By Amanda May
Bouchard Farms, a potato farming family legacy spanning four generations, is thriving in Aroostook County, Maine, thanks to Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program, which provided crucial financing for storage and equipment upgrades ultimately boosting production, quality, and profitability.
According to Rickey Bouchard, a third-generation farmer, his grandfather planted the first crop of Bouchard Farms potatoes in 1965 laying the foundation for a family tradition that continues today. These days Rickey works alongside his sons Alex and Riley pulling in a fourth generation of potato farmers.
“The FSFL program has always been a key factor in our farm's success, offering better financing options than we could find elsewhere,” said Bouchard. “In 1987, my cousin Craig and I planted our first crop of potatoes and both held Farm Operating Loans with FSA. In 2002, we used the FSFL program to finance our first new storage building.”
Bouchard Farms has utilized the FSFL program multiple times, including:
- 2020: A new storage building and equipment including two trucks, a trailer, bulk body, and a generator.
- 2024: Another storage building.
- 2025: A new bulk body and a used truck and body.
Source : usda.gov