Hauling potatos in baskets c. 1920

Hjelm family with digger, c. 1930

There's more than one way to  haul potatoes: at left, Gustaf and Roland Tall carry full potato baskets out of the field, c. 1920.  Below, Fred Hjelm takes advantage of the snow to bring his potatoes down to the railroad station's potato house.

Hauling potatoes by wagon

The invention of the horse-powered potato digger in 1891 saved much back breaking labor for farmers, though not for their horses -- early versions of the machine were known as "horse killers." Members of the Fred Hjelm family show off their digger in these c. 1930 photographs.