After a rainy start to spring, Nearly 900 Michigan Sugar Co. growers are planting 89,000 acres of beets this spring.
And 230 of those acres belong to the VanDriessche family. Their homestead is located in the rural Bay County farming community of Munger, Mich.
Brothers Mike, 30, and Dan VanDriessche, 36, run the farm with their uncle Gene VanDriessche. Gene, 67, and Ray VanDriessche, 66, Mike and Dan's father, used to farm together but Ray VanDriessche has served as director of community and government relations for the sugar cooperative since 2005.
"It's a team effort," Mike VanDriessche said.
The averages of tons per acre for beet farmers in the area have been trending upwards in the past few years.
Michigan Sugar has seen record yields in the past two years, with 2015 being the highest ever at 31.6 tons per acre; in 2016 it was 30.1.
Source: www.mlive.com