September a reason to celebrate, dig potatoes
Potatoes have long been a prized field crop in Starke, Pulaski and other nearby counties.
Last week, my dad was busy in the garden digging up delicious tiny “new” potatoes. The neighboring rows of yams and sweet potatoes are still green and sprawling with outstretched vines all about, still awaiting harvest day.
Some of the these delicious potatoes already made their way into my mom’s menus earlier this week, including a hearty portion of these tiny potatoes nestled with carrots around a delicious and tender pork roast my mom made for supper on Wednesday night.
Potatoes have long been a prized field crop in Starke, Pulaski and other nearby counties.
The Gumz Family in our agriculture community have become famed for their potato-digging dynasty for more than a century.
My oldest brother Tom’s wife Linda hails from the small town of Medaryville, just one town and time zone away down U.S. Highway 421. Medaryville is a tiny berg which, for more than 20 years, held an annual Potato Festival until it ceased in 2007.
My dad’s own homegrown Hoosier potatoes seem puny, compared the taters produced in Idaho.
Earlier this month, the Idaho Potato Commission sponsored a promotion which promises one lucky winner, soon to be announced, the starchy prize opportunity of a lifetime.
Described as “the most unique Airbnb in the country,” The Big Idaho Potato Hotel, located just outside of Boise, is the top prize to help celebrate National Potato Month. Called
“The Great Spud Getaway Sweepstakes,” it’s the chance to win a four-day/ three-night all-expenses-paid trip to America’s potato capital with accommodations and lodging inside a six-ton “potato” featuring exceptional interior design. The winner also receives a year supply of free spuds.
The idea to plant a posh potato, large enough for lodging, came from the dilemma of how to dispose of a six-ton publicity spud made of steel, plaster and concrete.
The massive potato was created in 2012 in celebration of the Idaho Potato Commission’s 75th anniversary.
Bolted to a flatbed trailer, originally, the giant potato traveled across the country for seven years. Though it was built for what was anticipated as just a one-year tour, the sturdy spud found a transformation connected to the current “tiny house” craze, compliments of Kristie Wolfe, a former member of the Big Idaho Potato Truck Tour team-turned-tiny house builder extraordinaire.
Now branded as Big Idaho Potato Hotel, it is the only potato hotel in the world. The 28-foot long, 12-foot wide and 11.5-foot tall potato is firmly planted in an expansive field in South Boise with breathtaking views of the Owyhee Mountains, with further details and a virtual tour of the lavish interior available at www.idahopotato.com/ big-idaho-potato-hotel
The eye-popping potato abode is also eco-friendly with the following amenities:
Energy Efficient — The potato’s walls are made of 10-inch thick green expanding foam for optimal heating and cooling efficiencies.
Air Conditioning — An 8 inch-by-60 inch underground pipe acts as a natural air conditioner and fan pumping cool air into the potato even during hot summer months.
Water — The sink is located above the toilet to redirect the fresh water that normally goes into the tank to the sink, saving both water and space.
And, in case you’re wondering … the bathroom is located in a recycled tin silo just a few steps out back behind the potato. This spa-like loo features a giant whirlpool, a fireplace, luxurious amenities and a glass skylight for nighttime stargazing.
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho” seal, which is a federally registered trademark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine Idaho potatoes.
The agency boasts that Idaho’s “ideal growing conditions, including rich, volcanic soil, climate and irrigation differentiate Idaho potatoes from potatoes grown in other states.”
The Idaho Potato Commission is always a terrific go-to for recipes that are instant “keepers” to add to kitchen files. Laura Cole of 229 Parks Restaurant and Tavern at Denali National Park and Preserve provided the Idaho Potato Commission with her delicious dill and potato soup which can be served either hot or cold (in French, Vichyssoise), and is both easy and perfect for menus welcoming autumn’s arrival on Wednesday.