Idaho Potato Production

Two harvesters going diffent directions loading trucks

Potato production in Idaho

Truck following harvester to next rows to harvest

Potato Production in Idaho

Ford ten wheeler truck and Case IH 4 wheel drive tractor not sure of the brand of the new four row harvester

Potato Production in Idaho

Four row harvester picking up four planted rows and then additional harvested potatoes which were placed on top of the planted rows by a windrower, it digs the potatoes and places them on the other rows so the harverster comes along and picks up the unharvested rows and the ones the windrower dug earlier.
If you look at the truck the drivers side of the bed is folded half way down this is so the harverster dosen't drop the potatoes too far and avoid bruising them when the truck begins to fill up, the side gate is raised by the truck driver and the harvester continues to load the truck till it is fully loaded. Then the process begins all over again with the next truck. The tractor driver directs the truck driver ahead or back while loading, and the two have to be syncronized to load the trucks correctly, and have the load centered on the truck for transportation to the cellar.

Pototo Production in Idaho

Loaded potato truck leaving the field after being loaded, the truck weighs 50,000 pounds when full. I drove for this farm for 8 years and I would estimate each of the ten or so drivers made about 15 or more loads a day back to the cellars for about 12 days of production. Lots and lots and lots of potatoes and several farms in the area with similar or smaller production.

Potato production in Idaho

Stoddard Farms one ten wheeler truck loading and another awaiting to load under the four row harvester. This photo was taken during the 2007 harvest on the last day. Grace, Idaho is where the seed potatoes are raised then in the spring time the potatoes are shipped to Burley, Idaho and Winnemucca, Nevada and other places to raise the larger variety of potatoes.