Age: 66

Residence: Kenduskeag

Spotted: Selling fiddleheads on the side of the road in Ellsworth.

Where do you get fiddleheads?

I’ve got pickers who bring them to me. They get them up in Lincoln. But they could be from anywhere off the Aroostook River.

How long have you been selling fiddleheads?

About 10, 12 years now. Nobody knew what a fiddlehead was when I started here.

How do you tell people to cook them?

Boil or steam or stir-fry them. A lot of people make bread out of them.

Do you eat them?

Yes. I can sit down and eat half a pound. They’re very good for you. Very high in fiber.

Do you sell anything else?

I sell some vegetables once in a while. I buy and resell. It gives me something to do so I don’t sit in the house and wither away. You meet a lot of people, too.

If you weren’t here today, where would you be?

Working around the house.

What’s you’re idea of a great day?

This is it.

What’s your philosophy of life?

Fishing, hunting, trapping. I raised two state champion coon dogs.

Did you ever have other work?

I used to drill wells. Before that, when I was younger, I worked in a shoe shop. Working inside isn’t for me. I hate that inside work.

– Alicia Anstead