What's Happening

Sept. 19/11 - On behalf of the Board of Directors I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Province of New Brunswick for providing us with an Operation Grant for 2011.  Your support enables us to continue sharing the history and culture of potato farming in New Brunswick.

September 15, 2011 -  What happened to August?  We were busy hosting our Girls Night Out which was another huge sucess as well as our Festival of Flavour Event.  We won first prize in the Old Home Week Parade with our float depicting our theme "from seed to plate".  We had our staff pizza party and movie night in the museum.  On August 22/11 we had travel writer Gav Martell and his three children here   The students have all left to return to school and we are a skeleton crew.  Our Hall of Recognition Gala was held on Sept. 8/11 and three people were inducted (father & son team Gilbert and Marcel Michaud and Jock Fraser posthumously. On Sept. 18/11 we will be open from 12-4 for Open Farm Day.  We have two classes from the Presque Isle Middle School coming on Sept. 30th and Oct. 3rd and a bus tour on Oct. 5/11.    Our cafe is closing on September 30/11 and the museum will close on Oct. 14/11. 

July 25/11 - Wow! Another month has flown by.  Hard to believe we are almost to the end of July.  Traffic has been slow compared to last year but we have stayed busy preparing for our upcoming events.  On June 21/11 we had travel writer Robin Esrock visit Potato World.  Marilyn and I are working with Louis Picard of Heritage Branch to create a new tour for 2012.  Stay tuned for updates.  We had two loads of top soil donated via McCain Technology Centre and I was able to barter food with John McLeod to spread it for us.  I love the barter system :). July 1/11 we decided spur of the moment to decorate a truck for the Florenceville-Bristol Canada Day parade.  A huge thank you to Stephen Fowler for the use of his transport.   On July 9th we had our Show & Shine and were very grateful to our locals for participating.  We had some great sponsors in Hathaway's Service Centre, T& T Automotive, Small Town Fuel, J.H. Simonson Well Drilling, Keith's Service Centre, Napa Auto Parts, Klean Start and Rayner's Automotive.  A huge thank you to these local businesses for their generosity and support.  We have one student attending the Farm Market each Thursday in Florenceville-Bristol.  On July 13th we celebrated National French Fry Day.  We had 93 in the cafe that day.  Wow!!  We are currently preparing a float for Old Home Week and finalizing plans for our Girls Night Out on Aug. 11/11, Our Festival of Flavour event on Aug. 16 and our Hawaiian Night on Aug. 26/11.  Call and get your tickets today.

June 19/11 -  Time has a way of getting away from me so once again I am behind in keeping you up to date on what has been happening at Potato World.  On May 28/11 we had our Pre-Season Kickoff.  Our new 6' potato plant in the Museum has been hung and our monitors have been updated and more user friendly.  May 23/11 saw the first of our staff arrive.  This season we have Sharon Caldwell back in the kitchen and Tammy Fowler working in the Vistor Information Centre and Museum.  We have hired three students, Sarah Nye, Lyndsey Carvell (yes she is Alicia's sister) and Erika DeWinter.  On June 1st we officially opened for the season.  The new menu is being well received with rave reviews on the dessert fries and potato smoothies.  June 10th we had Travel Writer, Sandra Phinney joins us for lunch and a tour.  June 14th we hosted a class from Hartland Community School and June 16th the entire school from Juniper, including the Principal and Secretary were here.  We are currently working on plans for several events that are taking place here this summer (see events page).  Staff have been working hard on tickets, posters and plans and much has been accomplished.  We have had visitors from as far away as the Phillapines and as close as Florenceville-Bristol. We are seeing more locals coming in and that makes us very happy.

