9/2/2010:
On this date in 1940, potatoes were on the menu-or at least, the agenda-for competitors in a National Potato Picking Contest in Barnesville, Minnesota. The contest started in 1938 and is ongoing even today, as part of Barnesville's Potato Days celebration. Today, they start the contest at 10:00 on a Saturday morning at the sound of a whistle, no matter what the weather is like.
Weather was the least of problems for Kermit Berg, of Edinburgh, who was one of twenty pickers entered into the 1940 contest. He was already the 1939 North Dakota state champion potato picker, but he was "out of form" due to lack of practice. He picked a few rows several days before the contest, just to get a feel for it. Berg had nothing to worry about, though- during the contest, which lasted one hour and two minutes, he picked 1,856.8 lbs of potatoes. Berg out-picked everyone-even the Minnesotan native who won two years before-and earned himself the title of National Potato Picking Champion, $50 and a large trophy with his name engraved upon it.
Berg's experience with potatoes did not end there. He went on to compete again in the North Dakota State Potato Picker contest in October; he won there again, picking a net weight of 1739.5 lbs in 38 minutes. The following September, though, the champion took third in the National Potato Picking Championship, losing first place to a new spud grubber, Carol Ellingson, of Park River. Coincidentally, Ellingson had come in third and second to Berg at the previous state potato-picking contests. Their proximity in levels of potato picking kicked up the state-level competition, but it was Berg who once again won the North Dakota state championship in 1941, his third year in a row, becoming permanent owner of a plaque, $25 and the hard-earned title of champion potato picker of North Dakota. It was noted, however, that Ellingson had gotten a bad draw, along the edge of the field, and might have attained higher than his respectable third place had he received a better batch of potatoes to pick.
In any case, the best rewards and honors were likely bragging rights-not everyone could be a champion potato picker!
Dakota Datebook written by Sarah Walker
Sources:
Walsh County Press, Thursday, September 5, 1940
Walsh Co. Press, Thursday, October 10, 1940
Walsh Co. Press, Thursday, September 4, 1941
Walsh Co. Press, Thursday, October 9, 1941