易胜博官网

On April 16, 1917, the United States entered WWI. A month later, in an effort to supplement food supplies, 易胜博官网 faculty members were growing potatoes.

Actually, it wasn鈥檛 易胜博官网 back then; it was the 易胜博官网 College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts, and the faculty was called upon to 鈥減ut into practice what they were teaching.鈥� Twenty-eight men responded and the 鈥淔actato Club鈥� was born.

Their first official meeting was May 19, 1917. Club members were summoned to appear at Morrill Hall to cut seed potatoes for planting. 鈥淏ring bucket, paring knife, and a cheerful disposition,鈥� the notice instructed. It was signed 鈥榁ery truly, F.W. Taylor, Factata, by O.V. Henderson, Factortum.鈥� Taylor was then dean of the College of Agriculture.

The following week, 17 members of the Faculty Potato Club helped plant the seed tubers on the acre and a half of land west of Thompson Hall (now the site of the tennis courts). One professor was said to have worried about covering the potatoes because he thought they would get dirt in their eyes.

That鈥檚 a true accounting, according to the May 26, 1917, edition of The 易胜博官网.

The student paper reported that during that first planting, Pete Henderson and Coach Cowell, who had been on fertilizer duty, had to eat their supper in the woodshed. Two other faculty members, referred to as Wolfe and Porter, were ordered off the field because they wouldn鈥檛 stop talking. Someone named Ritzman was docked two hours because he kept stopping to fill his pipe while 鈥淧a鈥� Taylor sat on a rock and sang 鈥淟et Phosphate Scent the Breeze in Growing Potatoes and Early Peas鈥� as the men worked.

On Sept. 22, 1917, the Faculty Potato Club men were ordered to report to the field 鈥渋n uniform鈥� with 鈥渃omplete equipment鈥� to begin the picking. The uniform consisted of 鈥渙ne straw hat, one old shirt, and one pair of overalls.鈥� Equipment was 鈥渙ne half-bushel basket or bucket and two or three burlap rugs.鈥� Each member was told to furnish 鈥渉is own commutations of rations for the day.鈥�

Around 10:30 on the morning of the harvest, the potato club members lined up for inspection by President Ralph Hetzel who declared they were in 鈥渇ine condition and well trained.鈥� After photographs were taken, 177 bags of potatoes were loaded into wagons. During the process it was learned that two of the faculty members had added rocks to the bottom of their bags when they heard the potatoes were going to be divided by weight.

When the wagons left for the barn, the men joined together to sing 鈥淭he Battle-cry of Feed 鈥楨m鈥� composed by someone the student newspaper identified as Dairyman Fuller. The song went like this:

We鈥檒l rally round the hoe, boys, and join the ranks of toil,
Shouting the battle cry of 鈥淔eed 鈥榚m!鈥�
We鈥檒l train the crops to grow, boys, as tillers of the soil,
Shouting the battle cry of 鈥淔eed 鈥榚m!鈥�
Where there is work to do, boys, we鈥檒l gather on the spot,
Shouting the battle cry of 鈥淔eed 鈥榚m!鈥�
Nature, kind mater, will aid us in our need, down with the tater, up with the weed!
So we鈥檒l rally round the hoe, boys, and train the crops to grow,
Shouting the battle cry of 鈥淔eed 鈥榚m!鈥�

The first year, the Faculty Potato Club harvested 260 bushes. Shares sold for $2.25 and bought about five bushels. The following spring, the potato patch was enlarged to two acres and a several new members were added to replace those who had 鈥減roved themselves unqualified鈥� the year before.

Before the season began, a set of regulations were drawn up that included the prohibition of cutting seeding potatoes into French fries, and putting stones in the bags during harvesting. Despite an August blight, the yield was increased to 324 bushels.

Photos from the Digital Collections, Milne Special Collections and Archives, Dimond Library