How Sweet It Is!
By Catherine Wattigny, Special to The Daily Iberian
As our cane farmers begin the harvesting of a crop that is integral to the Louisiana economy, not all may be aware of the magnitude of the operations required to process those tall, green stalks of this tropical plant. In the 200-plus years since 1751 when sugar cane was brought to Louisiana by Jesuit priests, and crystallized into sugar in 1795 by Etienne de Bore, this major industry has grown to include over 400,000 acres of land in 22 parishes in Louisiana.