or ham sandwiches, deviled eggs, pickle spears during a highway travel break from behind the wheel? (Pass me another drum stick, a little more potato salad would you please?)

Sampling something home made and not off a grocery store shelf. Tastes better, saves money and the roadside picnic stop made good use of your travel time.

Squeezing Apples, Making Cider For Family Enjoyment.

Rewind to say picnic areas stops in Maine and see many outdoor roadside dining options.

Picnics in Maine pretty common place.

Some close to home on a weekend to head to a hillside or park it by a lake, pond, the ocean to take in the view. To enjoy outdoor scenic dining where the fresh air improves the taste of whatever gets fished out of the picnic basket. Why waste all this Maine four season beauty right? You get the best seat in the house so to speak.

Maine Lighthouses, Collect Your Favorite! Revisit Every Season! Bring A Picnic Lunch!

Picnic Lunch At Baxter State Park! Lots Of Outdoor Dining Options!

Maine picnic outings to save time and money along the highway traveling somewhere.

Instead of turnpike rest stops along the Interstate highway in Maine, it was canopied picnic tables along all the US highways and less traveled byway routes. Here is a list of Maine picnic area rest stops during the hay day.

The Unique State Of Maine Hand Drawn, Creatively Depicted. Like The People That Are The Fruit Of The Tree.

There is something special and memorable about open air Maine picnic dining.

Families all have a roll setting up and tearing down the impromptu roadside dining experience. Some Maine picnic areas feature fireplaces to grill up what you slide onto the paper plate.

Peaceful, Quiet, Magical Mist Enjoying Fresh Coffee Early Morning On A Maine Lake. Picnics Can Be Enjoyed Any Time, Year Round In Maine!

Wood or charcoal for the outdoor sizzle adds to the picnic experience. So does the kids checking out the babbling brook on the edge of the picnic area. Exercise, getting out of the station wagon to stretch your legs, explore, fill your lungs with fresh air.

The picnic stop really was win win to silence the meal time bell, to offer face to face conversation taking a travel stop break.

Then pack up, douse the camp fire, any garbage carried out or deposited in a secured barrel that was black bear proof.

Life Jumps Out At You Sometimes. Rural Maine Is Ready For Whatever Pops Up.

Do you picnic?

With tourist information centers dotting the state of Maine, there is still plenty of opportunity to outdoor picnic dine. Or have you fallen into the habit of looking for the knife and spoon I-95 or Maine turnpike symbol for food and fuel?

The I spy with my little eye the drive through window options and gas pit stop options.

All done NASCAR quick like a bunny in one major hurry racing from “A” to “B”?

Maine, The Way Life Should Be! Welcome To Vacationland! Common Sense Still Used In Our Daily Life. Not Outdated.

The local tourist information center had a small playground and several grills, canopied picnic tables.

Used to take the four kids and invite the grandparents to meet us for a picnic lunch or supper.

You did not have to be a road warrior only to picnic in Maine.

Picnicking was something different, a habit while the Maine weather cooperated to dine socially outdoors. Corn on the cob, baked beans, grilled hot dogs all courtesy of a Coleman gas stove set up to prepare sometimes a more elaborate meal.

Picnic spots in Maine abound.

You develop your own perfect outdoor venue for finger food, a trail side snack as you drink in the amazing views unspoiled four seasons Maine can provide if you take the time.

Outdoor Maine scenery improves the taste.

Take a break from trail or highway riding and open up the carefully prepared picnic snack or meal. Remember to not create debris or to litter. Carry in and carry out. Tread lightly.

Small Town Living In Maine. Means Trail Rides With Your Family And Friends. Picnic Lunches Along The Trail!

Picking potatoes or raking blueberries growing up taught us all how tasty fresh air dining bathed in sunshine can really be when mixed with manual labor.

Money From Working For Area Farmers. How To Make Your Own Money, Not Spend Mom And Dad’s Important Skill.

Vy Flewelling if memory serves correctly had over ten children in tow during potato harvest. Area potato farmers during the three week harvest break from the three R’s depended on area youth to pick ’em clean. The four baskets in the potato barrel needed to securely slide your numbered ticket into a tight crack on the stave’s groove.

Her lunch time break ritual was no brown bag with Vienna sausages lathered in mayonnaise, ring dings, chips and Mountain Dew.

No no, it was boiled New England dinners, like Thanksgiving holiday spreads served on the vehicle tailgate. Vy definitely knew the joy and economy of outdoor picnic style dining in the Maine potato fields and blueberry barrens.

Picking The Potatoes By Hanfuls Into A Basket To Fill The Empty Barrels. Full Potato Barrels Weight 165 Pounds Befofe Storage In Potato Bins Over The Winter.

Trail hiking, mountain climbing all offer a different form of Maine outdoor back pack picnicking.

