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When you think of potatoes, you probably think of one state: Idaho. But for most of U.S. history, Maine was the nation’s top producer of potatoes.
By the 1970s, that status had changed, with more potatoes being grown in the West. But Maine still had one distinct advantage: a privileged position in the commodity market. The New York Mercantile Exchange, one of the largest commodity exchanges in the country, exclusively traded Maine potatoes. And two wealthy Western potato tycoons were not happy about that.
So Westerners launched what is now known as the Maine Potato War of 1976. Their battleground was the futures market: a special kind of marketplace, staffed by hordes of shouting traders, where potatoes could be bought and sold before they were even planted.
The Westerners did something so bold and unexpected that it paralyzed not only the potato market but the entire New York Mercantile Exchange.
Today’s show tells the story of how the war waged over futures contracts has affected the types of potatoes we eat.
This episode is hosted by Dylan Sloan and Nick Fountain. This episode is produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, with assistance from Emma Peaslee. This episode is edited by Molly Messick, designed by Valentina Rodríguez Sánchez, and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Our executive producer is Alex Goldmark.
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Music: Universal Productions Music – Los Feliz Sprinkler, Come The Reckoning and Brit Wish
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