PRESQUE ISLE – The 2004 Aroostook County crop of mustard, an experiment in finding another second crop for Aroostook County potato growers, is believed to have come out better than the first crop in 2003.

Last year, three growers raised eight acres of yellow and brown mustard. The seeds were processed at Raye’s Mustard Mill in Eastport, and jars of Aroostook Gold Mustard were produced.

This year, Roger Lavertu in St. David and Tom Qualey in Sherman raised 20 acres of yellow and brown mustard. The seeds are awaiting cleaning and drying.

Verne Delong, executive director of the Agricultural Bargaining Council, said Monday that the second year of the experiment went “all right.”

“We harvested what we grew, and it looks like a go,” Delong said. “[Nancy] Raye has said she wants first dibs on the Aroostook-grown mustard seed.

“We are looking to clean it and dry it now and we will deliver it,” he said. “Last year’s crop was acceptable and this year’s is much better.”

There were cleaning and moisture problems last year, but Delong thinks those problems have been worked out for the new crop.

If the experiment works out in the long run, mustard could become an important potato rotation crop for Aroostook County. Mustard has not been grown commercially in Maine since World War II, and then it was mostly in Washington County.

Aroostook County potato growers use oats, barley and canola for crop rotation. Mustard is in the same family as canola, which has been grown successfully.

Raye uses 45,000 pounds of mustard seed a year, mostly from Saskatchewan, to produce the table condiment. Raye’s produces mustard through the country’s only stone-ground process.

Delong said farmers took more pains in growing the second crop of mustard than they did the first year. For instance, they harvested the crop with clean harvesters and used a different variety of mustard seed. They also now have a better facility to clean and dry it than they did last year.

Delong believes Raye will be pleased with the new crop. They are also looking at other buyers. He expects a good volume from the new crop.

“Everyone is pleased, and now it’s a matter of marketing it,” he said. “We expect top dollar for this year’s crop.

“We don’t have beaucoup [a lot of] acres, but I believe we can grow mustard for any market,” he said. “Raye is the fussiest buyer in the market, and she wants first option on the crop.”

He admits that the two-year process has been a learning curve. He thinks growers did a better job this year than last year.

After processing last year’s crop, Raye said she believed there was a future to Aroostook County-grown mustard.