Everyone Loves Spuds
Let’s Be Honest: Idaho Is the Potato State
By Joan Opyr, 10-04-05
Say it loud, say it proud: P-O-T-A-T-O. Idaho grows the biggest, best-tasting potatoes in the world. Our potatoes are baked, mashed, served au gratin, and turned into crispy, super-sized, irresistible french fries. It's true that we only grow potatoes in the central and southern part of the state; in Northern Idaho, we grow winter wheat and dried peas and lentils. Northern Idaho is, in fact, the dried pea and lentil capital of the world. Hip, hip, hooray!But lentils and wheat do not make for a truly distinctive Idaho quarter. Let's face it -- the only thing that distinguishes Idaho from Iowa in the minds of the rest of the nation is the potato. The humble spud is the thing for which we here in Idaho are best known. The peregrine falcon? Lovely, yes, but other states do have them. The Sawtooth Mountains? Okay, I challenge you tell the difference between an engraving of the Sawtooths and an engraving of the Bitteroots if each were stamped on the back of a quarter. As for the song, "Here We Have Idaho,"come on -- if you can actually hum a few bars of the latter, then you need to trade in that old Victrola and pay a visit to the 21st Century. Log onto iTunes and download some Kanye West. Get with the program, Daddy-O. The times, they are a'changing.
According to Christopher Smith of the Associated Press, Idaho's Governor Dirk Kempthorne said of the proposed designs, "I knew the ideas would be creative, beautiful and bold -- just like Idaho." You think? If we were truly bold, we'd tell the truth. We'd embrace the potato. We'd put an enormous baked russet on our quarter, complete with a melting pat of butter. People would see that and think, "Iowa." Then, someone would correct them, and they'd think "Idaho."
Georgia has the peach. North Carolina has the Wright brothers' airplane. I don't know what's on the other states' quarters because unlike George, North Carolina, and Idaho, they aren't fortunate enough to have one single thing for which they are known. We are missing a golden, deep-fried opportunity here, folks. Potato, potato, potato! [End of article]
It's time to move beyond the spud. Very little of Idaho has anything to do with them and we need to stop catering to the financial interests of JR.
Comment By IdahoTom, 10-07-05Excellently written, Joan, with one MAJOR flaw.
I not only hum the last few bars of "Here We Have Idaho", I can sing the entire song from memory (bad song voice and all). You see, Joan. "Here We have Idaho" is my alma mater, and has been for the University of Idaho for almost 85 years.
For those of you interested in listening to it, here is an MP3 of the University of Idaho Choir singing my alma mater.
http://www.tomandrodna.com/HWHI.mp3
I would ask yo about your alma mater, Joan, but I am not sure that you could get a wolfpack to harmonize.
Take care.
Tom Hansen
UI '96
Honestly now, enough with the potatoes. The new people who are moving to Idaho are not coming for the potatoes. The growing number of tourists who visit Idaho (and comprise the fastest growing element of the economy) do not come for the potatoes. Idaho is one of the most beautiful states in the country, with HUGE amounts of wilderness area. That's what makes this place special, not some brown vegetable that grows underground. I think the Sawtooth Mountains would be a perfect backdrop. The quarter gives us a chance to get a new message out there...about the new west. Let's not live in the potato past any longer!
Comment By nom, 4-07-09Shoulda been teh spud, but really anything else would have been better. The states quarter should not have to be explained to the residents of the state. They should at least recognize it as representing their state even if they don't agree with it. The farming with mountains was a great design. They could have had the first city lit by atomic energy, could have had cour d'lane, or really anything, but no some group donated a million bucks to the gov and he gives us an embarrassing quarter than leaves the state, good riddance, I hope he never comes back.
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