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It's a bit unusual to see a Sno Cat driving on top of a huge pile of sugar beets, but Richard Albin was doing just that last week at the Sugar Valley station, Fairview. Now that beet harvest is complete, the goal at Sidney Sugars is to keep those beets at their optimum quality until all the processing is done, about mid-February. The science of storage has been studied extensively by Kelly Thomas, plant physiologist/ genetics with American Crystal. Through years of study, Thomas has documented...
Sidney Sugars has implemented six strip trials on sugar beet seed varieties during this 2017 growing season. The purpose of these trials is to identify what sugar beet seed variety proves to be most successful in this area. Each seed variety is used in different locations to determine how they perform under various environments, soils, and management. At the beginning of the growing season, Sidney Sugars asked local growers if they would be willing to participate in growing strip trials on their farm. “There is also another trial conducted a...
Beet harvest 2017 is now over, fortunately with nothing catastrophic to mark it as one to be remembered 50 years from now. Weather has mostly cooperated, with some rain, wind, frost and heat all managing to delay digging somewhat. According to Sidney Sugars agricultural manager Duane Peters, tonnage should be in the 31.25 to 31.5 range with sugar good at around 18%. Early harvest, brought back after many years, went well, and should be even smoother next year when some of the kinks are worked out. “Growers have been great to work with. They, l...
Beet harvest always involves a myriad of people doing everything from defoliating, digging and trucking, to working the pilers, quality lab and factory shifts with everyone focused on getting those precious beets out of the ground on time and processed into sweet, sweet sugar. Workers take time from their regular jobs, come from miles and miles away, or maybe work at Sidney Sugars year round. The Neuleib family encompasses all of those aspects with Leticia "Tish" at the factory full time, her...
Beet harvest 2017 will soon be over, fortunately with nothing catastrophic to mark it as one to be remembered 50 years from now. Weather has mostly cooperated, with some rain, wind, frost and heat all managing to delay digging somewhat. According to Sidney Sugars agricultural manager Duane Peters, tonnage should be in the 31.25 to 31.5 range with sugar good at around 18%. Early harvest, brought back after many years, went well, and should be even smoother next year when some of the kinks are...
The Roundup will be sponsoring Harvest Days, Oct. 25th – Nov. 4th, as a way to celebrate and honor those in the agricultural industry. Stop by participating businesses to enter for a chance to win $500 in gift certificates, and while there, take a minute to admire some local talent. Richland County Boys & Girls Club members will have a chance to win some art supplies, as well as having their artwork framed. All entries will be showcased at participating Harvest Day's businesses and in the w...
The Roundup will be sponsoring Harvest Days, Oct. 25th – Nov. 4th, as a way to celebrate and honor those in the agricultural industry. Stop by participating businesses to enter for a chance to win $500 in gift certificates, and while there, take a minute to admire some local talent. Richland County Boys & Girls Club members will have a chance to win some art supplies, as well as having their artwork framed. All entries will be showcased at participating Harvest Day's businesses and in the w...
The Roundup will be sponsoring Harvest Days, Oct. 25th – Nov. 4th, as a way to celebrate and honor those in the agricultural industry. Stop by participating businesses to enter for a chance to win $500 in gift certificates, and while there, take a minute to admire some local talent. Richland County Boys & Girls Club members will have a chance to win some art supplies, as well as having their artwork framed. All entries will be showcased at participating Harvest Day’s businesses and in the window displays at the Yellowstone Marketplace. Winning...
Officials from North Dakota traveled to Richland County on Sept. 21 to tour the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project. North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford, McKenzie County Economic Development Coordinator Daniel Stenberg and McKenzie County Commissioner Gene Veeder were in attendance. The officials were invited by LYIP Project Manager James Brower and Chairman of the Board of Control Richard Cakyo to tour the irrigation project and gain a better understanding of its importance to the region. The Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project ex...
Officials from North Dakota traveled to Richland County on Sept. 21 to tour the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project. North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford, McKenzie County Economic Development Coordinator Daniel Stenberg and McKenzie County Commissioner Gene Veeder were in attendance. The officials were invited by LYIP Project Manager James Brower and Chairman of the Board of Control Richard Cakyo to tour the irrigation project and gain a better understanding of its importance to the r...
Harvest Fest on September 29 will be an afternoon for kids at the Shops at Fox Run from 4-6 p.m. Contests with prizes awarded include-Sidewalk chalk harvest art for K-5th grade at 4 p.m. with prizes awarded, sponsored by Reynolds Market and MonDak Heritage Center. Preregister at Reynolds customer service or register on the day 3:30-4 p.m.; sugar beet decorating for grades 3-6, sponsored by Sidney Sugars. Pick up a sugar beet September 23 or 25 at Lucky Buckle, return decorated by 5 p.m., Sept. 28. Beets will be on display at the harvest fest....
Harvest Fest on September 29 will be an afternoon for kids at the Shops at Fox Run from 4-6 p.m. Contests with prizes awarded include-Sidewalk chalk harvest art for K-5th grade at 4 p.m. with prizes awarded, sponsored by Reynolds Market and MonDak Heritage Center. Preregister at Reynolds customer service or register on the day 3:30-4 p.m.; sugar beet decorating for grades 3-6, sponsored by Sidney Sugars. Pick up a sugar beet September 23 or 25 at Lucky Buckle, return decorated by 5 p.m., Sept. 28. Beets will be on display at the harvest fest....
