Back in the late 60's or early 70's sugar beets were going to be the savior of farmers in central New York where I grew up. As I recall the adventure didn't get very far. What happened - didn't grow well, poor market? I've been seeing some threads on this web site about sugar beets and it got me to wondering.
- Thread starter Charlie M
- Start date
From what I was told sugar beets were raised in the 1940's, 1950's, and early 1960's but were not wide spread. I am thinking they were probably railed out of NY. I am not aware of a plant that would have been here back then plus during the 1960's is when the vegetable processors started making their exodus. Sure, there are processors that are still here but nothing like it was before 1970 when just about every town had some plant of some type.
Ken Macfarlane
Well-known Member
Didn't sugar prices collapse? Ethanol producers were growing some here for a bit, more lb of fuel per acre than corn here. They blew -30 outside air through storage piles over the winter and it made them much easier to process somehow.
Believe you're thinking of the facility in Montezuma,NY. Plant is on Loop road north of
intersection of Rt. 89 and 31. We hauled corn
there during the 80's for sugar production.It's
still used for something,I'll have to find out.
Libbys had a plant in Gorham, it might have handled beets. Remember sweet corn or carrots
in Mt. Morris in piles.
intersection of Rt. 89 and 31. We hauled corn
there during the 80's for sugar production.It's
still used for something,I'll have to find out.
Libbys had a plant in Gorham, it might have handled beets. Remember sweet corn or carrots
in Mt. Morris in piles.
jimg.allentown
Well-known Member
If I recall correctly, the whole sugar beet issue came about as a result of our embargo on Cuba. Seems that a significant amount of our sugar was coming from Cuba - either in the form of sugar cane or partially processed sugar cane. The embargo forbid the import of anything from Cuba, and as a result, there was a big scare going on about sugar shortages.
Enter sugar beets! They were to be the replacement for cane sugar coming from Cuba. Seems like it must have not happened as planned.
Enter sugar beets! They were to be the replacement for cane sugar coming from Cuba. Seems like it must have not happened as planned.
Bob Bancroft
Well-known Member
- Location
- Aurora NY
It's mostly gone except for a few of the buildings. One of mega outfits, (I think ADM) owns it. All they do is rail in products and dump them on the floor of a monster building, then load trucks out for local delivery.
Where state route 90 ends in Montezuma, as you cross rt. 31 going north, it becomes Loop Road.
Where state route 90 ends in Montezuma, as you cross rt. 31 going north, it becomes Loop Road.
Bob Bancroft
Well-known Member
- Location
- Aurora NY
The machinery wasn't capable of ripping into our hard ground, and separating beets from rocks.
I remember riding on a new JD beet picker, pulled by a new 4020, with the topper mounted under the belly of it. There was a platform up top where you could ride and pick stones out. It was stopped more than it was going.
I remember riding on a new JD beet picker, pulled by a new 4020, with the topper mounted under the belly of it. There was a platform up top where you could ride and pick stones out. It was stopped more than it was going.
Most of the beet sugar processors in business today are cooperative owned. The farmers own the stock in the company, and produce the beets. Alot of the plants that were built in the late 60's and early 70's were for profit ventures. I think farmers are more tolerant of the bad years than corporate investors. There were quite a few places that had beet plants started in that time frame. My grandfather grew some in northern Maine for a couple years, the yields were poor, and I'm not sure he ever got a payment for any of them.
showcrop
Well-known Member
True, Half of Cuba was owned by US sugar companies before Castro. So even though sugar beets may have been around since 1880, there was a big increase in planting to make up for the loss of supply from Cuba. Eventually, as we all know, King Corn became the most cost effective way to get sugar to the stores.
john in la
Well-known Member
If planting sugar beets was to make up for a loss of import sugar please explain......
1) Why every ounce of sugar imported into the U.S. has a tariff put on it to keep cheep sugar out.
2) Why is there a allotment system for all locally grown sugar.
You can NOT just start growing sugar tomorrow like you can corn or beans. You have to have a government allotment that tells you how many acres you are allowed to grow just to sell your sugar.
1) Why every ounce of sugar imported into the U.S. has a tariff put on it to keep cheep sugar out.
2) Why is there a allotment system for all locally grown sugar.
You can NOT just start growing sugar tomorrow like you can corn or beans. You have to have a government allotment that tells you how many acres you are allowed to grow just to sell your sugar.
J. Schwiebert
Well-known Member
Back in 1966 three implement dealers in Northwest Ohio picked up new Farmhand beet harvesters in I think Hull New York, It was at a John Deere dealer. I think the name of the John Deere dealer was Turnbull equipment. I guess the beet factory never got off the ground.
Interestingly enough I recently found an old invoice (Dad's) for Turnbull's which was in Hall, NY from 1965. The full name was Turnbull Tractors and Implements and the location was on route 14A where the current JD dealer is on the corner of Railroad Ave and County Rd 5. Relative to this discussion the heading on the invoice indicates they were a dealer for Scott Viner Beet and Carrot Harvesters. Anybody familiar with this product line?
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