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foerstel cooks up 6-ton potato
If you think you saw a giant potato on wheels trucking down the road this weekend you were not hallucinating! It was real. Well, your vision was real…not the potato. Schofield Design in Weiser, Idaho, did such a great job constructing this radical russet, we have had to convince potato enthusiasts that it’s just a reproduction!
We inspired our client, the Idaho Potato Commission, to let us design, build and promote the world’s largest potato in celebration of their 75th anniversary. Complete with imperfections, bumps and potato eyes, this giant spud started capturing the attention of Idahoans from the moment of its debut at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Bronco Stadium this past Saturday.
At 12,130 lbs (that’s over 6 tons!) and 28-feet long, this spud has drawn huge crowds of people with their cameras since it emerged, literally stopping traffic and generating tons of interest and questions about where it came from and how it was grown! We may well be creating our own potato folklore to be passed down through generations about the largest spud ever grown in Idaho!
Next year the giant potato hits the road, on a custom-designed flatbed trailer, for a tour of the entire country. The traveling tater truck will make its way to the east coast and then back, ending the tour on the west coast, raising money and awareness along the way for Meals on Wheels. We don’t know how they would cook it, but if it was a real potato it would be the largest Meal on Wheels in history!
people are gobbling up Tofurky!
Tofurky! You can’t say it without smiling, can you? As a very satisfied Tofurky consumer myself, I have to say “don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” Anyway, it just so happens that we have had the pleasure of working with Tofurky for over 10 years, and they are one of our favorite clients. So when we saw this article about how fast the company is growing, despite the obvious challenges of selling a product to replace the iconic symbol of one of our most treasured holidays, we just had to pass it along. Now that’s talking turkey!
introducing…grayson roberts
Budding web developer, circa 1982
Meet Grayson, the newest member of the Foerstel Team, “beamed up” to the City of Trees from the Lone Star state. Web Developer, Family Man, Comedian, Poet, Photographer? The jury is still out on which one is his true calling, but they all come in handy at Foerstel.
Where did you work prior to landing here?
I was the IT Director for a small city in hot, humid, deep South Texas.
Did you always know you wanted to be a web developer?
Umm… who said I wanted to be a web developer?
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I’d like to try being unemployed. I hear it can be quite relaxing.
What keeps you inspired and coming into work every day?
My wife and kids keep me going. They get kind of cranky when they haven’t eaten for a while.
What is one of the first creative lessons you learned?
Let go. Though I still haven’t mastered that one yet.
What is on your iPod?
“My” iPod has been MIA since the first week I had it in my hand. My wife knows the answer to this question.
Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?
Playing on the floor with my kids in our PJ’s.
What is your favorite quote?
Just one? There are so many! Here is one I like (can this apply to the Internet?)
“You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat.” – Albert Einstein
Name one random thing about yourself that we probably don’t know?
I sometimes dream in code. Seriously.
Do you have any adventures planned?
I never plan them, but with three kids I expect another one will be just around the corner.
What is your favorite thing about Boise?
I have yet to see a cockroach.
What was your last creative pursuit (outside of work)?
Photography.
grayson roberts, poet or geek?
Foerstel is happy to welcome our new web developer, Grayson Roberts, to the group. He has brought unique qualities: added height (he’s about 7 feet tall!), a very quiet and humorous poetic touch, and admirable web experience and abilities. Enjoy Grayson’s intimidatingly accurate account of his first day at Foerstel!
’Twas my first day at Foerstel, as I crossed the welcome mat,
I was greeted with smiling faces (and Ralphie the cat).
With a whiteboard in the lobby, great care had been taken,
Made clear that I must like cats, ping-pong and bacon.
Shiny Apple computers on desks so clean
Visions of brilliant work danced on their screens.
And everyone dressed up in their clothes looking hip,
I needed to chill out after my cross-country trip.
When from out on the patio came a mouth-watering scent,
Into the fresh Boise air, sipping coffee, I went.
From the organic garden to the hot BBQ grill,
I knew that the crew at Foerstel had true skill.
The juice on the breast of the nearly grilled chicken
Gave me pause that my South Texas waistline might thicken,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a bucket full of salsa, and sausage with no beer!
And just when I thought that my fears might be valid,
I saw a bowlful of fruit and a healthy potato salad.
Comfortably we ate, the August day like a dream,
I’m thrilled to have been welcomed by the whole Foerstel team.
