Excerpted from “Aristocrat in Burlap”
Published by the Idaho Potato Commission

Say "Idaho" and the first thing most non-residents think of is the famous potato. Any history of Idaho would not be complete without considering the history of the potato industry.

In certain ways the mighty Snake River is the mother of Idaho's potato industry. It has, through the centuries, transported and deposited much of the silt that farmers cultivate today in lower lying fields along the river course. It provides much of the water that makes possible the growing of a plant that needs a soil moisture of eighty percent for ideal growth. As it plunges a mile downwards in elevation along its course, the Snake generates electrical energy that makes pumping from deep wells possible, and most of the potato growing areas in the state lie contiguous to the Snake River Valley as it twists its way in a 550-mile arc across southern Idaho.

Early History

The first potatoes grown in Idaho were planted in northern Idaho by Rev. Henry Spaulding. It was a successful crop, but his missionary work was brought to an end by the Whitman massacre and the Spauldings were forced to leave in 1850.

Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 22, 1847. On July 24 a five-acre potato patch was plowed and seed potatoes planted. The first irrigation in Salt Lake Valley was for the benefit of the newly planted potatoes. A week later the potatoes were growing.

Certain pioneers were sent northward to settle other areas. One of these were Cache Valley. Some, thinking they were still in Utah, had actually crossed the border into Idaho and began to establish their farms there. One of these early settlers in Franklin was William Goforth Nelson. He recorded in the summer of 1860: "We all camped in our wagons the first summer, but we all got homes built by winter; these houses were built in the present meetinghouse lot in a fort. I spent the summer working on ditches, canton roads, and hauling poles and wood from the canyon. I raised thirty-three bushels of potatoes, which is all that was raised in Franklin that summer except for a few onions."

This is the first recorded planting of potatoes in Idaho in an area where the settlers remained and the crop is still grown to some extent today. The planting was accomplished three years before the Idaho Territory was organized.

The spread of potato agriculture in eastern Idaho was only a matter of time. Henry E. Jenkins was a freighter hauling a load of potatoes from Farmington, Utah, to Blackfoot, Idaho. The recipient of the shipment was Judge Stephens, who was encouraged by the freighter to plant the potatoes believed to be the first planting in the Blackfoot area. More and more potatoes were planted and the Blackfoot area has grown now into one of the principal potato producing areas in Idaho.

Those first Idaho settlers were pioneers mentally as well as geographically because they had the initiative and willingness to better their conditions regardless of physical hardships and uncertain futures.

In the river valleys, where water was easily diverted, and with the rich volcanic-ash soil, these hearty people raised a few more potatoes than they needed and found that the extra potatoes resulted in a good cash crop. From this small beginning, Idaho's farmers set out on the conquest of the potato markets of the United States.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates for the state of Idaho were first made in 1882 and they recorded 2,000 acres harvested. Total value of the potato market in Idaho that first year was $250,000. In 1904 there were 17,000 acres harvested for $1,328,000. In 1915 more than three million dollars was realized from 33,000 acres. Production had grown to 16,146,000 hundredweight by 1930 and Idaho potatoes were gaining their national reputation for baking quality and the higher grading standards of Idaho shippers.

Russet Burbank Developed

The famous Idaho potato, Russet Burbank, is known as being large size, white, mealy & delicious. It was developed by Luther Burbank, beginning in 1872 when he planted twenty-three seeds from an Early Rose parent plant. All produced tubers, but one was superior in yield and size. Originally smooth-skinned, the familiar netting is actually a mutant of the Burbank. It is more resistant to blight than the original.

Research and Development

The University of Idaho Research Experiment Station in Aberdeen has provided valuable service in helping the potato industry. First started in 1914, many different problems have been researched and solved there. Experiments have been carried out concerning distance between rows and plants, seed piece sizes, planting and harvesting equipment, storage facilities, diseases, irrigation practices, and research for new varieties.

Important People in the Industry

Joe Marshall became known as "Idaho Potato King" because of his untiring efforts in improving the industry. He first came to Idaho in 1902. Over the years he was a careful overseer of all aspects of potato growing, harvesting, storage, marketing and shipping. He was always ready to pass on his expertise to other growers, and his reputation as a potato expert became widespread.

His concepts of seed potato quality were implemented by the University of Idaho in a foundation seed program. Seed growers in the high altitude seed producing areas of the state owe much to Marshall's vision and understanding of the value of certified seed.

