A couple decades ago the sugar industry was having trouble. The farmers formed a Cooperative and we purchased Pioneer Sugar. A few years later we added Big Chief sugar and now we are Pioneer Big Chief Michigan Sugar. We are still struggling at times but we have managed to make things work.
We own 4 operating sugar factories that are all approximately 120 years old. We have made many improvements, but they also use a lot of very old and proven technologies. Many of the processes take very experienced operators to get the right results.
This year we got a early planting and our crop really took off. We usually try to grow enough acres to keep our factories processing sugar from start up till end of March. Once we start factories we want to run them 24-7 till all the beets are processed. Shutting them down and starting them back up again is complicated and expensive.
We take samples of fields starting in July to try to determine what yield to expect for permanent piles. How many tons total to expect and how many days it will take to process them. We can’t start “permanent piles till weather is cool enough for the roots to keep. We have to pile them before weather gets to cold and can’t harvest frozen beets. This is all a very scientific wild a$$ guess, but we try very hard to get as close as we can.
This year we are expecting a very big crop. We know we can’t wait till October 20 to start or we will never get the beets all processed before April and they will spoil on the piles. Then we have to pay to dispose of them and nobody likes that.
When we experience this problem we start a early dig process. Instead of piling beets in permanent piles, we pile them at the ends of our fields. We dig on a schedule. It’s kinda complicated but we have what we call a lottery. We sign up acres, they draw the order their dug. When it’s your turn you have to dig no matter what the weather is. This has its problems, but it lets the factories start early and we keep them processing fresh beets.
This year we dug 58 acres of round one lottery. They have three rounds scheduled so we might have to dig more in future. I’m just glad these are off. Really would hate to be digging today or anytime in the next week.
Here is a picture looking down the defoliated beets. The topper removes the leave with rubber paddles. Then I dig them with the lifter and load the carts. Normally the carts would put them on our trucks, but for early dig they dump them at field edge.
If you look hard enough you can see the beets piled at field edge
Bjrogg
