Thursday, October 9, 2008

You Say Potato, I say Potaughto

This is it! My potato harvest post I have been working on for a few days. Jaren finished digging super early Thursday morning sometime after 1 a.m. It's been so nice having him HOME. Everyone knows I get super bored when I'm by myself. I think I've been driving him a little crazy. Maybe giving him a bit too much of "hi!" every few minutes because I'm just glad he's here.

(for those of you who don't know; my family back home in Washington owns a dairy farm. I drove tractor and swathed hay and mint(custom) and drove truck during harvest. But we harvested corn and alfalfa. I already knew how to drive and operate farming equipment. Hmm.. wonder if that's why Jaren pursued a bit harder when he found that out. "What?! I don't have to teach her?? I WANT THAT ONE!")

Last spud harvest I helped a few times by driving truck. I wasn't going to school on campus because I was off track. Instead I took online classes and did my internship so I had a bit more free time than now. Every time I would drive home and see everyone out there in their white trucks bouncin around smelling like dirt I would get really sad because I felt like a horrible farmers wife for not helping. Jaren tries to assure me that all is well, I'm going to school.

So I thought.. hey! There's always next year! But I kinda hope I'm pregnant then. Might be an uncomfortable ride if I'm nearing the end. But then again.... think it would bounce the baby out?

Hmm.... I have some thinking to do....

In the mean time, here is a whole bunch of pictures and some videos.

Here is the man who made/helped it all happen. The boy I can never get to smile with his teeth. The kid I always have to pick up after. The man that I find super cute.
Mr. Potato Head


Here is one of their potato fields. This is also the one that they were digging in the rest of the pictures.


I did it! I made him smile with teeth. (I totally have that power over him) I saw this picture after I took it and giggled. The position of his sunglasses and his cheesy smile makes this picture one of my favorites.



I'm standing behind a potato crossover looking onto two cellars with trucks unloading and lined up. You can click on any of the pictures to make them larger to see them better.


Sometimes farming is SO stressful!!!

(for the wife)

Potato digger hooked up to a tractor.


Two trucks awaiting their fate.

Of getting their load lightened. (Sounds nice, huh?)

I thought I'd show everyone how massive these things are! I stand just below 5' 4" and I fit under the tire/track/wheel thingy.


I handed Jaren the camera and made him take pictures just for this purpose (of blogging to the world) and I think he probably felt a little silly out there taking pictures like a tourist. haha. Oh, the things I make him do. :)
He is in a tractor driving the crossover which dig's potatoes and piles them onto the row that the digger will be coming along. This makes it so the digger can pick up more rows than it can by itself. It is great because it makes the process go by that much faster.

the beginning is of digger filling up a truck, then he films the crossover digging.

Jaren still in the crossover. The next closest tractor is another crossover piling potatoes into the row that the digger (a ways back there) will pick up.



The tractor windows weren't giving us the best view so Jaren stepped outside and video'd the digger filling up a truck for a few seconds.



Patiently waiting their turn



Unloading trucks


This is the front of a potato piler. It is a long conveyor that will catch the potatoes out of the trucks (at the bed of each truck there is a conveyor belt that turns on when they are ready to be unloaded. That's how they get the spuds out of the trucks) and there are a bunch of high school kids that grab all the nasty lookin potatoes out of the line. You wear gloves while doing this because your finger sometimes will get stuck in squishy yuckiness. And... you never know what might have been dug up with those potatoes.....




Potatoes going up the conveyor after being sorted through.



And then get dropped off the piler onto the massive potato pile.



Here is one of the four completely filled to the top potato cellars. After seeing the video below this should give you a good idea of just how many potatoes kept Jaren away from me.



Here is a video of two pilers unloading onto the pile o' potatoes. It's pretty amazing. I wish I had videod the pile a bit longer. Millions and millions of pounds of potatoes. It's crazy the amount.


Let's just say.... we sure like potatoes and have learned how to make quite a few different dishes with them.

Farming is a bit stressful and scary because you cannot predict the weather. You plant them and just hope you take care of them enough so they grow into pretty spuds. This year was a particularly scary year because of the winter. They planted a month later than normal (because the snow just didn't want to leave) and dug just a week later than they usually do. We are so grateful that everything turned out okay and are relieved to have one more year behind us. Since this will be happening for the rest of our lives!!