May 17/11 - Well, it has been way too long and I have lots to tell you so here goes.  Thanks to the generosity of the Best Western in Woodstock, we have 49 new to us padded chairs for our Conference Room and about 20 beige table cloths.  Kijiji has come through again and we are the proud owners of 4 wicker bar stools and several book cases.  This will give us a bit more seating and allow us to expand our gift shop.  The office has been set back up and the bathrooms painted.  Brian and Lorelei Ruff have almost completed our spring cleaning and everything is looking great.  Sharon has been doing some R&D over the winter on some new sauces to go with our new french fry menu as well as some potato rolls which I can say were amazing.  We have rearranged the front end and added in our four new book cases but actually ended up with the space looking and feeling much larger.  The front desk has been sanded and awaits some varnish if it ever warms up enough.  We are very excited to have a new vendor supplying us with local wood crafts this year.  This same individual is going to fix our sign outside.  Staffing for this season is pretty much cemented and some will be starting on May 23/11 to prepare for our Pre-Season Kickoff on May 28/11. We officially open on June 1/11. We have a group from Germany coming for a tour on May 23/11 and a tour bus booked for July 17th.  We are adding Smoothies to our menu this season and once again Kijiji to the rescue with a 10 speed blender.   We have a new display coming for our musuem but I will leave the details for another time.  That's all for now but stay tuned for more updates as they happen.

Dec. 10/10 - It is, again, with great sadness that we announce the passing of one of our Hall of Recognition Recipients, Paul Bubar, who passed away Dec. 5/10.  Our sympathies to his family.

Nov. 3/10 - We are officially closed for the season.  Since closing we have travelled to Halifax and Quebec to promote Potato World to the Travel Trade Industry (Motor coach, Fit, etc).  It was an exciting time for us and we look forward to seeing an increase in traffic for the 2011 season.  It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of one of our distinguished Board Members, Melvin Barclay.  Melvin's contributions to the potato industry and to Potato World were many and he will be greatly missed.

October 6/10 - Our Harvest Cafe will be closing for the season on Friday, Oct. 8/10 and the Potato World Museum will be closing for the season on Friday, Oct. 15/10.  Thanks to everyone for a great season!  See you next year.

October 4/10 - Just an update on what has been happening since Sept. 12/10.  On Sept. 19th we recognized Open Farm Day with l/2 price tours.  On Sept. 20th we had a special group in to take our Eperiential tour, Sept. 22nd I attended a Pre-Caucus (training seminar) in Fredericton for the upcoming Atlantic Canada Showcase, Sept. 24th we hosted 27 students for the Potato Break Camp and 28 seniors who were on a Mystery Tour with Freedom Tours of St. John, Sept. 30th we had 45 students from River Valley Christian Academy and Oct. 1st. we hosted 45 students from Presque Isle Middle School.   On Friday, Oct. 1st we had the film crew from "Highways To Fairways" here shooting footage for their upcoming show in the spring of 2011.  What a great bunch of guys!  They sampled four varieties of our "Fries With Attitude" and decided the Lemon/Herb was their favorite.  Look for their show on "OLN" (Outdoor Living Network) in the spring of 2011 and check out their web site which should be up and running in a week or so at www.highwaystofairways.com.  Things are definitely slowing down and it is hard to believe that we are looking at closing in only two weeks.  Where has the summer gone?

September 12/10 -   A sincere thank you to everyone who purchased tickets and/or participated in our Hall of Recognition Dinner.  It was an amazing evening!  Congratulations to Byron McGrath and Ivan Savage who were inducted into our Hall of Recognition.  It was a wonderful opportunity for family and friends to celebrate your achievement.  Kudos to Paul Michaud and his staff for putting on a great meal.  A special thank you to Peter McLaughlin of Carleton North High School for providing us with a sound system and to Brian Ruff and his staff for all your help cleaning out the building and setting it back to rights again.  I want to personally thank my own staff, Tammy and Tiffany, for all their help setting up and putting things back together.  It takes many hands to pull of an event like this and all help was very much appreciated.

September 9/10 - This has been our first week with just Tammy, Tiffany and myself working.  It is so quiet with the students, Sharon and Nicole gone.  We sure do miss them.  Our first few days of "Fries Only" has been well received with 31 guests in the Cafe both Tuesday and Wednesday.  Work has begun on preparing the building for our Hall of Recognition Event that is taking place tonite.  The main building has been cleaned out and tables & chairs set up.  We are setting for 168 which means about 40 people will be set up in the museum.  The Source will be installing a large screen tv for their viewing pleasure so that they will not miss any of the awards ceremony.  Paul Michaud of Grand Falls is catering a steak BBQ meal.  With cooler temperatures the evening should be a great success.