It's been said that two's company, but three's a crowd. While this old aphorism may be true in some circumstances, it fails to hold as much water in regards to irrigated crop rotation in sugarbeet fields. Dr. Bart Stevens, Irrigated Systems Research Agronomist/Research Leader at the USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory in Sidney, has been studying a three-year crop rotation system alongside a number of other experts. With the aid of Montana State University and North Dakota...
Sidney Sugars is predicting above average tonnage at 32 and average sugar at 17 to 18 for the 2017 sugarbeet crop, based on root samples taken last week. Not all samples were processed at press time so the results are preliminary but encouraging. “We’re happy with the crop considering the rough start this spring,” agricultural manager Duane Peters said. “But, we’ll wait and see what happens on the 12th.” Early beet harvest, which used to be common but hasn’t been done for many years, will start on September 12 with all districts hauling some...
Greg Gianforte, who was elected as Montana's representative to the United States Congress in a special election in May of this year, made a stop in Sidney to speak to local leaders in the sugar industry. Attending the meeting, aside from Gianforte and two of his staffers, included Bill Johnson, a local farmer from Savage who serves as president of the Sugar Beet Board, along with Steve Pust and Scott Flynn, also local farmers and representatives for the Montana Sugar Beet Growers. Also present w...
Duane Peters, Agricultural Manager for Sidney Sugars, will speak to attendees at the 2017 EARC/MSU Extension Field Day on Wednesday, July 19. Peters calls his update "short and sweet", but plans on discussing sugarbeet variety selection based on the latest research, and give an update on current agronomic issues. Currently, there are about 32,500 acres of beet planted in the area, down about 1,200 acres from the 2016 season. The reasoning, Peters explains, is that "yields are higher so less...
About twenty people gathered at the Ullman Center at Dawson Community College at ten o’clock Friday, May 26, to take part in Senator Jon Tester’s Farm Bill Listening Tour. Beginning with the pledge of allegiance led by Tester, the session was led by the Senator and seven other panelists from various public and private agricultural agencies in Montana. Taking part in the session were Ben Thomas of the Montana Department of Agriculture, Kurt Voss and Justin Loch of Montana Farmer’s Union, Scott...
About twenty people gathered at the Ullman Center at Dawson Community College at ten o'clock Friday, May 26, to take part in Senator Jon Tester's Farm Bill Listening Tour. Beginning with the pledge of allegiance led by Tester, the session was led by the Senator and seven other panelists from various public and private agricultural agencies in Montana. Taking part in the session were Ben Thomas of the Montana Department of Agriculture, Kurt Voss and Justin Loch of Montana Farmer's Union, Scott...
Dr. Jessica Rupp, MSU Plant Pathologist Dr. Jessica Rupp, MSU Plant Pathologist, will be giving two talks on Thursday afternoon. The first will be about pulse diseases. Montana is presently the number one producer of pulses in the United States. Her focus will be on lentil, dry pea, chick pea, and dry bean crops as well as fungal diseases. She will discuss options to treat pulse crops, testing seed, and planting fungicide seed treatments for a healthy start for crops. She is also an expert on...
Kathryn Cayko has been spreading the word about genetically modified organisms (GMO) to people around the community. Cayko is the Montana Biotech Spokeswoman for the Montana Dakota Sugar Beet growers. Cayko had worked in plant biotechnology for several years before starting her position as an agriculturalist at Sidney Sugars. She is honored that she was given the opportunity to speak for farmers that are busy growing, planting, and harvesting crops. "Farmers are very unrepresented in Washington...
James Johnson is the newest member of the team of agriculturalists at Sidney Sugars. Growing up on a farm at Oberon ND, he has been involved in farming his whole life, and worked for sugar beet growers during college learning the industry from the ground up. Johnson earned his degree in Ag systems management from NDSU Fargo in May 2016 and is now putting that degree to use. His responsibilities include helping the growers in his area grow a high quality crop. He will cover Savage, Pleasant View and Powder River, also overseeing harvest...
Sidney Sugars is fortunate to work with a fantastic group of growers, combining everyone's expertise to produce a high quality crop of sugar beets and then turn those beets into America's favorite food – sugar. This year, instead of doing their Top 10 awards as they have for over 30 years, Sidney Sugars chose to "Salute the Growers" and celebrate all instead of just a few. The Top 10 was started in 1985 by then agricultural manager Dave Melin, recognizing growers for producing the highest t...
Planting to stand is the key to producing a sugar beet crop that does not need thinning but allows for a maximum number of beets per acre. "The seed going in the ground is the foundation for the whole growing year," Sidney Sugars agriculturalist Vanessa Pooch said. In cooperation with NDSU, Sidney Sugars hosts two days every spring when growers can bring in their planter units and have them tested to insure that the unit is in good working order. Each unit is a row on a planter. Most planters...
Dave Schlothauer, of German Russian descent, left his home In Colorado at the age of 13 and made his way with a buddy to Fairview, MT, starting the farming operation that continues today. He worked for various farmers and then rented some land after he married his wife Frieda. Eventually, they purchased their own small farm. Two of Dave and Frieda's sons, Ken and Harold, took over the farm and worked together until their sons were older and wanted to join in. Harold and his son Dirk now farm a...
Craig McPherson is an entrepreneur, business owner and farmer. Patriarch to the McPherson family with six children and seven grandchildren, Craig owns and operates the farm that has been operated by his family for four generations. Throughout those generations, the McPherson family has grown the crop crucial to the economy of Richland County, the sugar beet. Graduating high school in 1979, Craig went straight to work on the family farm, and has been doing it since. Now, hiss son, Alex, manages...
