PRESQUE ISLE – A 52-year-old Presque Isle potato grower has been named McCain Foods Champion Potato Grower for Aroostook County for 2004.

Bruce Roope, a third-generation potato grower, owner of Aroostook Valley Farms, has been farming all his life on land first-owned by his grandfather and and later his father, both named Robert Roope. He was born on the farm he operates.

He and his brother Brandon Roope operate “two separate farms together,” sharing equipment and facilities.

McCain made the announcement Thursday night at the annual McCain Growers Barbecue at the Forum in Presque Isle. The company named their top 10 growers that evening.

The top 10 growers each received a plaque and $1,000 cash award for their efforts. Bruce Roope and his wife, Dolores, also get an all-expenses-paid week’s vacation.

Aroostook Valley Farms grows more than 200 acres of processing potatoes and some 300 acres of rotation cropsl in Presque Isle. All of Roope’s potatoes are sold for processing to McCain Foods of Easton.

“It feels pretty good being named grower of the year,” he said Monday morning by telephone. “There’s a lot of good potato producers out there.

“I’m sure there is not much difference between the top and bottom producers on the rating system,” he said. “I just feel pretty fortunate to have been picked.”

Roope has been growing potatoes for McCain since the company had a plant in Washburn. He now delivers his potatoes to McCain in Easton.

It’s Roope’s first time as champion, although he was in the top 10 another year. Brandon Roope was champion grower in 1992 with his Maysville Farm operation.

Roope said their father still works with them on the farm, even though he’s been retired 10 or 12 years.

McCain Foods determines the top 10 growers by monitoring the processing quality of potatoes delivered to its Easton plant. A sample from each load is tested for quality factors of size, defect level and color. A point value is assigned to each load.

Other Aroostook County potato growers in the top 10 are: Porter Farms, Richard Porter of Washburn; Kevin Grass of Mars Hill; Robert Hallett of Caribou; Bell Brothers, Bryan and Breen Bell of Mars Hill; Irving and Marr Farms, Steve Marr and Robbie Blackstone of Washburn; David McKinney of Fort Fairfield; B.D. Grass and Sons, Neil and Brent Grass of Blaine; Maysville Farms, Brandon Roope of Presque Isle; and Sheldon Landeen, New Sweden.

The awards were started in 1977.