MENTONE – The world’s largest potato on wheels visited the world’s largest egg in Mentone Thursday. According to Paul Humbracht, potato driver for the Idaho Potato Commission, the potato is on a seven-month tour. It’s traveling more than 22,000 miles to help raise funds and awareness for Meals on Wheels. It began its trek in April in Boise, Idaho. In 2012, the potato went on tour and visited 38 states. This year, it’s visiting 22 states. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, the potato visited the egg in downtown Mentone. Humbracht said that for the tour this year, they wanted to hit some of the world’s largest replicas. On the tour last year and this year, he said they’ve visited the world’s largest fork in Missouri and world’s largest ketchup bottle in Illinois. “It ties into the Meals on Wheels program,” he said. In 2012, the Idaho Potato Commission built a larger-than-life version of the vintage Idaho potato postcard in celebration of the IPC’s 75th anniversary, according to a press release. “Weighing in at 6 tons (the equivalent of 32,346 medium-sized Idaho® potatoes), the Great Big Idaho® Potato is traversing the country to greet fans and to help raise funds and awareness for Meals On Wheels Association of America, the oldest and largest national organization dedicated to helping end senior hunger,” the release states. In support of Meals On Wheels’ effort to end senior hunger by 2020, the IPC donated $200,000 to Meals on Wheels. This national organization represents more than 5,000 MOWAA programs across the country that together prepare and deliver more than 1 million meals each day to homebound seniors. On any given day, between 800,000 and 1.7 million volunteers who donate their time and often their own resources to make sure the elderly in their communities receive delicious, nourishing meals. Potatoes are an important food for these programs because they are nutrient dense, affordable and extremely versatile, according to information provided. If the potato were real, according to that information, the Great Big Idaho® Potato would take more than 10,000 years to grow. It is 1,102 times heavier than the largest potato ever grown, which weighed 11 pounds. It would take two years and nine months to bake. And it could make 30,325 servings of mashed potatoes and more than 1.4 million average-sized fries. The Great Big Idaho® Potato Truck was created and built by Chris Schofield and Sharolyn Spruce of Weiser, Idaho. With the help of a few specialized contractors, they spent an entire year designing and building the vehicle. The Kenworth Sales Company and Western Trailer, both based in Boise, Idaho, also aided with the construction. For more information on the potato, truck and tour, visit www.bigidahopotato.com For more information about Meals on Wheels, visit www.mowaa.org
