Minnesota sugarbeet farmer Neil Rockstad recalled a kitchen table conversation with his wife while speaking at the 101st annual Agricultural Outlook Forum.

Both Neil and Louisiana sugarcane grower Travis Medine presented as part of the sugar panel at the forum. They observed that labor and machinery were among the highest costs in their farm budgets.

As sugarcane enters its growing season, inconsistent temperatures pose potential risks for its development. Stuart Gauthier, a county agent with the LSU Ag Center, explains that this time of year is crucial for the crop's growth. "This is the time of year where we need the cane to start growing. Usually, when you get to the end of February, we start making our crop for the next year and getting some green shoots that are hopefully able to make those stalks," Gauthier said.

The gentle hum of machinery and chirping of birds fill the air over a sprawling sugarcane field in Youngsville, Louisiana. For Eddie Lewis III, these sounds are a constant reminder of the long-standing legacy of his family’s farm, where generations have worked the land.

It’s a new year and there’s a new Congress in town! It’s time for a refresher on how sugar is made in America. This is the first in our new series of Sugar Beat newsletters covering the basics of sweet – so stay tuned for more Sugar 101.

Following the Senate Agriculture Committee’s bipartisan vote to advance the nomination of Brooke Rollins as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the American Sugar Alliance issued the following statement on behalf of America’s sugarbeet and sugarcane farmers and workers.

In the last seven days alone, another winter storm and an arctic burst have worked their way across the United States — adding to a very active January of winter weather. 

Parts of southeast Texas and Louisiana got over 6 inches of snow, while even Mississippi, Alabama, and northern Florida reported substantial snowfall on the ground.