After living here in Idaho for well over two years I have yet to do a single assignment that has had anything to do with a potato. Which is shocking seeing as how the only thing Idaho is known for besides potatoes is our former foot tapping senator Larry Craig.
In July I traveled down to Kimberly, Idaho to the University of Idaho Kimberly Research Center where a small cohort of scientists study a handful of experimental varieties of potato. It was neat to see a potato field for the first time and having attempted to grow potatoes in my own garden it was neat to see what a professionals plants look like (mine were over run by pumpkins and have long since failed).
The cool thing about this research lab was that they were experimenting with these varieties of potatoes in an attempt to build a better french fry. The assignment called for me to photograph these scientists and visually convey the work that they were doing. I was delighted to find that these two women truly LOVED french fries!
They had taken the stereotype to the tenth degree, decorating every corner of the office with every kind of potato nick nack you can imagine. There were posters on the walls, a Mr. Potato Head on every countertop...
...and a potato shaped bar of soap in the bathroom. One of the scientists was even wearing french fry earrings for God's sake...
It was fun to meet people who took so much pride in something that so many Idahoans hate to hear about... "Yes, I am from Idaho... Yes, there are potatoes".
With any luck the story will run nationally within the next few days.
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