Alert to Mainers: Local community college prez wants Somalis to move to Aroostook County

….to work in agriculture.

Will they dig potatoes? Aren’t there machines to do that work?

And, why is this an issue for a community college? Govt. grants? More students? What?

From Mainebiz:

Northern Maine Community College and Maine Community Foundation are partnering to bring Somali immigrants to Aroostook County to explore agricultural opportunities.

Officials from the college and foundation were joined Saturday by 45 Somali immigrants, including children, from southern Maine on a tour of farm operations in Aroostook County held on Saturday.

NMCC Pres. Timothy Crowley

The purpose of the tour is to introduce the Somalis to smaller-scale agricultural prospects in the region.

This effort stems from ideas germinated at a March 2016 conference at the college in which local business and civic leaders spoke about being more proactive in the face of a continuing decline in Aroostook County’s work force.

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One of my top posts of all time is about how Somalis got to Maine in the first place—Maine, the welfare magnet.

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