Special Episode: Sugar Beet Harvest - America's Heartland

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  • čas přidán 25. 01. 2011
  • In this special episode, reporters Jason Shoultz and Sarah Gardner travel to Minnesota to get a first-hand look at the sugar beet industry in action. We'll learn how farmers in the region work together and around the clock to transform sugar beets fresh from the fields into the sugar products we find in our pantries.
    At sugar processing factories across Minnesota, thousands of people labor almost without a moment's rest to pull beets are out of the ground and process them into sweet sugar. You might not think of sugar coming from oversized white beets, but that's exactly what happens once they get to the factory. Hundreds of workers are required to help deliver the beets, dumping them into huge piles, ready for processing. It all requires the perfect confluence of ideal weather, synchronized work, and relentless willpower.

Komentáře • 455

  • @jackbeedle2956
    @jackbeedle2956 Před rokem +1

    Drove to American crystal in drayton and many fields Steven's argyle loved every minute of it I am 80 now my memories will always be with me thank the men I worked with for good times

  • @DavidLee-oj3tz
    @DavidLee-oj3tz Před 4 lety +21

    I remember working for Neil's father 45 +years ago that green and white ihc tandem was his dad's 1st tandem I drove it home from crookston MN I remember the boy's I remember Neil as very young boy of course I'm in my 60s

    • @rickcruz3382
      @rickcruz3382 Před 3 lety

      Fond memories from more simpler times

    • @dakotaboy80
      @dakotaboy80 Před 2 lety

      That same factory is still running in Crookston, MN for American Crystal Sugar.

    • @GratefulOverlander
      @GratefulOverlander Před 2 lety

      That was his Uncle

  • @jaimegarza7835
    @jaimegarza7835 Před 3 lety +24

    This brings back so many memories of when i used to haul sugar beets from the Bakersfield Californian area to the beet plant In Santa Maria Ca , glad to know it’s still going strong in America

    • @tonysolar284
      @tonysolar284 Před 3 lety +3

      Thank you for your support in the drug trade. It keeps my sugar addiction intact.

    • @TheWizardGamez
      @TheWizardGamez Před 3 lety +1

      didn't know sugar beets could be grown in a near desert enviornment

    • @amannybon
      @amannybon Před 2 lety +1

      Howdy Jaime De LA G...good to know that You still have fond memories of the Harvesting.
      Sincerely, Manny (Almaguer) ß.

  • @admagnificat
    @admagnificat Před 7 lety +11

    Fascinating stuff. Thank you for making this video!

  • @KillerScorpion18
    @KillerScorpion18 Před 2 lety +1

    Thank you Farmers .
    for taking care of us .

  • @billyhillk5726
    @billyhillk5726 Před rokem +1

    Kinda like being in the military 🎖️ You guys are the BOMB 💥💥🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👍👍

  • @Timrathmore
    @Timrathmore Před 3 lety +6

    My good lord you guys are hardworking. Loved watching the process.

  • @timothyosborn1697
    @timothyosborn1697 Před rokem +1

    My brothers, and sisters, graduated from Jordan HS, the Best Diggers. The Beet Diggers came from when Sugar Beets used to be grown in southern Salt Lake County, Utah, back in the late 1800's, early 1900s. Very rich history. One of the things they used to do was too Top the Beets. Well, given the knives to Top the Beets are dangerous they're not allowed in the schools anymore...

  • @lawrencevance5249
    @lawrencevance5249 Před 2 lety +1

    My wife and I are working the sugar beet Harvest for the first time this year really looking forward to it

  • @kenheathman5500
    @kenheathman5500 Před 2 lety +1

    Back in the 50s I helped out on Whites farm @ over Stratton Somerset, in those days the beets pulled by hand, useing a beet hook to chop the tops off . Then loaded in a trailer, taken to Martock railway station, and loaded into a railway wagon, all done by hand, some say the good old days, bloody hard work,

  • @jimbojet8728
    @jimbojet8728 Před 6 lety +2

    Lots of lovely American sugar. Love it! Thanks for the vid.