Gorp and expanded trail side snacking is healthy and quick energy finger food.

Climbing Mt Katahdin, Baxter State Park Trails With Your Kids. Like You Did With Your Parents. Priceless.

Apples, bananas, grapes and oranges taste better outdoors in the middle of Maine’s majesty. Be considerate of the packaging and waste but there is nothing like munching on peanuts, raisins, oats, granola.

Maybe with some chocolate sneaked into the mix atop Mt Katahdin or your favorite hilltop or waterside perch.

Winter does not stop the Maine outdoor dining experience either.

Snow sledding stops at a simple woods camp where a 55 gallon drum is converted into a charcoal wood chip grilling machine is common place.

Dressed in snowsuits and removing the face shield helmet, take off the gloves. To hoist a barley pop and chit chat about the twisting woods trail ride behind and ahead of us today.

Visiting an Maine lighthouse in winter.

The photo and video array is so different yet the same from your last different calendar month visit.

Get outdoors and bring along a specially packed picnic lunch. Hike, bike, cross country or downhill ski. Take in the sights, fill up your lungs. Feel alive in Maine and figure out life’s mysteries. Those secrets are found outdoors in Maine.

What outdoor recreation event do you like to do in Maine?

Visit the woodlot, paddle across a Maine lake in a kayak? White water raft down a Maine winter? It all awaits and maybe a picnic lunch enhances and extends the fun outdoors in Maine. Picnic blog posts are nothing new on the Maine blog channel.

Fruit in season, an apple found and polished to crunch on along the Maine outdoor trail.

Wild blueberries, strawberries, raspberries. Nature has a way of providing finger food for all her creatures. I’ve seen and heard birds sampling the fermented berries and failing to miss a lake home picture window. They get stunned and then back in the air.

Note to self ” Get those bright colored plastic tape to string and protect the giddy birds around Maine lake home.

You got to eat and the time you provide to pack the picnic lunch, the folks you are with or if you just travel solo or a couple. Enjoy outdoor picnic lunch dining to stay outdoors and to enhance the experience. There is nothing like it and traditions are started.

How do you think the cowboys did it out west? Dining under the stars settled in around the camp fire leaning again horse saddles and a bed roll. Too much time inside dulls the experience. Dress accordingly but exercise and drink in all that the Maine outdoor four season lifestyle offers those wanting to partake!

Lucky to live in Maine and I bet you Me In Maine blog post readers feel exactly the same.

Off to finish banking the Maine farmhouse and wrap up the putting away outdoor items at the lake place today. But enthused today about memories of past picnic lunch travel stops and often Sunday afternoon rituals growing up in small town Maine.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA

November 12, 2023
Polio Plus Rotary International Program And Maine

Polio plus Rotary International program and Maine.

The World wide efforts to eradicate polio continue. The polio plus push to rid the planet of the crippling disease started in 1985.

In the US, in 1975, almost 6,000 cases of paralyzing polio were reported. By 1994, the US was the first world country to report no new cases of polio.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are currently the only two countries with cases of wild type 1 polio.

In 1952, polio in the US peaked at over 20,000 cases. Hospital wards in this country were full of respirators to help paralyzed people’s breathing. Back in the 1980’s my local Houlton Maine Rotary club stepped up donations to polio plus.

This past week, the Temple Cinema movie theatre splashed a special free showing of the movie “Breathe” on the silver screen.

Free popcorn, soda and with a polio plus donation, movie goers also received a purple pinkie roll in the ink.

All to increase awareness. To show others you care about the polio plus program. and increase awareness.

Do you know anyone in Maine affected by the polio virus? Our past polio chairman felt strongly about polio plus because his brother in law contracted it. More to explore on ending polio.

Are we all clear for polio outbreak cases in the US?

Sadly No. In 2022 in New York’s Rockland County an unvaccinated man contracted the paralyzing polio virus infection. Children under 5 years of age one of polio’s biggest targets. Vaccination is the best way to protect again contracting polio.

Frequent handwashing, especially after bathroom visits and after changing diapers is key too. Children receive does of the polio vaccine by mouth.

More on ending polio and how you can help donate and become better informed about the paralyzing disease.

End Polio, Rotary Polio Plus Prevention Education

What are other countries doing to increase polio plus awareness? Lots. The link.

Local Maine polio survivor helps vaccinate kids around the world – YouTube .

Are you member of your local Rotary club? I know the clubs in my Rotary district do an awfully lot of good locally, Worldwide too. When I look around the local Northern Maine area I can see so many things that would never have happened without Rotarians joining forces to get it down collectively. One person can do a lot but many people can get even more down working together.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Brokerrotary

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA

October 29, 2023
High Food Costs, Lessons Learned In The Maine Potato Farm Field.

High food costs.