—
As my geek flag is at about half mast, I’ve pretty much reached down to the depths of my creative writing abilities to pull out the above text. The punishment to the reader will end here.
Sincerely, all the folks here at Foerstel have gone out of their way to be friendly and welcoming. I only hope that I will be able to reciprocate in a way that does justice to the team.
I was spoiled by a great welcome on my first day, sharing delicious food, an outdoor BBQ, beautiful weather and meeting new friends.
I am looking forward to sharing my abilities with a talented team to continue an obvious tradition of producing quality work.
Grayson
New hand on {the web} deck
cleaning up organic personal care standards
Will Whole Foods keep your product on their shelves?
In June of this year, Whole Foods announced that, “all personal care products and cosmetics making an organic claim sold in its U.S. stores must be third-party certified by June 1, 2011.”
If your organic personal care products are sold at Whole Foods, this is an opportune time to have a professional review your packaging and product claims.
Even if you aren’t in that category, the fact that Whole Foods, one of the largest organic & natural retailers in the nation, is setting standards for what they will and won’t accept is big news!
Consider this:
• Is your current packaging up-to-date and compliant with existing regulations?
• Are changes necessary to ensure that Whole Foods will accept your products?
• Will you potentially lose market share if your products are not certified organic?
• Is your consumer-targeted messaging clear and accurate?
• Does your certification messaging create possible confusion for a consumer?
• Does your product stand out from the competition on the shelf?
Additional food for thought:
An article from November Natural Foods Merchandiser addresses consumer confusion that might arise from the new labeling/certification process, and some of the issues to think about with new packaging.
The savvy Organic & Natural consumer expects quality, transparency, and a genuine brand promise. Take the proactive stance—it could put you ahead of your competition.
on the horizon
Hearing and seeing new things are all part of downtown Boise life. This morning was no exception. Hot air balloons were continually rising from above the Connector–probably about 15 in all. Boise is such a great place to live and work! more »
local, organic farm tour
Early last Wednesday morning, strong coffee in hand, Jim Hall and I made the 2 hour journey to Buhl, one of Southwest Idaho’s quaint farming towns. We volunteered to help with the Organic Farm Tour sponsored by NCAP (Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides). As members of NCAP and with a good portion of our business being in the organic food industry, Jim and I thought volunteering would give us the opportunity to learn more about local sustainable agriculture. Little did we know how much our help was needed. Jen Miller, the only NCAP staff member in Idaho, handles each event from beginning to end.
NCAP organizes these tours each summer at several different farms to give organic farmers a forum to discuss and learn from experts and their peers in the sustainable agriculture community. This particular tour was hosted by Mike Heath at his farm, M&M Heath Organic Farms. Mike is a leader in Idaho’s organic agriculture and has been farming organically for 28 years. He currently runs 450 acres of certified organic production!
The day included several speakers from University of Idaho, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Idaho’s Bounty, tours of two of Mike’s fields, a 15-minute downpour that drenched us while we toured the first field, and a delicious lunch that consisted of all local foods from Mike’s and neighboring farms. We were amazed at the network of programs and agencies available to assist organic farmers. Valuable information was shared about agricultural trials and tests, non-pesticide alternatives for potato blight and other common pests, the best process for rotating crops, and more! You cannot help but admire this community of local farmers and organic agricultural specialists in their quest for a better food supply and a better environment. Foerstel applauds the local organic farmers in Idaho!
it’s a win, win, win!
Here’s something that really gets us excited - The first annual Good Food Awards recognizing the trifecta of good food: delicious, socially responsible, and sustainably produced.
In its inaugural year, with an organic all-star judging panel that includes Alice Waters and Nell Newman, Good Food Awards will be given to winners in seven categories: beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles and preserves. Awards will be given to producers and their food communities from each of five regions of the US. The Good Food Awards seal, found on winning products, assures consumers they have found something exceptionally delicious that also supports sustainability and social good.
for the love of facebook
Can’t get enough facebook? Pick up an Idaho Shakespeare program next time you’re at Shakespeare Under the Stars and see how creative foerstel can be (in print)!
international book features foerstel
We were thrilled when Matitegiovanotte, a European design firm, asked us to submit our work for a new book called “The Meaning Underground: A Visual Trip into the Art of Copywriting” showcasing excellence in copywriting–and even more excited to learn that all three of our submissions will be included. Featured at international book fairs in both London and Frankfurt, the book contains work from agencies all over the world (only four from the U.S.), and will be available to the public in January 2010.