  • @randlerichardson5826
    @randlerichardson5826 Před 4 lety +12

    Thank you to all the farmers in America. May THE LORD truly bless you all Amen.

  • @gipster9923
    @gipster9923 Před 4 lety +2

    My family bought the first ROPAs in the United States and we’re all proud sugar farmers up here in Michigan

  • @shanelamell2229
    @shanelamell2229 Před 6 lety +2

    This was great and thanks for sharing.

  • @TangTuyetMinh1
    @TangTuyetMinh1 Před 8 lety +11

    I learn something new everyday.

  • @713unclebill
    @713unclebill Před 6 lety +17

    THANK GOD these people who produce and process Sugar Beets.GOD BLESS AMERICA

    • @ShainAndrews
      @ShainAndrews Před 4 lety +2

      Your god has nothing to do with it.

    • @ShainAndrews
      @ShainAndrews Před 4 lety

      @@mmm365 Poisonous mate.... poisonous. Might want to get that spell check looked at mate.

  • @johneratcliff
    @johneratcliff Před 2 lety +1

    Thank you for your hard work! USA finest.

  • @amtraktraveler9118
    @amtraktraveler9118 Před 3 lety +3

    I just hauled my first load of Sugar Beets for Renville MN, Friday to start the 2020 Beet Campaign.

  • @PONDERSOA
    @PONDERSOA Před 11 lety +2

    good honest work!!!

  • @fredricknolan3905
    @fredricknolan3905 Před 3 lety +2

    From a old campaigner for Michigan Sugar. Did it from the piler of 1880 vintage from Germany to stacking 100# bags on pallets seven tier high by five bags a tier and doing over a 1000 pallets a shift. Making lime for filtering to straddling tank cars to watch it fill with molasses in January and it wasn't that slow. The nickle bag pealing for the liquid sugar tanks was the hardest because sugar was like bricks from the moisture seaping thru the paper. Just staying away from the bees was really hard. We ran from October thru February or March if spring was running late. Younger brother got on full time after 10 years of campaigning. They paid for his schooling as a boiler operator.

    • @jibblesq
      @jibblesq Před 2 lety

      Lime? You sure it wasn't soda ash?

  • @whitleysinthewild7877
    @whitleysinthewild7877 Před 2 lety +7

    We worked the harvest last year and leave in a week to do it again this year! It is an exciting event we would not miss ☺️

  • @EMDSD40T2
    @EMDSD40T2 Před 4 lety +1

    When I was a kid in Northern California we had a sugar plant in the town I lived in, the Southern Pacific would bring train loads of beets to the plant.

  • @WaltzingAustralia
    @WaltzingAustralia Před 4 lety +2

    Great video. I knew that sugar beets were big in Minnesota, but it's hard to understand the scope of the harvest without seeing it. Thank you.

  • @aakhano
    @aakhano Před 5 lety +3

    Love American Farmers!

  • @tomjenkins5597
    @tomjenkins5597 Před rokem

    Thank you for posting this video, so informative; never knew of involved the process is. Now I know how sugar is derived from beets. I grew up in New York City and never realized sugar comes from beefs. I love my sugar and love it even more now knowing how hard you guys work to bring sugar to my table! Thanks so much!

  • @gordonmccoy4537
    @gordonmccoy4537 Před 10 lety +3

    Excellent reporting. .. Excellent vid... ! Thanks! Gordon in Maui

  • @talibhussain1414
    @talibhussain1414 Před 8 lety +2

    Good Organization ,Good Management .

  • @RareAries323
    @RareAries323 Před 8 měsíci

    I'm a rookie starting the 2023 red river valley campaign tmrw, Hamilton North Dakota. Was fortunate enough to get on pre pile and get some hours under my belt but it's gonna be hard work for weeks straight!

  • @gjonesii
    @gjonesii Před 7 lety

    Wonderful story.

