The Sweet Reason Behind Harvest Season: Grand Forks Sugar Beets

Whether you’re born and raised or you just moved here, you’ve more than likely driven by a beet plant at some point. Or you’ve seen those large trucks cut through Demers in East Grand Forks. Or what’s even more distinct is the smell. Most people (including myself) will be quick to complain about the different smells the Sugar Beet harvest brings in, but according to my husband, “that’s the smell of money, baby!” 

As someone who is a transplant to the Grand Forks area, I never grew up around farming or agriculture, and I definitely did not know what a sugar beet was. In fact, I thought all beets were that deep red color and were the last thing I expected sugar to come from. In my 10 years of living in the area, marrying into the agriculture field and learning all about sugar beets from my husband, I am here to tell you the importance behind agriculture up in the Red River Valley from a “city-girl” point of view with some insight from my husband, Austin, agronomist and sugar beet extraordinaire.

Sugar beets are a root crop and flourish in temperate climates where the growing season is about five months long (May through October). Think of them as a very large white carrot. Spanning across northern Minnesota and North Dakota, the Red River Valley is the leading producer of sugar beets in North America which accounts for roughly 45% of beets grown in the U.S.. This is due to our climate, long cold winters which help with crop preservation all winter, and rich soil for the growing season.

The annual sugar beet harvest is often referred to as the Sugar Beet Campaign, because it is that big of a deal. From October 1st (weather permitting) farmers, truck drivers, factory workers, and others work around the clock, 24/7 to ensure maximum efficiency.

When I asked “why does the campaign run 24/7?” Austin stated, “Everything is weather permitting, sugar beets need essentially perfect weather. You have a limited time when you can get the crop out of the ground, it can’t be too hot or too cold.”

People from all over the region come to help out during the campaign. Most farmers hire additional help during harvest often from individuals who take time from their regular day-to-day job or work temp jobs, which means time is crucial when it comes to extra help.

There is a lot of help that goes into the campaign. There are the farmers who grow and produce the crop, the harvest help which ranges from truck drivers to additional hands to run the machinery, and all the different positions within the sugar beet factories.

Austin works full-time at a farm in the region. His role during the Sugar Beet Campaign is operating the sugar beet harvester, which means he is the one driving the tractor that pulls the harvester. To give you some further knowledge, I asked Austin a few questions about his role.

• What is a harvester and how does it work?
  “The harvester is an implement that is pulled behind the tractor that pulls the sugar beets out of the ground. It is 12 rows wide and pulls 100’s of beets out as you’re moving along.”
• How long have you been running the harvester?
  “11 years. My first year of beets I drove a truck. I still enjoy driving truck when I get the opportunity though.”
• What’s your favorite part about operating the harvester?
  “Wow, tough question. I would have to say the thrill of the sugar beets coming up out of the ground through the harvester and then into the trucks. Second would be the challenge of constantly changing variables which could range from weather to soil conditions to machine adjustments just to name a few.”
• What are some of the other key roles during the harvest?
  “Everyone is important this time of year. There are the drivers who play a key role in getting the crop to the factory. There are the guys operating the topper who cut the greens from the beets to ensure my rig operates smoothly. There are probably others that I am forgetting.”
• What is your favorite memory over the last 12 years of Sugar Beet harvests?
  “It’s hard to narrow it down. I’d have to say probably my early days when my college crew of friends all drove truck. That was a fun year. The night you (Jasmine) first came out is probably one of my most memorable nights. Now though it’s fun bringing Rhett (our son) out.”

After the beets are pulled from the ground, hundreds of trucks bring them to the factories to be processed all winter long. The big ones in our region are American Crystal in East Grand Forks and Crookston, MN. Once the beets make their way into the factories, sugar is made. American Crystal has a great section that goes into detail on how sugar is produced from the beets if you are interested in learning more. In a nutshell, the beets are washed, sliced, diffused, and crystallized into what you see on your local grocery shelves.

There are a couple ways to get involved. American Crystal is hiring drivers to factory workers, here’s a list of open positions. Looking for something more temporary, each season local farmers are always looking for harvest help. When asked, Austin said,

“Reach out to a local farmer, they are all willing to train and are always looking for good help! If you don’t know anyone in the farming community you can check local job posting sites such as AgHires or Indeed are a few.”

This article was very near and dear to my heart for many reasons. When I first moved up here for college I met many friends who worked in the agriculture field. From them, I learned the importance of farming and how it affects the entire nation. Instead of just thinking this area is “flat and boring with nothing to do,” they gave me a new perspective of how important the environment is up here. I mean, we can’t have mountains and trees everywhere with all of this agricultural operation! More specifically though, the reason this time of year is so special to me is because during this time is when I met my (now) husband – our first date was in a tractor on a cold October night in 2015, and the rest is history as they say. Now almost 10 years later, we get to share this special time of year with our son.

Next time you’re in Hugo’s, Target, or wherever you get your groceries, spend the extra dollar for the American Crystal Sugar because it was locally grown, harvested, and produced here in the Grand Forks region. Thank you farmers!