36 comments:

Jillene said...

Very interesting! That was A LOT of potatoes!! I am really hoping to meet you this coming week but I can only do dinner on Friday--I guess I could con my mom into babysitting if needs be on Saturday. Just let me know asap just in case I need to get babysiting lined up!! (0;

Goob said...

the next time I eat a potato I will be a little more grateful for it!

Jules AF said...

Wow. That's all I can say. Wow.

Ashley Outnumbered said...

Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your's [and Jaren's]life. Very interesting. I love potatoes....mmmmm....thinking about them now!

Michelle said...

I have never seen so many potatoes in my life. That was very interesting to see. It's like that website, howstuffworks.com for potatoes. haha.

Kristina P. said...

I'm excited for some potatoes!!

I'm glad you don't have to be a potato widow anymore.

What is the plan for Friday? Here's the deal. I work until 8 PM. I can see if I can get off early, but I did leave an hour early this Friday, so I'm not sure. I may ask for a half day off.

Would 8 be too late? Let me know what time you're thinking, so I can ask off tomorrow.

*MARY* said...

How fascinating! When I was in middle school we were asked to do a report on anything we wanted, and I chose potatoes, really I did.

Friday works fine for me too.

Erin said...

Wow, those are really big...tractors. And trucks. And potato tillers. That picture of your husband with the sunglasses is really cute! I'm glad things will slow down a little now.

Unknown said...

Holy cow, you hard working woman! Those are some cool pics and videos. I love the idea of recording life for a blog, it kind of makes you appreciate life a bit more....

How do you get warm after being out all day? I hate getting cold outside!

BTW~ Friday night is fine, and I can come late...... it will be so fun to meet you. But as we learned from the last MnG, no diets or surgeries are an option. Come as you are.

Shawn and Michelle said...

That's exciting that you finally have your husband back!! haha I'm gonna know how that feels to be husband-less when medical school rolls around....I'm not really looking forward to it, I'm just enjoying all the time with him that I can now!

Whitney R said...

Jillene - looks like it will be Friday night! I'm not sure on the time, guess it will depend on when Kristina can get off work! And you have some potatoes coming also. :)

Lisa - I'll tell Jaren you said so :)

Julie - are coming Friday night?

Ashley - your back!

Michelle - I had never seen that many either. Until I married into this family.

Kristina - If it's okay for you to get off earlier then that would be great. But if you can't we can do it at 8. That's fine with me. I'll put up a poll of where we should eat (kind of like you did, haha) and one wont be olive garden!

Mary - I knew you were my friend for more than the reason you liked my last name and were jealous of my eyes. Friday it is!

Erin - I know! The tractors are massive and I'm so glad it's slowing now!

Ramona - if only I was the one who worked to make that happen! haha, I just fed him :) Oh, a HOT shower warms you right up! Yes! I'm so excited I have at least 4 people coming! Friday it is and the time will be announced at a later time :)

Michelle - yes! soak it up NOW!

Leslie said...

I kind of miss Spud Harvest! Thanks for all the pictures. I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

Whitney R said...

Leslie - Oh you'll be back to it soon enough!

Victoria Elder said...

Wow! I didn't realize how much there was to harvesting potatoes, I thought Jaren was diggin them up with a shovel....hmm apparently not more like a big huge huge truck thingy. sad I am missing Friday :(

Miss Lovely's Musings said...

Did you know that your great great grandfather, Isaac Nelson invented the potato piler? Honest. I have a clipping somewhere, and I will post it on my blog. Unfortunately he did not get it patented, and someone else did. He did more to improve farming in South Eastern Idaho that anyone in his day.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I'll never look at a potatoes the same again.

I hope you all have fun Friday! I'll have to plan someday to come up and meet everyone.

Anonymous said...

Love the new title for your blog but it threw me off.

Wendyburd1 said...

Now that looks like it would make a LOT of YUMMY mashed potatoes! Tell Jaren to commentate the videos next time, make it all History Channel-ish!
You're gonna try and bounce out the baby early Whit? Bounce it out?!LOL!

How close is the farm to your house? Do you hear this going on every day?

That is a cute pic of you and Jaren!

Christa said...

I will never look at a potato the same way again.