  • @mauriceupton1474
    @mauriceupton1474 Před 4 lety

    Excellent program....watching from Auckland New Zealand, South Pacific

  • @Petermax99
    @Petermax99 Před 11 lety +2

    Good video really enjoyed it.

  • @TheWizardGamez
    @TheWizardGamez Před 3 lety +3

    There are a few things that i didn't know existed, this is pretty cool
    THE MORE YOU KNOW huh...

  • @slimyjimypro8811
    @slimyjimypro8811 Před 12 lety +13

    I love watching my cousins harvest sugar beets in michigan.

    • @acgillespie
      @acgillespie Před 3 lety

      I love watching others work period..

  • @YouSpedd
    @YouSpedd Před 12 lety

    very interesting! thx for post!

  • @user-pr3ft6gp8t
    @user-pr3ft6gp8t Před 6 lety +23

    It's great to see Dwight Schrute doing so well.

    • @TheWizardGamez
      @TheWizardGamez Před 3 lety +1

      Wasn’t his farm in penn state. Dwight explain why you left all the Franco German farmers for the dry hills of North Dakota.

  • @8213NATE
    @8213NATE Před 12 lety +21

    Interesting video. I'm actually sitting in a loader as I type this a the Western Sugar factory in Billings, MT. Only have 4 more days til all the beets piles have been hauled off.

    • @Calv-tb1bx
      @Calv-tb1bx Před 4 lety +1

      Are you still alive???

    • @rickcruz3382
      @rickcruz3382 Před 3 lety +2

      @@Calv-tb1bx it wasn't that long ago
      Funny comment though

    • @acgillespie
      @acgillespie Před 3 lety

      Am I ever gonna get my 2 lumps for my coffee? Been waiting forever niow

  • @steyrman2
    @steyrman2 Před 6 lety +8

    Hi I worked he in Ireland with irish sugar company it closed down in 2007 with the loss of over 1200 jobs we had 4 sugar factory’s here at one time since 1925 we now import all our sugar from EU one of the greatest losses to Ireland

    • @paddymickiemickie8221
      @paddymickiemickie8221 Před 4 lety

      Funny so did I .Went from harvesting it by hand to full automation The closing of the sugar beet industry in Ireland was another of those great Irish scandals, or they called it progress We gave it away in the late eighties when the Quotas started to take effect and headed for Western Australia Had a look at the sugar cane in Oz interesting

  • @TheSoloAsylum
    @TheSoloAsylum Před 2 lety

    Running a combine is a bucket list item for me.

  • @michaelmurray7199
    @michaelmurray7199 Před 4 lety +6

    My hat’s off to all these hard working farmers doing their part to keep the shelves at our local grocery stores stocked with food, and that local restaurants never have a shortage of fresh ingredients.

  • @tampicoerahermoso
    @tampicoerahermoso Před 12 lety

    great vid,thx guys

  • @billmoran3812
    @billmoran3812 Před 3 lety +5

    I remember one season about 15 years ago in Michigan. There was a warm winter and the beets in the piles started to rot. They had to haul them all back to the fields and plow them back into the ground. Complete loss.

  • @opinion4246
    @opinion4246 Před rokem

    Farmers in America feeds The 🌎.the equipment and land is amazing.and God bless you losing sleep 😴🇺🇲💯👍

  • @ornge2561
    @ornge2561 Před 12 lety +2

    i drive past there like 20 times a year i love mn

  • @deniswatts4574
    @deniswatts4574 Před 2 lety

    Beet harvesting used to ba massive crop over here in Ireland, big business saw to the closing of local Beet factories across the country. It used to bring a lot of short term highly paid employment for about 5 mths to a lot of people..

  • @pnwRC.
    @pnwRC. Před 3 lety

    Great video!