August 31/10 - What a great month we have had here at Potato World.  This is the last week of our full menu.  Starting September 6/10 we will only be serving our "Fries With Attitude" in the Cafe.  In October the Cafe will be closed due to lack of traffic and the cold weather.  Our Museum will still be open Monday to Friday from 9-5 until mid October or until it is too cold to be here :).  Only time can determine that outcome.

We are busy planning and preparing for our Hall of Recognition Gala being held on Sept. 9/10.  Tickets are on sale at Potato World for $40 each.  Byron McGrath and Ivan Savage are the Inductees for this year.

August 20/10 - Today is Nicole (kitchen help) and Bryana's (tour guide) last day.  We will miss them very much.  Tiffany McGrath has come on board to take Nicole's position.  Welcome aboard Tiffany!

August 16/10 - Staff movie night was held in the theatre.  After eating pizza and cake, everyone curled up in their pj's with their pillows and blankies to watch "It's Complicated".  It was a fun evening and a great way to thank the staff for an awesome season.

August 12/10 - Our Girls Night Out was a roaring success!  With the main building all decorated in pink, black and white, 65 ladies enjoyed an evening of friendship, food and fun.  Joy Whited kept everyone entertained while involving members of the audience.  It was hilarious especially the final number of "Proud Mary".  Suzanne Delong of Made You Blush did a makeover on lucky winner Dianne Wasson while answering questions from the onlookers.  Mama Mia's Boutique set up shop with purses, jewellery and scarves, Pat Fisher displayed her line called "Jockey Person to Person", Florenceville Motor Inn contributed lobster and chicken tarts for the lunch and Andrea's Flower Shop added to the decorations with fall arrangments and tin wall ornaments.  Fun was had by all!

August 10/10 - Potato World Cafe will be closing at 2pm on August 12/10 to prepare for our Girls Night Out.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

July 21/10 - Our Dazzle N Denim Night was a huge success.  Thanks to everyone who purchased tickets for the dinner, bought raffle tickets for the earrings and jeans draws, and purchased items from our silent auction.  Your support and generosity is greatly appreciated.   Special thanks to Harvey Hillis for his generous donation and to those who "got on the train" in order for it to happen.

Yesterday we hosted a Super Host seminar here at Potato World.  Eleven people participated in the day long class put on by TIANB.  Thanks to all the businesses who send staff or attended themselves.

July 1/10 - On June 22nd Hartland Community School was here.  Once again, the potato gun was a big hit.  On June 24th McCain International took advantage of our boardroom to hold a training session.  On June 28th we welcomed summer student Bryana Good to the team.  She jumped right in with both feet the very first day and gave three French tours.  Way to go Bryana!  Today we have many Canadian flags flying to celebrate Canada Day.  The Cafe has been very busy with over 40 so far.  We had 768 visitors through the museum in June.  Awesome start to the season.

June 20/10 -  On June 8/10 Tammy Fowler attended a full day of training for the Visitor Information Centre in Fredericton.  On June 12th we were host to the Tobique-Mactaquac PC AGM & BBQ.  On the 15th we hosted the Florenceville-Bristol Chamber of Commerces meeting which included a light lunch and tour.  On June 17th students from John Caldwell school in Grand Falls were here as well as on the 18th Garden Creek School of Fredericton.  Both schools had the added surprise of a demonstration of a potato gun by tour guide Travis Prosser.  Needless to say it was the highlight of their trip.  On June 19th the  Thomas family held a graduation party here for their daughter, Taylor Thomas.  Congratulations to Taylor as she graduates from Carleton North High School.

Tickets are available for our GIRLS NIGHT OUT on Aug. 12th and they are $12 per person. 

June 5/10 -  Today was the first day we have had kids in to play on our playcentre (sponsored by Margie & Paul Roy) and hang out in our Tator Tot Korner (sponsored by Thompson Insurance) playing with Mr. Potato Heads and watching our farm equipment dvd.  They were both very popular and some did not want to leave. 

June 5/10 - Well, our first week is almost over and it has been awesome.  Everyone was very impressed with all the changes we have made and our new baked potato soup, sweet chili pepper and smokin bbq fries were a big hit.  Many thanks to the great staff I have working with me.  Everyone worked very hard to make this opening week a success.  Kudos to you!

