Warm temperatures held back the area’s sugarbeet harvest for one of its latest calendar starts, but beets began flying out of the ground in the Lovell, Wyo., factory district of Western Sugar Cooperative as weather cooled over the weekend.
The regular harvest officially launched at all receiving stations in the district Saturday, Oct. 10. The all-out harvest had been scheduled to begin on Oct. 6, but was restricted by unseasonably warm temperatures.
Growers were shut down early Saturday afternoon when beet temperatures were getting too high for storage. But with a decided hint of fall in the air Sunday, the harvest was officially in full swing.
“We put in a full day Sunday,” said Heart Mountain grower and beet board member Ric Rodriguez. “The weather ahead looks nice and cool, and we’re ready for a big push in the next two weeks.”
Favorable crop reports continue to mount, particularly much high sugar contents. Sugars of harvested beets have been running between 17.5 and 18.5 percent, while the tonnage of early deliveries reflects the projected 28.5 tons per acre.
