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Sugarland: Inside Minnesota’s massive, powerful sugar industry

By Madison McVan, Minnesota Reformer
Nov 23, 2023
Nov 23, 2023

MN Sugar beets 6.jpg — Sugar beets grow on a farm in Oslo, Minnesota Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.
Nicole Neri

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By Madison McVan, Minnesota Reformer

The sugar beets are scattered like gray, misshapen rocks on the shoulders of the roads leading to East Grand Forks. That’s the first sign that the October harvest is underway.

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MN Sugar beets 2.jpg — Josè Gonzalez, foreman at an American Crystal sugar beet piling station in Alvarado, Minnesota, changes into rain gear as a storm rolls in on the night shift Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023
Nicole Neri

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MN Sugar beets 1.jpg — A worker sits on a ventilation pipe at an American Crystal Sugar piling site near Ada, Minnesota, on Oct. 10, 2023.
Photo by Madison McVan/Minnesota Reformer

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MN Sugar beets 7.jpg — Sugar beets are gathered together at a piling station in Alvarado, Minnesota Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.
Nicole Neri

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MN Sugar beets 5.jpg — American sugar prices are higher than world sugar prices because other countries subsidize sugar production and the U.S. strictly limits imports of cheap foreign sugar. Prices have sharply risen in recent years due to weather-related low supply and increasing worldwide demand.
6
Sugar beets grow on a farm in Oslo, Minnesota Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer.
7
Sugar beets are gathered together at a piling station in Alvarado, Minnesota Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer.
8
Thousands of sugar beets sit at a piling station near Oslo, Minnesota Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer.
11
Sugar beets grow on a farm in Oslo, Minnesota Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer.

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MN Sugar beets 8.jpg — Thousands of sugar beets sit at a piling station near Oslo, Minnesota Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023
Nicole Neri

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MN Sugar beets 11.jpg — Sugar beets grow on a farm in Oslo, Minnesota Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.
Nicole Neri

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kAmw6C 49:=5C6? 2C6 ?@H @=5 6?@F89 E@ @A6C2E6 E96 >249:?6D[ 2?5 D96 AC676CD E@ H@C< :? E96 D42=6 9@FD6[ H96C6 D96 42? D:E :? 2 492:C[ 2?5 H96C6 @E96C H@C<6CD 4@>6 E@ H2C> E96:C 92?5D @C 62E E96:C >62=D 5FC:?8 E96 8CF6=:?8 `a\9@FC D9:7ED]k^Am

kAm“}@H[ H:E9 >J A2:?D 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8[ :E’D 36EE6C 7@C >6 E@ DE2J :? 96C6[” D96 D2:5 :? $A2?:D9] s6DA:E6 E96 6=6>6?ED[ D96 >:DD6D H@C<:?8 @FED:56 — E96 E:>6 A2DD6D 72DE6C] k^Am

kAmp4C@DD E96 C@@>[ '2?6DD2 {2C2 E@@< 2 D=:A @7 A2A6C 7C@> 2? :?4@>:?8 5C:G6C 2?5 D42??65 :E[ =@25:?8 E96 G69:4=6 H6:89E 2?5 :?7@C>2E:@? :?E@ E96 4@>AFE6C] $96 92?565 E96 D=:A 324< E9C@F89 E96 H:?5@H 2?5 5:C64E65 E96 5C:G6C E@ @?6 @7 E96 EH@ A:=6CD 2E E96 72C 6?5 @7 E96 D:E6]k^Am

kAmw6C A2C6?ED[ 2F?ED[ D:3=:?8D 2?5 4@FD:?D 92G6 2== H@C<65 E96 92CG6DE] $96’D <?@H? v2C4:2 7@C >@DE @7 96C =:76] k^Am

kAm%96 4@>>F?:EJ @7 366E 92CG6DE H@C<6CD :D =:<6 2 72>:=J[ {2C2 D2:5[ 6G6? :7 :E’D E96 >@?6J E92E <66AD E96> 4@>:?8 324< 6249 J62C] k^Am

kAm“(6’C6 >:8C2?ED[” {2C2 D2:5] k^Am

kAmq@E9 H@>6?’D 72>:=:6D =:G6 :? %6I2D :? E96 H:?E6C 2?5 DAC:?8[ E96? EC2G6= E@ E96 #65 #:G6C '2==6J :? E96 DF>>6C 2?5 72== 7@C E96 A@E2E@ 2?5 DF82C 366E 92CG6DE] k^Am

kAmxE’D E96 H2J E96:C 72>:=:6D 92G6 =:G65 7@C 86?6C2E:@?D]k^Am

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