Acadian variety grown by the
Bouchards today, is planted in
late May and matures quickly,
in 10-12 weeks. It’s a very
resilient plant, one that is able
to grow in harsh conditions
and is well adapted to northern
Maine. According to Janice,
buckwheat isn’t actually a grain
at all, but a fruit and a member
of the rhubarb family, which
may help to explain the glorious reddish-brown appearance
of the fields at harvest time. Joe
Bouchard grows approximately
200 acres of buckwheat, a little
more or less depending upon
the seasonal rotation with
other crops. Oats, potatoes,
and canola are also grown on the 350-acre
family farm, as well as on land leased by the
Bouchards.
Roughly 3,500 bushels of buckwheat
are milled on the farm each year. In 1995,
Joe and his father, Alban, found a dismantled mill in New Brunswick, which they
brought home in pieces and restored, taking
a year to put it back together. While reassembling the mill, they found a label inside
stating that it had last been repaired in
1898. Most of the work on the farm and in
the mill is done by members of the immediate family, including 13-year-old Philip,
the youngest Bouchard. Janice manages the
farm office in addition to handling most of
the sales and marketing for the Ployes business.
Bouchard Family Farms is actually
two businesses – the farm and mill that produces the Ployes mix and the Acadian Buckwheat Flour; and the Joseph A. Bouchard
Farm, which grows a variety of c ɽ