Sara Ann said...

Hee hee, Mr. and Mrs. Potato head, that is great:)

Brittany Marie said...

Wow, who knew potatos were such a pain!

I can't go this weekend- Que and I have classes to go to.

Whitney R said...

Vic- haha, a shovel? We wouldn't be farming if technology wasn't as advanced as it is :) We'll miss you!

Aunt Susan - I did know that :) Grandma told me when I was dating Jaren and he didn't believe me at first untill I told him who the guys were that took his design and got the patent. I didn't even know what a piler was until we were married. I feel kind of sort of famous for it!

Mommy Madness - When you do decide to drive up, let me know and I'll see if I can come too. Thanks! I thought it desribed us pretty well

Wendyburd - The video's are of the farm that's about 20 miles away from my house. But I do live on another part of our farm and I did hear the trucks unloading and loading for weeks. The picture of the potato cellar is taken from my front door. I told Jaren to talk but he said it was too loud. I told him he still should have said something :) He's shy

Christa - think of me!

Sara Ann - thanks, my mom came up with it!

Brittany - who knew... And oh yeah! I forgot you had classes, but I knew that. MUCH more important than dinner :)

Kristina P. said...

So, I am getting off work at 5 PM on Friday, so I'm good for anytime after that!

Donna said...

Mmmm, I love potatoes! I think it's so cool that you're a farmer's wife. You two are so cute together!

Jay @halftime lessons said...

This was really cool Whitney...thanks so much for taking us through it. So neat to see what is important in other lives.

Jay

Jillene said...

Oh yeah!! Oh yeah!! Potatoes for me (and Hannah--I will share)!! Friday night will be just great!! I can't wait to see the poll of where to go!! I am really excited to meet you all!!

kits54 said...

I was born in American Falls Idaho.
Many Summers were spent working on one of several Uncles' farms for school clothes $$. Hoeing (weeding) beets. Are Dwight Shrutes beets sugar beets or red beets? Anyone know? BTW These Idaho spuds are the BEST in the world!

Whitney R said...

Kristina - that's great! I'm thinking 6 then? I'll get where ever super early so we don't have to wait. I'm trying to think of what would be good and where would be easiest for everyone to meet.

Donna - thanks! I love being a farmers wife. Definitely easier than I expected.

Jay - thanks. It's important because we would otherwise starve :)

Jillene - Yes! You get potatoes!! And I'm excited too :) I'm glad I'm not alone in that I don't know anyone! The other girls have all met last weekend!

kits54 - I'm not sure on the type of beet.. I asked my husband and he doesn't know either. So you can appreciate it all :) Since you've spent many a fall break digging through rotten spuds. Miss it? lol

Anonymous said...

I didn't get to read your post, but Wyatt liked watching the videos! (he's such a boy)

Heatherbether said...

Holy a lot of comments. Wish I had that many friends. So here's my comment. Growing up in Las Vegas I never once thought of how potatoes got in the grocery store. Sad! Now I live in farm country and I have yet to see potatoes harvested. Bigger sad! So thanks. You learn something new everyday.

Whitney R said...

YES! OVER 30 COMMENTS! That's a first. I'm very excited if you can't tell.

Capri - whatever I can do to entertain Wyatt. Because he's super cute.

Hi Heather! You should drive by the Hooderites during harvest. I guess it's a site to see. I wouldn't know how a lot of things get to my belly if it wasn't for modern marvels.

Brigitte said...

Everytime I tell people I'm from Idaho they ask me if I grew up on a potato farm. It's pretty annoying actually. And to be honest, I think you are the first person I've known that is a potato farmer's wife! Insane huh?! I DO love potatoes though.... anyway you cook em I'll eat em.

And I love that you made your husband take pictures like a tourist just for the blog. haha. Sounds like something I would do. :)

Wendyburd1 said...

Thats the view from your front door?!LOL. Potato-heaven!! Aww I know about shy....I'd have been dead silent too...but STILL, tell him we need the knowledge!!:P

rychelle said...

you should post some of those recipes.

Wendy said...

that is way cool! I can't believe all that work, you and your husband are so cute!!

Michelle said...

yes ... i am a blogstalker. just found yours. pretty sure that i've just found more entertainment for my boring days at work. :)