A growing season is sometimes gauged by stages: planting, emergence, irrigation, harvest, etc.
But we think one of the most exciting stages of sugarbeet growing is when the plant emerges out of the ground.
We stopped by Sunnyside Farm in western Idaho a few days ago to visit with Galen Lee, who was nice enough to take some time for us and take us around to see his farming operation, which included seeing his sugarbeet fields where his plants were emerging. Sunnyside Farm is located in New Plymouth, which is close to the Idaho/Oregon border.
If Lee’s name sounds familiar, it’s most likely because of his active role in the industry, which included a stint as president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association (2016-2018). He also currently serves on the board of the Snake River Sugarbeet Growers Association, representing the Nyssa-Nampa growers association.