Maine
Maine grower is changing the state's fruit tree landscape
The Fameuse apple originated in Canada in the 1600s, but its role in Maine’s apple history was epic.
It’s thought to be a parent of the state’s popular McIntosh, which has been a staple for hundreds of commercial and private orchards around the state for more than 200 years.
The Fameuse and other old varieties like it, such as the Black Oxford, Cherryfield and Chenango Strawberry apple, almost disappeared but were revived and now thrive across Maine.
Their tales often go back to early settlers who brought the trees from overseas to plant on new homesteads and farms. Black Oxford, a Maine original, was discovered on the farm of an Oxford County nailmaker in the 1790s; a Hallowell tree planted in 1799 is still alive. Cherryfield was developed in that Down East town more than 150 years ago, then rediscovered by residents. The Chenango Strawberry apple was originally called Frank after the first name of a New York man who introduced it; others know it as Zepherus Chernogous.
By the 1970s, many such Maine trees were near the ends of their lifespans. Their fields were overgrown, the farmers who planted them forgotten. When Palermo resident John Bunker started rediscovering them, they were mostly “mysterious, anonymous gifts from the past.”
These apples, their histories and their abilities to thrive in Maine’s weather could disappear forever if someone didn’t take action soon, he realized. That led him to create the first Fedco Trees mail-order in 1984: a two-page handout, including 17 apple types, stapled to the Clinton-based Fedco Seeds cooperative catalog.
Over the next 40 years, Bunker’s hobby grew into a business that has changed the state’s fruit tree landscape on homesteads and small farms, saving and spreading these varieties that could have been lost otherwise, along with other unique fruits, trees and ornamentals.
Though heritage apples are familiar to many Mainers, Fedco Trees’ current coordinator Jen Ries said there’s still work to do. Until everybody knows about heritage fruit and you can find it at any grocery store, the mission continues, she said.
Popular choices for Fedco customers today include the Black Oxford; Baldwin, one of New England’s oldest apples with origins in 1740s Massachusetts; and Northern Spy, an all-purpose from Connecticut first planted from a seed more than two centuries ago.
Estimates vary, but the United States likely had more than 7,000 such cultivars in the 19th century and probably has less than half that many today as commercial production focuses on favorites such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. More genetic diversity in plants means more resilience from weather, disease and pests, which disappears with extinction, according to numerous researchers, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Back in the early 1980s, local resources for Maine gardeners focused on vegetable production, according to Bunker. He thought people should have access to fruit education and tree stock too — plus, he had questions about their history.
He uncovered fruit names, history and characteristics through books, conferences, a booth at the Common Ground Country Fair, tracking down experts, finding mentors and, occasionally, knocking on a stranger’s door after driving by an interesting tree. Bunker estimates he’s spent hundreds of hours in orchards, botanical gardens and arboretums in Maine, Boston and New York.
He decided early on to make the catalog intelligent, honest, educational and focused on what he knew best — cold-hardy varieties growing in Maine.
If someone from Texas read it, he hoped they’d be inspired to start their own locally focused project. Heritage apple nurseries and preservation orchards exist across the country with a scattering of other “fruit detectives,” working independently and together in groups such as the Historic Fruit Tree Working Group.
The catalog grew, and a physical community did too around an annual in-person spring sale of discounted extra stock. That event was an equalizer, Bunker said, drawing businesspeople alongside homesteaders.
By 1994, his hobby had grown into a full-time job. Ries started working with him 22 years ago and took the lead at the tree division around 2020.
This year’s catalog has 170 apples and 650 listings, from cherries to groundcover plants to asparagus. Popular choices include the Madison Peach, Montmorency Cherry, Purple Heart Plum, American Elms and American Chestnuts, according to Ries, plus lilacs and cold-hardy heritage roses. The division sold more than 100,000 plants and trees last year.
Small local farms grow about three-quarters of this stock with mentorship from the company. Some have started their own nurseries.
Fedco also grows trees from farther south, such as the Chestnut Oak, with a native range from Georgia to southwestern Maine that’s now surviving farther east, and American Sycamore, which previously grew in the southern states and the central Midwest.
That’s in response to the way climate change is shifting growing conditions and bringing new pests, according to Ries. People are starting to plant southern species here to prepare for a warmer climate, a process called assisted migration.
The company also added a refrigeration system to keep its trees dormant through the winter, which they need to survive cold temperatures and grow successfully. In the past, it stayed cold enough to store them outside.
Things have changed on the commercial side of Maine’s apple landscape too, according to Renae Moran, a tree fruit specialist with the University of Maine. Twenty-five years ago, McIntosh, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious were dominant.
Honeycrisp, a patented fruit first sold in the late 1990s, is the focus for growers and the university’s research farm now, she said, along with other trademarked cultivars that growers are trialing themselves.
