Potato house work no picnic
REMEMBER WHEN
by Guy Woodworth
In the farming operations of today, the packing house or what we called a potato house back in the day, is very streamlined and modern. There are machines to do just about all of the operation with the exception of the inspection for rot, rocks and defects before bagging.
I remember when I was still in junior high school, I went to work in the potato house for a local farmer in Mapleton. My days to work were Saturdays and during most school vacations. My first day I was at the potato house at 6:30 a.m., the time work started. After entering and getting the lights on the farmer and the rest of the “men” set up the line for the day. Setting up the line also included putting conveyors in the trailer we were loading to ship.
Then the work started.
The farmer had figured we needed 50 100-lb burlap sacks of potatoes for the load. I was told to stand at the end of the conveyor and the man that was sewing the bags would lay them on the conveyor with the ears of the bag toward me and the brand down on the belt. The end of the conveyor was at roughly four and a half feet from the floor just where I could put my shoulder under the bag as I grabbed the ears and then carried it to the front of the trailer. Then I had to flip it so the bottom of the sack was forward and the ears facing the door with the brand up. This facilitated the destination inspection and made unloading by hand much easier.
All I knew for sure was that grabbing, lifting, and carrying 450 100-lb sacks of potatoes doesn’t seem like a lot of work when you are talking about it but that all changes when the reality of it all sinks in. For one solid week I had a very sore shoulder and lame arms. Hey, you fellas who did this sort of work … do you … Remember When?
Guy Woodworth of Presque Isle is a 1973 graduate of Presque Isle High School and a four-year Navy veteran. He and his wife Theresa have two grown sons and five grandchildren. He may be contacted at lightning117_1999@yahoo.com.
