b'Associations first officers were E. J.TaintorofGrandForks,President;PaulHornofMoorhead,VicePresident;RoyL.DouglassofEastGrandForks,Treasurer;andRoyceDean from Hatton, Secretary.Also on the first Board of Directorswere:HowardHansonfromKennedy,Earl HvidstenfromStephen,FermentDerosierofRedLakeFalls,ArthurLarsonfromRothsay,BennittAarestadfromHalstad,RossPagefromCavalier,Carl G. Tollefson of Osnabrock andM. O. Johnson from Park River.Cliff Moquist, who is often quotedin Kennys book, recalled that otherkeyplayersatthetimewereSamFedje, John Scott, Ole Flaat and A.B.Thompson.Additionalnameson The early founders are recognized on the building dedication plaque at theNPPGA Office Building.theofficesdedicationplaqueincludeMontelleBoone,Frand directly behind the lab and office is largeBoardRoomonthesecondSander, and Ross Page. long gone. floor.This addition was built on thespacewherethestorageQuonsetThe RRVPGAs first annual meeting Threeadditionalbuildingprojects had once stood.was held on January 29th, 1947.It havehappenedonthecomplexwas a one-day event and was held at since its inception.In 1964 the Red Andlastly,in1995theMinnesotatheEastGrandForksHighSchool RiverValleyPotatoProcessing Department of Ag built a new Seedauditorium.Dinnerandamovie Laboratory,todayknownasEast Inspection Building directly behindclosed out the evening at the East Grand Forks, Minnesota USDA/ARS the Associations office building andGrand Forks American Legion Hall. PotatoWorksitebuildingwascon- the Research Lab. More than 500 people attended the structed.Largelyfundedbythemeetings and 200 attended the din- RRVPGA, the lab was, and still is a The Red River Valley Potato Growersner and movie! jointventurewiththeUSDA,the Association name stuck until 2003University of Minnesota and North when the board voted to change theIn 1948 the Red River Valley Potato DakotaStateUniversity.This name of the Association to its cur-ResearchLaboratorycomplexwas replacedandexpandedthelabin rentname,theNorthernPlainsconstructed.TheRRVPGAoffices the main office building after which PotatoGrowersAssociationwerehousedinthemainbuilding theAssociationremodeledand (NPPGA). The reasoning behind thiswhichstillstandstodayandstill occupied the entire space.change was that the Association hadhouses the Associations offices!A grown to be much larger than just40 by 60 shop building from the In 1977 a large addition was built theRedRiverValleywithgroweroriginal complex also still stands on on to the back of the office building members as far west as the Montanathesite,buta30,000-bushel whichmaderoomforDuane line.Quonsetstoragebuildinglocated PrestonsExtensionofficeandaMAY/JUNE 2021 POTATO GROWER 7'