The university doesn’t have data for hobby growers, though she noted an increasing interest in hard cider. Moran said many farmstands carry heritage or antique apples, but sales are limited in comparison to commercial types.
Every year, Ries sees new customers be surprised by the variety of fruit that exists. She’s also seeing more new gardeners and people growing food in cities or suburbs, using the trees to feed their families, serve as memorials or mark life events.
Forty years in, Bunker comes across apple trees he sold that have grown large enough for grandchildren to climb on.
“It’s very personal for people to plant a tree,” Ries said.
Central Maine Power customers will see some relief in electric costs this summer after state utility regulators approved new distribution rates for the company.
The new prices reflect CMP’s revenue needs after the company paid more than a $100 million spent to recover from damaging winter storms in 2023 and 2024.
Households using an average of 550 kilowatt hours a month should save about $8.55 on their bills, according to the Maine Public Utilities Commission. The new prices go into effect July 1.
Commissioners also rejected CMP’s request to delay enacting new distribution prices while the agency considers the company’s separate rate case.
“It is uncertain when temporary rates may be approved or at what amount, but at a time when customers are struggling with high costs across the economy I cannot support a delay in rate relief,” said Commission Chair Phil Bartlett.
Electric prices in Maine have soared in recent years, because of expensive storm recovery, volatile natural gas prices and financial incentives for a community solar farm program, among other factors.
Maine Public Advocate Heather Sanborn said the rate reduction was welcome for electric customers dealing with high costs.
Sanborn said the commission’s decision to pay off a $20 million “storm recovery balance.” The account is basically money loaned to ratepayer by CMP that is owed to the company with carrying costs of about $140,000 per month, according to the PUC.
“That is a lot of interest every year that we have been paying,” Sanborn said.
Central Maine Power has submitted a proposal for new rates that would raise prices about $18 a month, according to the PUC.
In its rate proposal, CMP said it needs more revenue to help harden its infrastructure to future storms, improve reliability and hire full time staff to avoid hiring expensive contractors.
Even though the company is asking for higher rates, it says the package will amount to a slight decrease for customers because it has repaid storm recovery.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the rate adjustment approved by the PUC.
Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
The weeks after ice-out are prime time for trout and salmon fishing in Maine.
While many anglers rely on live smelts, tandem streamer flies or classic lures like DB Smelts and Mooselook Wobblers, several Maine companies are producing lures that catch plenty of fish of their own.
I reached out to four Maine lure makers and asked them to send me their best catches from the last month, along with the lure that caught them.
Here’s what they sent.
Pine State Sports Supply
Owned by Justin Blouin and based in Lisbon, Pine State Sports Supply was founded in 2023. The company offers several styles of spoons and plugs designed to imitate smelt, dace, shiners, alewives and other baitfish. All trolling spoons are made by hand.
The Harry Lure
The Harry Lure is owned by Adam Bergeron. Founded by Harry Ellison, the lure was developed on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee. Bergeron moved the company to Kennebunk and began stamping lures there in March 2024. Unlike traditional concave spoons, the flat lure is designed to swing side to side and flash light as it moves through the water.
Northeast Troller
Founded by Christian Carlson in 2016, Northeast Troller produces custom trolling and casting spoons from its shop in Thorndike. Carlson, who is also a taxidermist, began making spoons as a passion project and thank-you gift for his clients. The spoons are CAD-designed, painted and assembled in Thorndike, and tested on the water before production.
Dream Catcher Lures
Dream Catcher Lures are made by Jesse Dicker in Lincoln. Established in 2020, the company produces a variety of lures for salmon, lake trout and other species.
Its lineup includes a smelt series, trout casting and trolling spoons, dodgers, jerkbaits, bass poppers, jigs and worm-bait rigs.
Earlier this spring, Registered Maine Guides Jake Rackliff and Adam Bergeron landed a 10-pound rainbow trout on a Dream Catcher Lures Solid Pink UV.
WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s no shortage of competitive, high-stakes races and candidates with famous last names in Maine’s state primary on Tuesday.
Primaries for U.S. Senate and U.S. House will set the stage for a midterm general election in which Maine is expected to play a critical role in deciding control of both chambers. Maine voters will also have the opportunity in November to demonstrate the state’s fiercely independent streak when it comes to electing a new governor.
READ MORE: Amid controversial Senate campaigns, Paxton and Platner visit Washington to shore up support
The races feature the son of a U.S. senator, the daughter of a congresswoman, the brother of a former governor and the nephew and cousin of two presidents.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins is unopposed for renomination to a sixth term, which would put her on track to become the chamber’s longest-serving member from Maine.