Men such as Marshall are given credit for establishing the principle that quality was an important factor in marketing Idaho potatoes. Marshall took great pride in his crop and insisted it be handled carefully and he put only merchandise of which he was proud in bags bearing his brand.

Other shippers soon followed suit when they realized that the introduction of the Russet Burbank had given the state of Idaho a unique product to sell, and quality began to be the watch word of Idaho potato shippers.

Another individual whose name is synonymous with potatoes is John (Jack) R. Simplot. Simplot has been in turn the largest fresh shipper of potatoes in the state, the largest grower of Idaho potatoes and the largest processor. His greatest contribution to the industry has been his immense capacity for innovation, pioneering, speculation and the absolute fearless assault of unknown frontiers in production and marketing.

He began building his potato empire in the 1930's as a fresh shipper. He aggressively sought new customers and bought out competitors. In 1940 he was the largest single shipper of Idaho potatoes. He had thirty-two packing warehouses from American Falls to Jamison, Oregon, and in 1940 shipped 10,000 cars of Idaho potatoes to receivers all over the United States.

Simplot started a system with growers from whom he bought potatoes. He would buy certified seed and induce each one of his growers to purchase ten or more bags from him on credit. They were instructed to plant these ten bags of potatoes late in the season which caused the tubers to be small in size and relatively immature at harvest time. This lot of potatoes then, which had been grown from the certified seed and multiplied by one year's growing, served as the seed for the next year's crop. The practice, which Simplot developed, proved to be so superior to using "year out" seed that it became almost a universal practice in the potato growing areas of Idaho.

Simplot also discovered the value of chemical fertilizers one year when he purchased a car load of fertilizer to try as an experiment. A portion of the field was planted with the plant food as far as it went. When it ran out the rest of the field was planted without the benefit of the new product.

At harvest time the portion of the field where the fertilizer had been applied had a beautiful crop of potatoes. They were large, of good quality, good type, and the yield was heavy. Where the fertilizer supplied had run out "was where we ran out of potatoes" according to Simplot.

The fertilizer industry was in its infancy and supplies of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer were difficult to obtain. This led Simplot to build his own fertilizer production plants which has become a large and lucrative division of his enterprises.

Simplot has also developed a wide system of dehydrated and frozen potato products. He has plants in many locations and markets all over the world.

In the early days of potato production the grower was also the marketer and shipper. Hauling was done by horse-drawn wagons to the railroad. Potato shipping warehouses began to spring up along the railroads to facilitate the process. Eventually the potato shipping business separated from the potato growing.

Advertising and Marketing

Advertising and marketing of the Idaho potatoes as a unique and trademarked product became important. The Russet Burbank began to be produced in other parts of the country and was sometimes marketed as Idaho potatoes. A great deal of effort and even some "days in court" resulted in the protection of the Idaho potato trademark.

Many talented and dedicated people at the several agencies that have been involved have lent their energies to the advertising and promotion of Idaho potatoes. With continued success in the market place, the growth of the Idaho potato industry and its promotional programs will only be limited by the quantity of potatoes that can be grown in the Gem State.

Potato Processing

As people's habits and lifestyles have changed the demand for processed potatoes has grown. Idaho's potato industry has recognized and met this demand.

The earliest form of potato processing was probably drying potatoes to preserve them for future use. In Idaho, the first processing activity was the extraction of starch from potatoes closely followed by the production of potato flour and potato meal.

The Rogers Brothers Seed Company claims the first dehydration of potatoes for food use in Idaho. They indicate that they were producing potato flour in 1926 and drying diced potatoes in 1940. Military needs during World War II forced the development of techniques that gave birth to the modern potato processing industry in the Gem State as well as the rest of the world.

In 1942 Simplot produced dehydrated potatoes, using the same process as drying onions. R.T. French began producing potato granules for instant mashed potatoes in 1952.

The potato processing industry has evolved over the years until it has become possible to buy potatoes as frozen French fries, potato rounds, stuffed baked potatoes, shredded potato patties, hash browns, curly fries, seasoned fries, or mashed. Dehydrated potatoes come as flakes or granules for instant mashed, hash browns, diced for soups and stews, or sliced for au gratin, etc.

There are processing plants for frozen products and those that are purely dehydration plants. Some operations have facilities for both types of processing.

One of the benefits of processing potatoes, aside from convenience to the consumer, is that it gives an opportunity to use the less than perfect potatoes, resulting in less waste.

