Beyond the South End

We Love Our

Potatoes

This photo of the potato harvest in Maine
 is from the Maine Potato Council.

When I was working at the Hartford Courant in the early 70s I sometimes sent out stories to different publications as a freelancer. As this is a time of harvesting our Maine potatoes, I thought you might enjoy this story which appeared in the Bangor Daily News at that time.

The head they put on my story was “Maine Potatoes Come On Strong In Connecticut.”

HARTFORD, Conn.—A potato is a potato, is a potato. Or is it?

Not according to the Maine Potato Commission. Their ad in a Connecticut newspaper, and subsequent radio spots, says the only potato worth eating is a Maine potato.

The two column by 10-inch ad reads, “Only superb Maine potatoes have this official seal of approval.” A picture of the seal accompanies the ad. It has a State of Maine silhouette surrounded by the words “quality approved by the Maine Potato Commission.”

The ad also goes on “the most delicious potatoes in the world didn’t get that way by accident. Maine potatoes are quality inspected, washed, and graded for size. And when you see this seal on the package, you can be absolutely sure of it!”

If the newspaper ad doesn’t sell the Maine potato to nutmeggers in Connecticut, the radio advertisement will. You might expect the Potato Commission to use an old codger with a phony Down East accent. But no. Instead, they use a Brooklyn housewife-type character with a Jewish accent. She reminds you of “Mama” of the old TV show of that name. At any rate, she comes on strong for the Maine potato when she says, “diamonds they’re not but delicious …take my word (pronounced woid) for it.”

A check at a local Connecticut supermarket didn’t find any bags with the official seal of approval on them; but there were plenty of Maine potatoes on hand and selling for less than Idahos. Maine potatoes were selling for 59 cents for five pounds, while Idahos were 79 cents for five pounds.

The Maine potatoes were selling, but it’s a sure bet that if all the Maine people living in Connecticut bought their native Maine potatoes, the grocer wouldn’t be able to keep them in stock.

(A special note: I’ve never been able to buy Maine potatoes here in Georgia. I miss them.)