  • @chantrearmoeung7780
    @chantrearmoeung7780 Před 6 lety +1

    Amazing technology

  • @brianhuff3442
    @brianhuff3442 Před 3 lety +1

    Would be my third year working the harvest! Now and it's better than what It seems

  • @silentfades
    @silentfades Před 13 lety +3

    thank you - appreciate this video and learned alot .
    had no idea there was such a thing called sugar beet - thought all sugar came from sugar cane.

  • @joedirt9600
    @joedirt9600 Před 3 lety

    Very interesting, Thank you

  • @alfredenisz4775
    @alfredenisz4775 Před 4 lety +3

    Sugar beets were brought from Germany to the Volga region of Russia by Germans. Many of them then came to the U.S. and brought their Sugar Beets. Also, Germans brought their sugar beets into the areas along the Danube region of Europe. We had vast areas of eastern Colorado where sugar beets were planted.

    • @mra95662
      @mra95662 Před rokem

      Germany ran their tanks on sugar beets and potatoes during WW1

  • @sawkarevarun18
    @sawkarevarun18 Před 5 lety +1

    I just love this title song....

  • @timengland3649
    @timengland3649 Před 4 lety +7

    One of the best jobs I had in my 20's was working for GW Sugar in Fremont, Ohio. I started out as the grunt with a 10 ft pitchfork cleaning the water recycle grate. After the beets were washed they took a four floor ride up to the picking table and I had to shovel out the chip pit. Then I got moved to the forth floor picking table where we had to remove debris like rocks and frogs. Then I got moved to the precoke ovens where I got to run a Bobcat and load chips keeping the rail line clear and the warehouse in check. Finally I got promoted to the production line to monitor moisture of the final product. At times it was a cold brutal job. The beats came in the fall but we were processing into early winter. Till this day I curse GW from pulling out and killing the sugar beat industry in north central Ohio. The same curse is bestowed on the pickle producers and especially Heinze who killed our tomatoe production and only processes crap brought in by rail car from Cali.

  • @lucymiller6616
    @lucymiller6616 Před 6 lety +6

    19:15 They sure do give you a nice side of Fries in Minnesota !!!

    • @nevets4190
      @nevets4190 Před 5 lety +1

      I did beet harvest for 5 years some days i worked 16+ with out stopping over 130 hours in 7 days you get hungry

  • @davidweston6653
    @davidweston6653 Před 2 lety

    Well produced- tks

  • @CedricSmith-un6vm
    @CedricSmith-un6vm Před 11 měsíci

    Amazing.

  • @rickcruz3382
    @rickcruz3382 Před 3 lety +1

    My grandpa would pull over and pick up a couple of the sugar beets that dropped off one of them trucks me and my brother would peel it clean and chew em up and spit out the pulp for the rest of the trip to Sacramento ca

  • @BRPFan
    @BRPFan Před 3 lety +1

    I miss sugar beet harvest here in Southern Manitoba!

  • @mgcinimalinga7097
    @mgcinimalinga7097 Před 3 lety

    Good bless America

  • @snotboy200
    @snotboy200 Před rokem

    came for the beets, stayed for the gardner

  • @Morpheus9331
    @Morpheus9331 Před 11 lety +6

    they taste so good if you eat them just of the land, they taste like very sweet potatoes

  • @misha2.097
    @misha2.097 Před 5 lety +1

    In Russia amd Belarus during 80s they made sugar out lf these beets. Not sure about now but i wprked passed grand forks in ND at one ACS factory... Interesting process

  • @TheSoloAsylum
    @TheSoloAsylum Před 2 lety

    Dwight clearly oversees this entire operation.

  • @kaderkader4544
    @kaderkader4544 Před 8 lety

    good job

  • @nickdawn3985
    @nickdawn3985 Před 6 lety

    Very cool.

  • @peachyfresh1078
    @peachyfresh1078 Před 10 lety +20

    To drop some sick beats, you gotta know how to grow em first

    • @Calv-tb1bx
      @Calv-tb1bx Před 4 lety +1

      @Benaiah Ahmadinejad shut up perv.

