Sugar Producer

WWW.SUGARPRODUCER.COM 21 Richmond Ultimate Defoliator Unit Highest Quality Defoliating Increased Productivity Per Hour Richmond Brothers Fabrication Specializing In Beet Harvester & Defoliating Parts 989-453-7097 8 Bar System • Available for all defoliator models • Available in 4, 6 and the new 8 bar unit • Available in 12" (6 flail), 14" (7 flail), 16" (8 flail) depending on row width • Balanced unit for minimized vibration • 50% thicker flail mounting bracket • Hardened 3/4" diameter flail rod for the best wearability in the industry • Designed to eliminate side to side flail movement • Eliminates the need for steel units allowing for increased adjustability of front & middle drum. • Available in Standard Duty & Heavy Duty high quality flails. • Units can be installed 1 drum at a time • Easily shipped UPS or Freight in US & Canada - Visa accepted • Increased Ground Speed • Decreased PTO RPM Speed • Increase flexibility in difficult defoliatin conditions • Minimal Damage To Beet 4667-5RichmondBrothers13s.indd 1 4667-5RichmondBrothers13s.indd 1 2/3/22 8:47 AM 2/3/22 8:47 AM H&S Sugarbeet Cart 24, 30, 35 and 44 Ton 1-800-ROW-CROP • 1-800-769-2767 • www.hsmfginc.com • Quality Built for Over 25 Years • Increase Your Payment with Less Tare • Reduce Truck Turn-Around Time • Cart Options: • Tires or Tracks • Hydraulic Drive or PTO • Right-Handed or Left-Handed Boom • Boom Width • Water Kit • Scale "Head and Shoulders above the rest." 4667-1H&SMfg16h.indd 1 4667-1H&SMfg16h.indd 1 10/8/21 3:13 PM 10/8/21 3:13 PM manager, Ruiz oversees planting and fertilizing the sugarcane, among other things. In addition to sugarcane, Ruiz also grows rice at Wedgworth. Ruiz has always loved being outside and enjoys the day-to-day variability in his job. The Sugar Cane Growers' Co-op structure is the perfect fit because it allows him to learn so much while gaining real-life experience and facing new challenges daily. Ruiz gets to work with a lot of people, many of them from different countries. He says it's incredi- ble to see the crop flourish from all the hard work and labor that goes into it. Ruiz is very passionate about sus- tainability and has loved learning more about sustainable farming while work- ing with sugarcane. "There is so much technology, hard work, knowledge, time and effort that goes into farming correctly so that you can continue to see success in your land," he says. Although he recognizes a lot goes into taking care of land properly, Ruiz aspires to start his own farm one day. In addition to the serious work, Ruiz says they do find time for a little pleasure. "I like to eat sugarcane straight out of the field," he says. "When we're plant- ing the sugarcane stalks, pretty much everyone will grab a stalk of sugarcane, shave off the outside and chew on it. It's a nice, sweet treat." Ruiz knows it's a unique opportunity to enjoy sugarcane straight out of the field, tasting the sugar we all know and love straight from the source. REAL SUGAR, REAL EFFORTS At the Sugar Association, we share sugar's origin story year-round, connect- ing consumers to the plants, the product and the people that give us real sugar. We call this our "real sugar" message, and it is intended to increase consumer awareness that real sugar comes from sugarbeet and sugarcane plants grown on real farms by real people. It's a sim- ple message, but it is one that resonates with consumers. Leveraging this message in consumer awareness advertising campaigns the past two years has shown us that simply seeing images of sugarbeets and sugar- cane changes consumers' feelings about how sugar is processed and leaves them feeling more confident about sugar's role in a balanced diet. Sharing the perspective and stories of farmers and processors, such as Michael Ann Relka and Luis Ruiz, on our blog connects consumers to the people behind Real Sugar, making the ingredient people know and love more relatable. These efforts in pushing out the Real Sugar message have been impactful. Eighty percent of consumers now agree that "Real Sugar" is naturally occur- ring, although only 54% of people view "table sugar" as naturally occurring (up from 29% in 2018). While progress has been made, it's clear there is much work to be done as we continue to reach more and more consumers with the Real Sugar story in 2022. Happy National Ag Day, and thank you to the farmers and processors who make Real Sugar possible. Join us in celebrating our favorite agricultural commodity and the people who bring it to our tables by using #RealSugar and #ThankAFarmer in your social media posts the week of March 22. To learn about events or more about ACA's efforts, visit www.agday.org. n

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