Collins, the only Senate Republican to represent a state that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried in 2024, is a pivotal figure in the effort to win control of the chamber in November. The 51% of the vote she received in her 2020 election bid was her poorest showing since the 49% she received in her first successful run in 1996. She is frequently at the top of Democrats’ list of incumbents to oust, but her Democratic opponents have never surpassed the 44% mark in her five previous races.
READ MORE: Platner’s wife calls reports about Senate candidate’s explicit texts with women ‘shameful’
Graham Platner is the leading contender for the Democratic nomination to challenge Collins. He’s a Marine and U.S. Army veteran who took up oyster farming following combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Platner originally faced a competitive primary against Gov. Janet Mills, the preferred candidate among some national Democratic leaders, but the second-term governor dropped out of the race in April citing fundraising challenges.
Platner has two remaining primary opponents, one of them a write-in candidate. Mills is still on the ballot, despite suspending her campaign.
As of May 20, Platner led all candidates, including Collins, in fundraising for the cycle, although Collins sat atop a larger war chest.
WATCH: Dissecting what the latest primary races mean for November elections
He received key early backing from Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who reiterated his support despite recent allegations that Platner had sent sexually explicit text messages to several women while married. Platner was embroiled in another controversy earlier in the campaign regarding a tattoo he once had that was recognized as a Nazi symbol.
In the 2nd Congressional District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden announced in November that he would not seek a fifth term in a district Trump won in 2024, along with its one electoral vote. Maine is one of two states that allocates some of its presidential electoral votes by congressional district.
The Democratic field to replace Golden includes former congressional aide Jordan Wood, state Auditor Matt Dunlap and state Sen. Joe Baldacci, brother of Democratic former Gov. John Baldacci.
The winner will face former two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who is unopposed for the nomination.
Wood has far outraised the field, including LePage, in campaign contributions, although LePage had the most money in the bank as of May 20.
In the gubernatorial primaries, state Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former state Senate President Troy Jackson, renewable energy company co-founder Angus King III, former state House Speaker Hannah Pingree and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Deputy Director Nirav Shah all seek the Democratic nomination.
The Republican field includes former healthcare CEO Jonathan Bush, former U.S. State Department official Bobby Charles, former state Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason and businessman Ben Midgley.
King is the son of independent U.S. Sen. Angus King. Pingree is the daughter of Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree. Bush is related to Republican former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
The governor’s office in Maine frequently changes party hands. The state hasn’t elected consecutive governors from the same party in 74 years.
Maine is divided into 16 counties, but elections are run by the state’s hundreds of cities and towns, a practice common in New England. Portland is by far Maine’s most populous city and forms the heart of the state’s Democratic base. The two congressional districts largely track with the state’s political demographics. The 1st Congressional District along the Southern Maine Coast is heavily Democratic, while the massive 2nd District to the north includes the bulk of the smaller, more rural areas where Trump performed best.
The state uses a ranked-choice voting system in which voters rank the candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-place votes, the last-place candidate is dropped, and votes cast for that candidate are reallocated among the rest of the field according to the preferences of the dropped candidate’s voters. This process repeats until one candidate emerges with a majority of votes.
Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied.
When do polls close?
Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.
What’s on the ballot?
The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, state Senate and state House.
Who gets to vote?
Registered party members may vote only in their own party’s primary. In other words, Democrats can’t vote in the Republican primary or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may participate in either primary.
How many voters are there?
As of January, there were about 354,000 registered Democrats, about 309,000 registered Republicans and about 334,000 voters with no party affiliation.
How many people actually vote?
About 69,000 Democratic primary votes and about 60,000 Republican primary votes were cast in the gubernatorial primaries in 2022, when both nominees ran unopposed.
How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?
About 26% of the Democratic primary vote and about 12% of the Republican primary vote in the 2022 primaries for governor was cast before primary day.
As of Thursday, about 56,000 ballots had already been cast in Tuesday’s election, about 33,000 from Democrats, about 13,000 from Republicans and about 10,000 from voters not affiliated with any party.
When are early and absentee votes released?
In the 2024 general election, the state’s most populous cities and towns tended to release results from all types of voting together at the beginning of the night.
How long does vote-counting usually take?
In the 2024 general election, the AP first reported results at 8:44 p.m. ET, or 44 minutes after polls closed. About 50% of the total vote had been counted by 12:54 a.m. ET, and counting stopped for the night at 4:11 a.m. ET. By 3:13 p.m. ET the day after Election Day, about 90% of the vote had been counted.
When will the AP declare a winner?
The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
How do recounts work?
Under a 2025 law, recounts in Maine are automatic if the vote is tied. A candidate for statewide or multicounty office may request and pay for a recount, although the charges are waived if the vote margin is not more than 1% of the total votes cast or not more than 1,000 votes, whichever is less. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.
Are we there yet?
As of Tuesday, there will be 147 days until the 2026 midterm elections.
— Robert Yoon, Associated Press
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