  • @ianziegler5464
    @ianziegler5464 Před 4 lety

    God I love that red paint

  • @kaosinc
    @kaosinc Před 4 lety +4

    This was recommended to me and I live on the other side of the planet(Australia) and have nothing to do with agriculture(sparky) but I actually enjoyed it!

  • @haqkomano4175
    @haqkomano4175 Před 2 lety

    Sugarcane Sugar is sweeter than beats. Huge difference.

  • @tractors44
    @tractors44 Před 11 lety +3

    Very informative, didn realise that so much beet was grown in the US.

  • @nickdawn3985
    @nickdawn3985 Před 4 lety +2

    Lets not grow our food in labs, lets support our local farmers!

  • @creativeoption1
    @creativeoption1 Před 8 lety +6

    some machines,its like wow,in siberia they make alcohol from these beets,sure brings memories.............

  • @periesicsd
    @periesicsd Před 3 lety

    Those beets are really small. Of course, i'm from another country, Belgium, but we are a tiny country... yet we make lots of sugar for worldwide consumption. And we're also known for beer production. But about the beets, it all has to do about soil, and humidity. It's funny to see commercials in the US about our sugar. And our beers. Our country is probably as big as... New York?! So we are tiny. But we do make very nice, great products. You're working on enormous scale. We do the same, but a lot smaller. So we're more intense. It has to be perfect. I'm coming over, soon. I want to come fishing, as a holiday. Must be great in Florida! Take care!

  • @ymp7738
    @ymp7738 Před 5 lety

    More than one suger lane street in Houston good I leaning toward you so much about it yet

  • @chevtruck1000
    @chevtruck1000 Před 4 lety +1

    Watching this with the CC turned on and it was a tossup between my disgust at Monsanto vs my desire to learn something.

  • @chriswhite4596
    @chriswhite4596 Před 3 lety

    Most people don’t remember about the Huge Sugar Beet Plant in Hereford, Texas .. called Holly Sugar

  • @chechnya
    @chechnya Před 12 lety

    @13craj Thanks for the explanation. So you're a beet farmer? That's cool.

  • @spockmcoyissmart961
    @spockmcoyissmart961 Před 4 lety +2

    What I found interesting is calories. In my local Wally mart, Domino cain sugar is 15 cal per serving. Great Value sugar, from sugar beats is 30 cal per serving.

    • @dundonrl
      @dundonrl Před 4 lety

      100% Sucrose contains 16 calories per teaspoon, doesn't matter if it's from cane sugar or sugar beets.

    • @rickcruz3382
      @rickcruz3382 Před 3 lety

      @@dundonrl thanks for setting them straight

  • @xMr_Smiley
    @xMr_Smiley Před 12 lety +1

    You should try some sugar beets. There soooo good!

  • @michaelgronski6122
    @michaelgronski6122 Před 4 lety

    Great deer bait too!!

  • @musicmanmatt87
    @musicmanmatt87 Před 6 lety +3

    A note in the hardware store?? Really? I grew up around farms and that definitely didn't happen, but I guess it's the perfect target audience.
    So funny, old school and awesome!

    • @steveeab2364
      @steveeab2364 Před 2 lety

      I live in sugar beet Country and it most certainly does happen.

    • @markfryer9880
      @markfryer9880 Před 2 lety

      Hey he was being proactive in looking for work and it's a good way to work locally.

  • @hausaffe100
    @hausaffe100 Před 6 lety +3

    interesting to see how different the American sugar beet harvest procedure is compared to Europes

    • @phillipgraham1422
      @phillipgraham1422 Před 6 lety

      hausaffe
      What is the difference, I am interested.

    • @hausaffe100
      @hausaffe100 Před 6 lety +7

      Philly 737 here beats are usually harvested by selfdriving machines wich include the head cutter and than piled on the headland. When the sugar company needs beats they send out a special loading machine called "rübenmaus" (beat mice (because all the 🐁 &🐹 running away)) wich will clean the beats from soil and load them on to trucks

    • @phillipgraham1422
      @phillipgraham1422 Před 6 lety +2

      hausaffe
      Cool, thanks for replying too !