It’s not the Maine potato farmer or organic grower making a killing. Not just inflation. All the middle men is where the extra grocery food costs come into play. Your household family food budget. There is no way anyone pushing the wire cart with the one squeaky wheel in their local Piggly Wiggly has not noticed. Grocery store checkout sticker shock. Higher prices and getting less for more. Not the other way around.

When you live in a built up city landscape, you are beat. No matter which market the wholesale food supplier is pulling from in the country, the cost is higher on both ends. Wholesale to retail to the consumer is concerning. And not just the high cost of food but what you are actually buying.

Where did it come from, what was it sprayed with and food safety.

Lots to consider before preparing a meal to put on your family supper table.

All Ages Picked Maine Potatoes In The Farm Field.

When you are raised in rural Maine, frugal simple meals are the norm.

Easy does it applies. But meat and potatoes simple does not mean the taste needs to be forgotten. The way the food is put together with love and attention and a creative spirit and the seasoning can all transform the simplest of meals. Welcome to the Maine country kitchen. Here’s an apron to tie on.

Fresh produce out of your Maine garden or farm field to can, preserve and stored to be drawn from your root cellar or food pantry.

That is the corner stone of wholesome, healthy and tasty. But what if you have no garden, do not have local farm producers to buy your home grown food to place on the family table? Then eating right when it’s from a grocery store outlet is going to be even more expensive these days.

This image from potato picking in Northern Maine over the weekend.

Picking Maine Potatoes, Using Local Kids To Hand Pick The Spud Crop!

Potato harvesters on Maine farms leave a lot of spuds behind.

I grew up and own the Maine potato farm where my youth was spent. Potato harvesters cover a lot of acreage in a short period of time. But they leave a lot of spuds behind. All the wind rowers and mechanical handling can also ding or dent the delicate skin of a Maine potato. Some potato varieties more susceptible to abrasion than others and tender skinned.

Hand picked potato field workers do the best job leaving nothing behind on the Maine farm.

Maine Potato Farm Field Pickers Do Better Job Than Mechanical Harvesters!

Less handling or bruising or scrapes! It is all about The Maine potato farm fields that are harvest mean let’s go gleaning!

More on that a little later in this blog post. First things first. Back to high food costs and trips in and out of the automatic doors at your local Maine grocery. Convenience items, time saving but they have always been expensive.

Reaching for that five pound lasagna pan in the cooler case does not come cheap. Loaded with sodium but voila, quick and easy. Once warmed up, dinner is served.

So Many Varieties Of Maine Potatoes. Like Pinto Golds Washed, Sliced Up And Ready To Put Into The Meal Plan.

Time.

It seems regardless of grocery store prices high low or in the middle, you have to plan your week’s meals. Searching for simple, delicious, affordable recipes starts with your family members. My mom had lots of cookbooks. Some of the best ones in print were from church groups where many cooks submit their collective piece de resistance.

Early Maine Farm Life At The Homestead, Surrounded With All The Land. Pot Luck Suppers At The Grange Hall.

Enjoying the home cooked meals that you had a hand in creating helps the Maine household meal time creativity.

This blogger does live in Maine and has access to farm to table locally grown produce, Locals can glean farm fields and harvest the bounty of what is left by potato harvesters.

Maine Potato Farm Field Workers Hard At It! Working Around The Weather.

On a Maine farm I own Russian banana, French fingerlings, amarosa, all blue and more potato varieties are free for the taking.

Russian Banana, French Fingerlings, Other Potato Varieties Grown On The Maine Farm!

It’s help yourself but be aware as temperatures dip and exposure to the sun will only lessen the quality of your farm field gleaning.

Being out in the fall air surrounded by tree leaf explosion of colors only adds to the joy of farm vegetable gleaning. Stay tuned because red and golden beets, turnips and rutabaga are next up. Looking up recipes on all the ways to create tasty low cost fresh not heated up frozen meals. Maine potato picking … wonderful experience, totally awesome taste, a lesson in working outdoors doing manual labor.

High grocery store prices have stirred a desire to find healthy alternatives and people are discovering the joy of cooking in Maine.

Kids Learn Work Ethic In The Maine Potato Field! On Your Knees Or Bent Over Standing Up. This Is An Entry Level Job!

Field gleaning these organic vegetables creates a small window of opportunity to help yourself.

Whatever you do glean is served up hot and ready fresh for the family table. But canning, preserving, freezing for future meals has to happen to extend the good tasting food budget savings. No grocery October is practiced by many in Maine agriculture regions. Those lucky enough to live near farms take a break from the automatic doors and Muzak up and down the store aisles.

Instead, gleaning fields, collecting apples, hunting for game. Pheasant, deer, black bear, moose gets to play along in the grocery cost meal planning savings. Making cider, apple sauce, pies and milling grain to weave into baked goods. It’s all around you in rural Maine. And those lucky enough to live close to the sea, hoist up other local, close to home meal time savings.

