The Sidney Sugars Top Ten luncheon was held on Wed., Jan. 20, 2016 at the Elks Lodge in Sidney. A year in review, Agriculture Manager Duane Peters congratulated beet growers on their very successful year and discussed some of the challenges growers overcame in different areas.
It was dry in the North, requiring lots of irrigation and hailstorms came through the same area as much as three times. Late May frosts required a few areas to have to replant as did springtail parasites, and damaging winds in July tipped eleven pivots and caused three booms to be replaced.
But, despite all the challenges, by June 30, 2015 there was a 28.3 tons per acre (TPA) prediction and as the season progressed, crops looked good with the beet tops beginning to yellow in mid-August as nitrogen disappeared and sugar set in. It was a dry harvest and the pile grounds were shut down at one point because root temperature was climbing above 55 degrees.
Those who received Top Ten recognition with 50-312 acres are Tveit Land & Cattle Co., Conradsen Brothers Inc., Lee Roy Schmierer Farms Inc., DKS Farms Inc., and Nollmeyer Farms was named number one grower with 263 acres, 40.07 TPA, 19.25% sugar, and a rating of 35.28.
Top Ten Growers with more than 313 acres were McPherson Farms, Triple H Farms, Rice & Sons Inc., Triple C Farms Inc., and Tibbetts Agland which was named number one with 472 acres, 37.34 TPA, 19.27% sugar, and a 34.21 rating.
Savage had 34.4 TPA, 19% sugar, and a 32.77 rating; Pleasantview had 32.9 TPA, 19.24% sugar, and a 32.44 rating; Powder River had 31.5 TPA, 19.06% sugar, and a 31.66 rating; Sugar Valley had 32.2 TPA, 18.58% sugar, and a 31.46 rating; the Factory Yard had 32.2 TPA, 18.32% sugar, and a 31.18 rating; Culbertson had 29.2 TPA, 19.24% sugar, and a 30.92 rating. The biggest beet came from Sugar Valley weighing in at 28.5 lbs.
There were also two new inductees into the 20/20 Growers Club, which hasn’t happened since 2005. Norby Inc. with 1,404 acres had 26.29 TPA and 20.05% sugar and Haidle Farms Inc. with 489 acres had 31.28 TPA and 20.08% sugar; both had their names added to the 20/20 Club plaque. Requirements are that a farmer averages or exceeds 20 TPA and averages or exceeds 20% sugar. Including the two new additions, 48 growers have been inducted into the 20/20 Club since it began in 1992.
Overall, it was a very successful year for sugar beets.
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