Sixty years ago this summer, a young “brunet from Osseo” reigned as queen of National Vegetable Week. Elaine Tessman — now Elaine Christiansen of Falcon Heights — recalls the honor wistfully:
“We went to Cleveland for that national convention. What I remember there were the acres and acres of greenhouses, acres of tomatoes under glass. I was very impressed with that as a young girl. I had a beautiful plaid taffeta dress with a black velvet collar. It was the first really pretty dress I ever had.”
The former farm girl, prize-winning 4-H’er and Arizona State grad, now 81, still maintains a garden, growing tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant and squash. Her favorite vegetable? The potato.

 

VEGETABLE QUEEN – A 20-year-old brunet from Osseo, Minn., was selected today [June 21, 1951] to reign as queen of National Vegetable week, Aug. 5-11. She is Elaine Tessman, above, picked in New York, N.Y., by a group of magazine and radio editors from among contestants representing 14 states. Vegetable queens from other states will be her attendants, maid of honor and princesses.