Sugar Producer

18 Sugar Producer AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 This year, the American Sugar Alliance embarked on the daunting task of chronicling the men and women who comprise the country's sugar industry. The purpose was to introduce lawmakers to the families directly affected by the legislative decisions emanating from the 2018 Farm Bill debate. The resulting campaign, "Faces of Sugar Policy," includes video testimonials from the field, profiles of farm families, feature stories about sugar communities, an interactive map, and a wealth of social media content. That content is housed at www.FacesOfSugarPolicy.org. As we worked our way through the country (we still have a couple stops left), something became abundantly clear. All sugar producers—whether they grow beets or cane, or work in a refinery or a processing facility—essentially want the same things. They want the chance to support their families. They want to be treated fairly and not pushed aside by subsidized foreign producers. And they want a fair return from the marketplace, not the government. Our first stop was in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where one of the area's youngest producers summed things up eloquently. "In everything that we do, we want to be profitable," said Bryce Wylde, a fourth-generation grower in Lyford, who runs the farm alongside his father and brother. "All we are asking for is a safety net to produce, and just to iron out those wrinkles so we can continue farming for generations to come." That same sentiment was shared in California's Imperial Valley, where we caught up with Von Medearis, a third- generation farmer who recently lost his parents and is now farming alone. He admitted that sometimes he feels like "the last of the Mohicans" and that's added a lot of perspective to how he views the importance of preserving farms. "Farmers may be a very small percentage of the people in this country, but we feed the nation and the world," Medearis said. "By taking away a program designed to help them compete on a level playing field, you risk everything. And if you lose the American farmer, then you've lost it all." It wasn't just farmers who felt that way, either. Workers in sugar factories know how vital sugar is for rural communities throughout the country. Scottsbluff, Neb., is one of those communities. "It would be hard for me to imagine what this community would be like without sugar," said Tracey Bentley, the process manager at Western Sugar's facility in Scottsbluff. "Just think of the number of jobs people would no longer have. What would replace the acres that are no longer sugarbeets?" Bentley described the ripple effect of sugar in towns like Scottsbluff, where money generated by the industry permeates the local economy and tax base. The same could be said for Baltimore, Md., where the iconic Domino Sugar sign has illuminated the Inner Harbor for generations. "Jobs in general, across the board, are hard to come by. Especially jobs where you are making a decent amount of money, great benefits, that have what I call retirement potential," said Anthony Richmond, a machine operator at the Domino refinery. "These types of jobs for folks who are looking for them are very important." When visiting the campaign website to view the dozens and dozens of stories, you'll be greeted by one of the families we encountered in Michigan: Peter and Allyson Maxwell. The farm lifestyle and their children's future dominated our discussion. "My childhood and my upbringing is exactly why I became a farmer," Peter told us. "I wanted to give my children the same opportunities and the same work ethic and basic skills that my family gave me. I would not trade my upbringing for anything, and I'm very proud of what my parents taught me." Not long after Michigan, we traveled • Quality Built for Over 25 Years • Increase Your Payment with Less Tare • Reduce Truck Turn-Around Time • Cart Options •Tires or Tracks •Right-Handed or Left-Handed Boom •Boom Width •Water Kit "Head and Shoulders above the rest." 1-800-ROW-CROP 1-800-769-2767 • www.hsmfginc.com H&S Sugarbeet Cart 20, 24, 30 & 35 Ton "Inquire today on current farmer rebate program!" 49166H&SMfg16v.indd 1 4/25/18 5:05 PM FROM THE ASA By Phillip Hayes | Director of Media Relations Friendly Faces From farm to factory, faces of the industry tell similar stories

• Cover