The iconic (and wonderfully kitschy) six-ton potato that travels the country representing the Idaho Potato Commission is going into retirement.
According to the Capital Press, the IPC has commissioned a second fake spud, this time made of fiberglass. The old model has been through quite a bit since it was mounted to a truck in 2011:
“Over the years, the potato has sustained damage from overhanging branches, frequent cracks caused by road vibrations and even boot prints made by NASA astronauts who stood on it during a parade.” - Capital Press
The new model will be made of fiberglass, cutting its weight in half. Weiser couple Chris and Sharolyn Schofield are again designing it. Sharolyn is welding the pieces together, while Chris is managing the construction of the giant potato. It will be mounted on springs on the truck bed and lit up by LED lights for parades.
So what’s happening to the old model? It’s moving from the road to the homestead.
Former potato truck crew member Kristie Wolfe plans to convert the fake tuber into a 250-square foot vacation rental in Boise.
“ ‘This has been something I have been calling dibs on for many years,’ said Wolfe, who makes her living by building and renting tiny homes. ‘I really thought it was going to be a long-shot to get it because it’s a pretty wacky idea, but so was putting a potato on a truck.’ " - Capital Press
The Capital Press reports Wolfe is no stranger to wacky vacation rentals: she built and owns a tropical treehouse in Hawaii that’s a hot item on Airbnb, and a “Hobbit” home in Chelan, WA.
Find reporter Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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