We are in the heart of Potato country. Scientists say that the consistent warm summer days with cool nights combined with the rich volcanic soil and plentiful irrigation (from the American Falls reservoir and underground aquifier) makes the perfect condition for growing potatoes. Idaho grows more potatoes than any other state. The average American eats 49 pounds of fresh and 90 pounds of processed potatoes each year. Baked, fried, mashed, scalloped, chips, chances are the potato you ate came from Idaho.
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| Museum has a stand so you can take a selfie - Boy Scouts constructed this |
We went north about 12 miles from Fort Hall to the town of Blackfoot to see the museum. Cute. Big spud in the front with lots of picture opportunities. The museum is housed in the old Oregon Short Line Railroad Depot, converted to the museum when a new railroad depot was established. Lots of history in Blackfoot - originally got it's name from a group of Hudson Bay fur trappers in 1818 who met a band of Shoshone Indians whose moccasins were black from the soot and ash from a recent wildfire. The trappers called the area the 'place of the Blackfeet' and was eventually changed to Blackfoot.
I had no idea about how old the potato was - dating back to 200 BC to Peru it was first acknowledged that it was first grown. Eventual migration by Spaniards to the rest of the world by the mid 1500's and the rest is history. Potatoes are grown in many countries but Idaho happens to be the claimed Potato Capital of the World.
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| Archeological remains date even farther back to 400 BC |
Displays of Mr. Potato Head toys, comic book displaying the mighty Potato heroes, an amazing one on different kinds of mashers, and of potato peelers, and in the gift shop I really like one with a Harley rider on it. Throughout the museum films ran of the processing of the spud, the different machines that sort, clean, cut and prep it for shipping. Old equipment from the early 1900s were on display.
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| Mr. Potato Head Toy |
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| So many different mashers |
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| How about some potato vodka?? |
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| Did not know this! |
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| The Purple Peruvian are delicious! |
The museum was very informative and well done. I did not know about all the different kinds of potatoes and that potatoes are not grown from seed but from last season's potato, cut and quartered and cleaned. Strong connection to some of the displays to Ohio - machinery made for potato farming, Proctor and Gamble of Cincinnati made the largest potato chip, and the explanation that the aquifer that is underground along the Snake River used for irrigation is as large as the volume of Lake Erie. Huh!
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| That's a big potato chip! |
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| A lot of potatoes for one person! Wow!!! |
At the end of the tour we stopped at the cafe and shared an order of french fries, absolutely yummy. Reminded me of the potatoes you get at a country fair. For all out-of-staters that visit the museum, a free box of hash browns is given out. Potato Cafe offers a variety of toppings for your baked potato or you can get waffle or fresh-cut fries or potato ice cream (!! - its real ice cream but in the shape of a potato, not made from a potato), and something to drink with it.
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| Cute t-shirts |
We move north on Wednesday to Missoula, Montana to stay for about 5 days. We are meeting our neighbor from Picacho Peak who is work-camping in the area. It will be great to visit with Sharon!
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