Ben dives into Minnesota Sugar Beet Production

 Ben, a Minnesota 4-H Agriculture Ambassador, provides a quick overview of sugar beet production in Minnesota, the state leading in this crop. Covering planting, growth, and harvest, he explains how sugar beets are grown as an annual root vegetable, the use of integrated pest management and genetically modified monogerm seeds, and the equipment and processes used during harvest in the Red River Valley. Learn about the massive storage piles, freezing for preservation, and how this operation is considered the largest and fastest fresh vegetable harvest in the world. A fascinating glimpse into one of Minnesota’s major crops! 

What is Ag in a Minute?

Minnesota agriculture is diverse and ever-changing! Join the Minnesota 4-H Agriculture Ambassadors as they explore the many different aspects of agriculture and how it operates in your daily life. In just a minute, grow your agricultural knowledge in an engaging way.

Speaker 1: 00:00

Hi I'm Ben Capistran and welcome to Agriculture in a Minute with the Minnesota 4-H Agriculture Ambassador. Today I'm going to be giving you a broad overview about sugar beet production in Minnesota. Did you know that Minnesota is the top producing state in sugar beet production? We produce about 438,000 acres as of 2022. Sugar beets are considered a root vegetable and contain about 80% water, 5% pulp, and 15 to 20% sugar.

Speaker 1: 00:28

Sugar beets are an annual, meaning they are planted in the spring and harvested late fall. Now I'll begin telling you about the growing process. Farmers begin by tilling the soil, applying fertilizer, and planting their seeds in rows during early May. Once they're up and growing, farmers use integrated pest management techniques to prevent weeds and pests as nearly all beets are genetically modified organisms and monogerm eliminating the former need for many laborers to thin and do weed control. When beets are harvested, they have grown into what looks like a large white carrot with a bushy green top and they will weigh as much as two pounds, so don't let them fall on your head.

Speaker 1: 01:07

In the Red River Valley, we harvest a small amount of crop in early August to start the processing facilities, which take about nine months to process our whole crop. Main harvest begins on October 1. Harvest utilizes two pieces of equipment. One is like a mower to remove the bushy green tops, the other pulls the beets from the ground and remove dirt and then loads them into truss that haul them to piling facilities where they are stored in very large outdoor piles. These piles are typically 80 feet wide, 30 feet tall, and up to a half mile long.

Speaker 1: 01:40

Here they are frozen when temperatures dip below freezing to store and await processing. The whole operation is deemed to be the largest and fastest fresh vegetable harvest in the world. So now you know about a major Minnesota crop and the largest fresh vegetable harvest in the world, and this has Ben with the 4-H Agriculture Ambassadors and our Agriculture in a Minute episode.