People from across the state and across the nation gathered in North Dakota this week in 1977 for a safari. Representatives came from Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Seattle, St. Paul and Bismarck for the big event. At least three women wore safari hats as they, and many others, roamed the plains of Ramsey County. Yet, it seemed an unlikely place for a safari, even though wild game was abundant in North Dakota. Their prey, however, was not large game, but macaroni.

This “Spaghetti Safari,” according to the Devil’s Lake Daily Journal today in 1977, was the second of its kind. The events that took place across the state were a celebration of North Dakota’s durum products. More than twenty food, nutrition, and consumer editors of some of the largest national publications gathered in North Dakota for the event. Their stop in Ramsey County was just one of at least five stops on the safari.

The North Dakota wheat farming industry and the pasta manufacturing industry were also present for the event. The event was to help show and explain to the visitors the amount of work that goes into the production and harvest of materials later used to make pasta and other grain products. Though it was their third day in North Dakota, the editors’ visit to Ramsey County was the first to concentrate on grain products. Their first visit had been to Dickinson-Medora to visit with the Beef Commission.

Ramsey County welcomed its visitors for “Step one in the macaroni cycle.” The visitors on the safari got their prey as wives of area grain producers served up over twenty dishes made from pasta products for lunch. The visitors spent the remainder of the afternoon at the Wright Farm to experience some of the work and processes that go into producing grain. One writer rode along in the combine, and commented on the experience. “I’m in awe of all of this,” she said. “I had no idea the size of your farms or the complexity of farm operations.”

A question and answer forum was later opened for the visitors. There, they were able to clear up any questions they had about grain production or farming operations. One of the topics to come up was the instability of wheat prices. A pasta manufacturer from New Jersey was surprised at the relation between those prices and the resulting increase in price he had to place on his products. The Safari’s forum was a step toward creating and understanding relationships between the producers and consumers of grain products.

On the 25th, the group resumed their safari to Grand Forks to visit the State Mill Elevator, and then moved on to Fargo to visit the cereal chemistry labs at the North Dakota State University. Their safari would end on the 26th with a visit to the Grain Exchange and Creamette Macaroni Company in Minneapolis.
Publications that were represented included Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, and Restaurant Business among others. Newspaper reporters came from the Bismarck Tribune, St. Paul Dispatch-Pioneer Press, Family Weekly, and the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

By Tessa Sandstrom

Source:
“Spaghetti Safari,” Devil’s Lake Daily Journal. August 25, 1977: 1, 12.

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