Industry
Agriculture
Farming is the predominant and defining industry of the valley, so much so that it has guided much of it's founding, development and society in ways that last to this day. The refugee Acadians who settled on the Saint-John found farmland further south where it was more fertile, however were quickly driven upriver by British Loyalists fleeing North around the time of the Revolutionary War so they could take the better land. This is how the founding families ended up in the upper part of the valley where they remain to this day. Because of the social, political and genetic ties of the Acadians to the Wabenaki Confederacy, these settlers made quick friends with the Maliseet. Therefore, they did not have to create huddled towns for protection surrounded by square lot farms, rather they established "long-lot" farms along the river bank on either side. These seperated lots had land along the river, a road, an area for a house, barn and other work, pastures and forest, in that order. Tiers of this style of farm were developed behind each other, progressively further from the river as descendants and new settlers began to establish farms. The fertile farms in the area made Maine at one point the largest producer of potatoes in the Nation, and to this day schools in the region take an extended break in the fall for the Potato harvest. The communities continued to develop in a linear fashion past 1842 when the US took control of the region and began to grant square lots, however allowed for them to be granted in tiers per tradition.
Lumber
Soon after the US acquired this previously self governed and autonomous region during the Aroostook War, the State of Maine quickly sold the majority of "unused" land, that the Brayon and Maliseet had laid claim to, to big lumber companies. This meant that the majority of a new generation of descendants could not establish new farms to survive, however, many of them were able to find employment in these logging companies. This is the first time that more traditional towns were established due to many no longer having a need for the linear farm patterns. The Majority of the population who had farms or worked on farms seasonally now would leave their homes in the winter to work for these logging companies. The impact of the lumber industry reinforced unique family roles in the region due to the men being absent for a period of the year while also establishing new ethnic tensions between the Anglo-Protestant lumber company owners and the Brayon workers who they were now profiting off of and governing.
Paper Mills
​
To avoid log driving  and more efficiently process the nearby lumber, Fraser Paper opened the first pulp and paper processing mill in Edmundston NB in the early 20th century, a mill on the opposite side of the River in Madawaska, ME was opened soon after. These Mills were an example of how united the region is in industry as much as culturally and socially, given that pipes beneath the river send raw materials back and forth to each side of the border for processing before their final product. The Mills also drove substantial population growth and concentration in the areas surrounding them, especially Edmundston which became the predominant metropolitan center for the people of the region on both sides of the river. The mills also became the site of increasing ethnic tensions between the Brayon residents and the Anglo-Protestant business owners and government officials. This tension culminated in the Madawaska Rebellion of 1971. An event where workers finally revolted after decades of harsh conditions, poor pay, and a prejudice and disrespect against these franco-americans who had absolutely no voice in the matter due to both upper and middle management being entirely comprised of english speakers. The Rebellion was a strike to block 27 shipments of paper, starting with union workers laying wood across the tracks, bringing their children and wives to lay on the tracks with them, tearing up the train tracks and eventually violent conflict which was incited by the use of tear gas from the State police. In the End a train engine and  multiple police cars had been destroyed and many on both sides were left severely injured.
Sporting
The string of lakes connected South of the St John River make the region a hotspot for wilderness enthusiasts. The area is a destination for fishing, hunting, ice fishing, boating, and motorsports in the extensive network of ATV and snowmobile trails. There are many businesses built around these tourists such as the Long Lake sporting club, RV parks and camp rentals and events such as fishing derby's and more.