Fish, clams, mussels, lobster all get to take a turn being the star of the Maine family meal table.

Clams, Seafood, Outdoor Dining At Street & Company, Old Port Maine.

So ho hum about what gets served at your house at meal time?

Want to ease away from $200 plus weekly grocery store bills? Local farm to table in Maine locations offers many advantages. Plus you know what you are eating, where it came from and the peace of mind that no chemicals were used.

Where I live, there is a local dairy too, a vibrant farmers market to shop. We Mainers tackle the high cost of fossil fuels by heading to the woodlot. Heating our homes with hardwood cords of fuel is good exercise. Are these options for simpler living available where you live?

Used to be go in three weeks early. Then three weeks off from school to pick Maine potatoes.

Everyone took part in the Maine potato harvest whether you grew up on a family farm or not. The smallest child just as important as the oldest in the potato picking fall harvest tradition. Getting up early, going to bed early and wearing layers of clothes. Because there might have been a frost this morning. But by noon time, stripped to your t-shirt and the sun hot overhead as you pick baskets of potatoes. To pour into the cedar or plywood barrels.

Maine Youth Working The Maine Potato Harvest. Did Not Hurt Their Work Ethic!

Four baskets per barrel that weigh 165 pounds.

The pickers take a section, a length of potato field that is your job to keep picked up as the digger pulled by a farm tractor squeaks by row by row. You don’t want to be “caught up” and waiting for the digger to unearth more spuds. But you are out here to make some money and stay productive. The trick is to take a section from here to there that you can complete just as the digger makes another pass.

Getting behind, row by row happens in the Maine potato farm field.

Too big a section, or ran out of barrels to fill to stay caught up. No one leaves the field until everyone is picked up, all the potato sections in the field are caught up and ready for the next day.

No one will be left in the field when it’s pitch black still picking.

No one can head for home until every potato picker is caught up. Here’s a video of what happens on the other end… when the potatoes leave the Maine farm field and get deposited in the potato house.

Your lunch prepared in the early morning with lots of energy snacks.

Fresh air, hard physical labor as the leaves change color to red, orange, yellow, brown and a million shades of green. Food takes extra good. Hunger improves the taste. When you do run out of barrels and as you slowly get behind, that’s the time to pivot. To make good use of your time.

Head to the woods to go to the bathroom. Time to have an early or late lunch. Or pick the potato tops off your section so when you do get barrels, you can fill those baskets quicker.

Your full barrel of potatoes marked with a numbered ticket.

Maine Potato Picking. Passing On The Tradition Of Filling Up Potato Barrels.

To show this is my barrel, I earned the money for this one. A Maine potato farm truck with flat staked body on the back cruises the field picking up full barrels. Taking full trucks of 50 or more barrels to the potato storage facility.

Watch the video on Maine potato picking in Sherman.

Lessons learned in the Maine potato field?

Work ethic, responsibility to show up, to work around the weather that you can not control. Earning the money to buy school clothes, to save for college, to buy something you really want that Mom and Dad encourage you to go for it. Work hard, save and don’t let the money sift through your fingers. And take better care of whatever you do buy.

Years ago, when you moved out of state, and raised your hand when asked “who is from Maine?”

There is healthy discrimination. The good kind where you hail from Maine, picking potatoes as a kid growing up in rural areas of the state. You are hired because you knew how to work, like to do a good job without complaining. You show up and pitch in, are dependable. Pride in your labor and enjoyment from the outdoor work in the potato field all absorb in your entry level job learning curve.

No matter how old or young, everyone picked in the potato field.

All were needed to get the crop out and into potato house storage. To load up and ship down the road to out of state markets. Skills were learned in the potato field and lazy was not one of them. Work hard, pick them clean and don’t miss any.

The more you pick, the more you make and it becomes a field competition.

My personal best was 88 barrels and was paid 25 cents for each with my ticket slid in the crack on the top.

Those barrels in every other row for the truck to hoist and deliver to the dark potato bin miles away.

My four kids all picked potatoes and it was by far the best experience any of them ever had.

Your first job, your development of work ethic and gotta have a system out in the field was invaluable. My kids learned you don’t buy it if it is not worth it.

They know how hard a dollar is to earn and make sure to get value or wait. Keeping looking until you find some worth four, six or more barrels of potatoes that took to earn it.

Local Maine apples are ripe, ready and all they need is you to pick them.

Beat the high cost of Maine grocery store food items!

Make into apple cider that is freshly squeezed. Instead of reaching for a quart of orange juice from concentrate for $7.99. Make the effort. The fruits of your labor can be fun and tasty and wholesome.

Switch it up from OJ to Johnny Appleseed nutritious Maine wild fruit of all kinds when you are lucky enough to live, work, play in Maine.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730 USA

October 16, 2023