Irrigation and Land Development

Irrigation plays a critical role in the growing and production of potatoes. The Carey Act of 1894 made it possible for more land to be opened up for agricultural use. Under this Act, the so-called public land states with desert lands were offered one million federal acres each, provided they would cause the granted lands to be irrigated.

Idaho benefited from the Carey Act far more than did any other state. About 60% of all lands irrigated in the United States under the Carey Act are in Idaho. Over the period of forty years, the state of Idaho received 618,000 acres of previously desert, arid land. The overall benefit from the construction of dams and canals, the settlement of farms, the birth of towns and cities and the production of crops on the economy of Idaho is impossible to measure. Carey Act reclamation projects have put substantial tracts of land under cultivation that became family farms and were utilized to grow Idaho potatoes. Without this one piece of legislation many of today's potato fields would be range for cattle and sheep.

High-lift pumping opened up even more of the desert lands to farming. Several projects were developed to bring water from the Snake River. The water was pumped 500 to 725 feet up from the river.

The combination of private citizens and private lending institutions expanding the agricultural economy of Idaho by adding significantly to potato production must certainly be included in the history of the industry. It is one of the noteworthy eras in the story of the potato in Idaho, an era, however, that belonged to the past when there was plentiful desert entry land, cheap energy and lower development costs.

Technical Development

When white men first came to Idaho to farm, the heavy work of soil preparation, planting, cultivation and harvesting was done by the muscle power of men and horses. Women also helped out in the fields, but there was usually plenty of hard work to do around the farm house as well.

The internal combustion engine produced the first technological revolution in the Idaho potato industry. Gasoline-powered farm tractors and motor trucks made their appearance about the same time in the early 1920's. Horses continued to play an important role for some time and teams were used for hauling after they had been replaced by the tractor for the heavy work of plowing, cultivation and digging potatoes. Potato diggers were slow to improve. They were designed primarily to unearth the potatoes and leave them exposed on top of the ground, to be picked by hand and put in field bags. Harvesttime required many hands and people who did not do field work any other time of year were recruited to pick potatoes in the annual September-October race against the freeze-up. The pickers filled their field bags about half-full and they were loaded on wagons to be hauled from the fields and dumped in potato cellars.

As harvest labor became harder to get, machinery designers began to improve diggers. The use of chain link conveyors to separate field dirt from potatoes soon led to a more complex machine that elevated the potatoes in bulk to the height of a potato truck and eliminated hand picking and field bags. Space was provided on some harvesters for people to stand so they could remove vines, trash, clods of soil and field stones.

A major breakthrough was the development of sprinkler irrigation. The facts are not available as to who did the first irrigation with sprinklers in Idaho, but by the late 1940s the trend had begun. A major factor was the development of light-aluminum sprinkler pipe that could be moved from one part of the field to another. These are called handlines. One of the big advantages of sprinkling is that it was no longer necessary to have flat ground. The system adapted to the gently rolling hills of much of Idaho's unreclaimed desert areas and made possible the additions of thousands of new acres of potato ground. Pumps were used to create the pressure for sprinkling and were usually powered by an electric motor or an internal combustion engine. At first the water was pumped from irrigation ditches.

Sprinkler potatoes proved to be of more uniform quality because soil moisture and soil temperature could be controlled with greater accuracy. Sprinklers worked better on light soils and their use greatly reduced irrigation runoff which carried silt and other undesirable substances back into rivers.

Agricultural chemicals have also contributed greatly to the technological revolution of the potato industry. The availability and use of chemical fertilizers alone has increased yields and quality of potatoes greatly. Insecticides, herbicides and fungicides have given the grower new weapons to fight insects, weeds and disease.

Another technological advancement that has contributed greatly to the Idaho potato industry is the mechanically refrigerated railroad car and semi-trailers. The freight car that is charged with liquid carbon dioxide can keep a load frozen solid for periods as long as 14 to 16 days if necessary. This makes it possible for huge quantities of frozen potatoes to be shipped all over the country.

The development of computers has impacted the agricultural industry. A computerized system called Automatic Defect Removal has enabled potato processors to eliminate most of the hand labor of trimming defects from potatoes that are to become french fries and other processed products.

Use of automated controls on nearly every phase of processing has likewise accomplished savings in labor cost and tightened tolerances for higher quality.

Computers have steadily increased their usefulness to fresh shippers in optical sizing and grading functions. Machines that fill consumer-size bags now depend on electronic brains to get the weight of the contents exact without underweights and a minimum of overweights.

The potato industry is ever evolving to produce the world with the finest potatoes in the world.

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