June 1/10 - Great first day at Potato World.  Cafe is open and the new items are very popular.

May 31/10 - We want to welcome Nicole Hamilton to our team today.  Nicole will be our new kitchen support worker and assist our awesome cook, Sharon Caldwell, in the kitchen.

May 31/10 - Tomorrow is officially the first day of our season.  Saturday, May 29/10, we held our first ever Pre-Season kickoff.  CJ104 and the Bugle was on hand for the opening of our new outdoor play centre sponsored by Margie & Paul Roy, the new Tator Tot Korner sponsored by Thompson Insurance and our new Experiential Tour sponsored in part by the Carleton North Community Foundation and McCain Foods (Canada).  All in all in was a great way to start the season and see what worked and what needed tweaked.

May 28/10 - Everyone has been very busy getting ready for our Pre-Season kickoff.  Kudos to all our great staff for going the extra mile to make sure everything is ready.  A special thank you to Brian Ruff and Brian & Jordan Thomas who went above and beyond the call of duty and spent 10 hours putting together our new wooden play centre.  It was a huge job and we are extremely grateful to their commitment to make sure the play centre was finished for our kickoff.

May 20/10 - Florenceville-Bristol Rotary Club brought 5 guests from Brazil for lunch and a tour.  After some R&D in the kitchen Sharon, our awesome cook, provided our guests with our new "baked potato soup" and new flavors of seasoned fries.  Alicia and Travis did a super job of serving our visitors and then taking them on a guided tour.  Great trial run for the upcoming season.

May 17/10 -  Two of our students, Alicia Carvel and Travis Prosser, have come on board. We have been rearranging equipment in the museum to make our Experiential Tour flow better.  Our patio sets have been put together and our outside playset has arrived.

May 11/10 - Out to Gaillan Crain's and Brian Kilpatrick's filming their seed cutting procedures.  One cuts by hand the other by machine.  Brian and Lorelei are working hard at cleaning the building from top to bottom.  Will be ready to go on the 20th of May when we host the Florenceville-Bristol Rotary Club and their guests from Brazil.

Lots happening at P.W. this week.  Office painted and two wall in the boardroom painted.  Office is cleaned up and most of the files are put away.Yesterday, May 4/10, we had some very special visitors.  The Band "Fall Out boy" stopped in on their way to PEI.  How cool is that!

Last night Potato World held their 2nd Music Jamboree at the Centreville Community School and it was tremendous success.  With Jack McAffee doing double duty as MC and entertainer,  the audience was held spellbound by an amazing array of talented singers and musicians.  Old friends and family had a chance to socialize over coffee and donuts during intermission.

There were several doors prizes won and Ursula Estabrooks of Charleston, N.B. was the winner of our raffle draw that saw her take home a one night stay at the Amsterdam Inn (compliments of John & Linda DeWinter)and a $40 gift certificate to East Side Mario's.

Our sincere thanks to everyone for your continued support.

On another note, things are starting to happen at Potato World.  Next week the power goes on, the phone line will be reconnected and the water running.  Yeah!  Five weeks till open.  Work is ongoing in preparing for our new Experiential Tour.  Our "Girls Night Out" planned for August is in the planning stages.  Tickets will be on sale in June. 

Potato World has purchased a wooden playset to be installed this spring.  This play area was sponsored in part by Margie and Paul Roy.  Our sincere thanks for their generosity.  Another big thank you going out to Thompson Insurance who has sponsored our NEW kids corner (Tator Tot Korner).  This area will include a table with chairs, a TV & DVD player, kids educational videos and several Mr. Potato Heads.  Located in the Visitor Information Centre, this will be a great spot for kids to hang out while Mom & Dad are leafing through brochures.

As part of our Experiential Tour, we will be purchasing several patio sets to create an outside dining area in the courtyard.  This will give us more seating capacity for the tourists taking the Experiential Tour where they can enjoy their hot fries.  We have also purchased two wooden benches to again, accomodate our extra visitors.  One will be place inside the museum about half way through so that seniors will have a place to stop and rest if need be while on their tour.  The other will be place outside our front doors for guests to relax on while waiting for others to catch up after their tour.