  • @suzieparis6821
    @suzieparis6821 Před 5 lety

    Love sugar beets

  • @geomodelrailroader
    @geomodelrailroader Před 12 lety

    beets are the #1 item harvested when it come to sugar

  • @SportDogg2008
    @SportDogg2008 Před 5 lety

    Michigan is where the Sugar Beets are!

  • @irfanmuhammad5639
    @irfanmuhammad5639 Před 6 lety +1

    The beets are sliced into French fries sized pieces and then subject to hot water to get the suger inside. That sugar or sucrose gets purified, evaporated, filtered, and then sent to centrifuge, finally we get suger.

  • @BUKOPIE78
    @BUKOPIE78 Před 12 lety +3

    @TheNovemberPapa and not to mention the" how important this machine to you?"

  • @terrianncollier
    @terrianncollier Před 9 lety

    You r asome

  • @joshgerszewski
    @joshgerszewski Před 12 lety +2

    i agree 100%!! i sware city ppl dont think befor thay talk . its like wtf u thinks ganna happen if the equipment brakes down!

  • @jpreachit
    @jpreachit Před 7 lety

    Your doing a great Job Bro. Mark. Miss you and will be glad when you get back Home

  • @waswestkan
    @waswestkan Před 4 lety

    Sugar beets used to be a thing onthe Estern Colradio and th Kansas High Plains. The sugar processing plant atGoodlan, KS was converte to process Sunflowers. I'm not sure what's going on pothrt now.Irrigated corc with cattle production to send to the feedlots, I suppose

  • @artended
    @artended Před 10 lety +1

    i watch this show stoned, very relaxing

  • @davidchristensen6908
    @davidchristensen6908 Před 3 lety +1

    Good video for every person in the USA to see. People need to see how business is being effected. Many people think your company can just close the doors and turn off the lights for 90 to 120 days. Comeback and pick up. But that is not true every industry needs to make a video like this. My question as a city boy that knows nothing from nothing is, can’t these beets be ground and used in hog feed, put out as supplemental feed for wild life in the burned out forests?

  • @joshgerszewski
    @joshgerszewski Před 12 lety +1

    if the documentary wasnt made by city ppl it woulda been alot better

  • @allanw.lerfald5191
    @allanw.lerfald5191 Před 2 lety

    The city of Hillsboro that is mentioned is Hillsboro, North Dakota

  • @Wagiii_
    @Wagiii_ Před 4 lety

    That 1am darkness is Finland 4pm-8 or 9am in the winter

  • @nunyabizniz50
    @nunyabizniz50 Před 6 lety +3

    I would recommend reading the book Nomads land . It paints quite a different picture than what this video is showing .

    • @karozans
      @karozans Před 5 lety +2

      Leftist anti-science anti-industry filth.

    • @rickcruz3382
      @rickcruz3382 Před 3 lety

      @Santina Murphy HAHAHAAA oh sh!t that is funny

  • @youthunter
    @youthunter Před 10 lety +1

    SMBSC is still biggest in the nation for single plant opperation

  • @champagnesylvie-lavieenfra1378

    Hello from french farmers! 💬 👓it's sugar beets harvesting in my country too! America is really amazing!
    the sand is black ?! in my country the sand is white limestone for sugar beets harvest. Nice work ! we are little farmers and you have some dream engines 👓
    🥂🍾🍷🍇𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭 from la FRANCE 𝓒ⒽⒶ𝓜ⓟ𝓐𝓰𝓝𝓔 𝓢Ⓨ𝓛𝓥𝓘𝓔 🍾🍷🍇

  • @MrWhiseguyy
    @MrWhiseguyy Před 4 lety

    Nice

  • @kathymorkassel3236
    @kathymorkassel3236 Před rokem

    My husband works the E G F factory.