Big Idaho Potato Truck Thrills Residents Sunday At Frick’s

There was a lot of laughter, fun and jaw=dropping activity for Sullivan residents on a normal Sunday when the “Big Idaho Potato Truck” made a stop on its seventh national tour at Frick’s Market, 45 North Clark Street.

The 12,130 pounds in which the potato weighs took nearly a year to construct and is equal to 32,346 sized Idaho potatoes and is 1,102 times heavier than the largest potato ever grown, which weighed in at 11 pounds.

The potato, if real, could make 30,325 servings of mashed potatoes, 970,380 french fries and if it had to be baked it would take two years and nine months to cook to perfection.

The 48-foot-long flatbed trailer features a 28-foot-long, 120 foot-wide and 11.5 foot-tall Idaho potato.

In May of this year the seventh national tour began with the world’s largest potato on wheels traveling across the country promoting Idaho’s most famous agriculture product, the Idaho potato.

During its visit to local communities a signature board is available for the public to sign and by obtaining 500 signatures at each event, a local charity will receive a donation up to $500 and while in Sullivan the program benefited the Meramec Community Mission.

“The Big Idaho Potato Truck has become the cornerstone of the Idaho Potato Commission’s marketing program,” explained Frank Muir, President and CEO, Idaho Potato Commission. “By promoting the truck in our national advertising campaign, participating in events with hundreds of thousands of attendees, and making stops at key retail and food service operations, we’ve been able to engage millions of consumers of all ages across the country.”

On its tour, the World’s Largest Idaho Potato will travel approximately 28,000 miles and through its journeys that began in 2012 it has been to all 48 states but Hawaii and Alaska, traveled through 7,000 plus towns and logged 140,000 miles.

The event at Frick’s on Sunday brought a lot of people to the downtown Sullivan area to get a glimpse and snap some pictures with the big spud.

Muir stated in a new release regarding helping charities with the event, “We already know that the truck brings smiles to people wherever it goes but now it’s also helping people and that feels pretty good.”