Dale E. Anderson Memorial

photo taken by UI Brad Beckman

Last Saturday, Sheila Anderson from Trinity Community Gardens in Nampa, and Roberta Ireland, Advanced Master Gardener with Canyon County Extension planted a Colorado Blue Spruce in memory of Sheila’s husband, Dale E. Anderson.

December 23, 2017 marks the third anniversary of Dale’s passing. He is sorely missed by his church and master gardener communities.


Many of us knew and loved Dale. He was an Advanced Master Gardener with 23 years in the program, the last 10 being in Canyon County. His friends and team members remember his selfless, generous ways, sharing freely his years of careful research and knowledge.

Trinity Community Gardens

“Growing to Feed Many,” Nov. 2014, a compact, richly illustrated book in English and Spanish, on which Dale, Sheila and Paulette Blaseg collaborated, demonstrates how Trinity Community Gardens, Inc. gets more food from less space. All produce goes to local food pantries and soup kitchens.  (4,000 # this year). Paulette is an Advanced Master Gardener with Canyon County Extension.

Sheila & Paulette

Besides the garden and the book, Dale and his peers developed an educational course for raised bed gardening. For more information about the book and classes, contact Trinity Gardens

We in the Master Gardener community  are inspired to carry on Dale’s traditions of volunteering, giving generously and developing better food systems to feed the hungry.

Idaho Ice-cream Potato

If you went to the Idaho State Fair in Boise and ate an Idaho Ice-cream Potato, you probably bought it from a stand that looked like this. 

You paid the person at the window the small nominal fee for the potato and they handed you an Ice-Cream Potato that probable looked like this one. It's the picture over here on the right with 2 spoons in it and it was good enough to share with that special someone. I don't think I could have eaten the whole thing by myself, although I could have given it a go.

I was there this year and greatly enjoyed the potato that I thought

it would make a good story for you to enjoy. I contacted Chef Lou at the Westside Drive in and asked Lou these questions.

1. Who invented the ice-cream potato, when and where?

It was invented in the 1940's by the chef at the Gamekeeper Restaurant in the Owyhee Plaza, for a banquet, for the Governor. It was called the "Gamekeeper Surprise". It was made with Maple Nut ice cream, served on chocolate fudge sauce, topped with whipped cream and almonds.

2. Did you get a patent, copy-right etc. for it or is it out there for all to enjoy? 

I tried to get a patent, but it is very hard to patent food. Once it has been in existence for a year, it is almost un-patentable. I got a trademark on the name "Idaho Ice Cream Potato" in 1991, but, pretty much anyone can make it. It is served coast to coast in restaurants. They just can't call it the "Idaho Ice Cream Potato". It was served at George Bush's 1st inaugural dinner. Martha Stewart, Sandra Lee, and many others, including the David Letterman Show have made it.

3. Are there many variation of style and ingredients and if so what are they? I noticed through searching the internet there are several different ways to make it.

There are countless ways to make it. I won an American Heart Association contest by making it with frozen yogurt and carob powder.

4. How many places that you know of make the ice-cream potato and are they offered year round? You offer it at both of your locations.

Yes, we do, and several restaurants around the state serve it. We make them at a production facility and sell them to Sysco, who distributes them.

So if you any of you get a chance to eat an Idaho Ice-cream Potato from one of

their restaurants, it is highly recommended to do it.

Or I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll dry your ground out!

Or I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll dry your ground out

One of the trademarks of living in Idaho seems to be wind. Learning how to adapt can be challenging to any newcomer. Unless you are from, say, Chicago? In any case, being aware of how wind affects your landscape can help in protecting them during our often dry, windy fall and winter seasons.

Drying winds strip plants, turf, and the soil of much needed moisture. As the wind blows it wicks the moisture out of the plant, and the soil. As the low humidity and wind blow, plants can’t replenish the water they lose through their leaves, or needles. This is one reason you may have a brown cast on the edge of your evergreen needles.

On perennial shrubs, such as roses or lilacs, damage to terminal growing points can occur.

There are several things to keep in mind about your landscape if you live in these windy areas.

1. Fall and winter watering is not an option. Failure to water your plants is the most common cause of plant stress I see in landscapes. And just because your landscape is mature, does not mean you can stop watering it. You don’t stop drinking water just because you've matured, do you?

2. Mulch can help retain moisture in the soil. Yes, I know, it’s windy and the wind blows your mulch all the way to Kansas. Well, I am sure the people of Kansas appreciate your contribution to their fine state. Really though, mulching can make a big difference in how much water your soils will hold.

3. Add organic matter to your soil. Incorporating 2-3 inches of plant based organic matter at a depth of 4-6 inches will help hold in water if you have sandy soil, or help water drain if you have clayey soil. Either way, adding organic matter such as composted plant material will benefit your plants. Just be careful if you use animal manure as compost as these contain salts and heavy metals that build up in the soil over time, and can increase the risk of food borne pathogens if used improperly in vegetable gardens.

For more information on fall or winter watering, visit your county Extension office.