An unusual stop on our last roadtrip through Minnesota was in the small town of Blue Earth. Here we saw an icon -- at least to those raised in North America—the (Jolly) Green Giant. Standing 55.5 feet tall and with size 78 shoes, the Green Giant is not hard to find.
Blue Earth is close to a Green Giant canned vegetable factory. A local radio host, Paul Hedberg, was instrumental in efforts leading to the creation to the statue. He figured that a life-size Giant by the I-90 freeway might entice travelers to stop in his town (and it has worked).
The Green Giant company approved the project, but provided no funds for it; money for giant's construction was raised by local businessmen and Hedberg himself. The fiberglass giant was built in 1978 and crafted to resemble the advertising icon. The body was shipped on several trucks from Wisconsin to Blue Earth, where it was assembled and erected. A small museum/visitor center is located nearby.
Blue Earth also claims to be the birthplace of the ice cream sandwich; if true, it would be suitable to add a giant fiberglass ice cream sandwich close to the giant, so that he might have a snack to enjoy from time to time.
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