The Power to Grow.

a nutrition communications consultant and has written textbook chapters and journal articles.

She has co-authored several diet and nutrition consumer books, and her new book, “Zero Food Waste for Dummies®,” will be published in January 2022.

“On the farm tour, my first impression was of the vastness of the sugarbeet farm. A highlight was the opportunity to ride along in the tractor. The size and specificity of the equipment and machinery for sugarbeet farming is especially impressive!” Rust said. “My son is a CNC machinist who manufactures aerospace parts, so I thought it was amazing to see how the sugarbeet lifters were designed and how all the equipment works so efficiently together. I think stories like this should be presented

Touring a sugarbeet farm was also a first for registered dietitian nutritionist Melissa Joy Dobbins from Chicago, Illinois. Dobbins, who is best known for her podcast “Sound Bites,” is also a certified diabetes educator and has served as a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In 2013, she was an expert witness for the United States federal government on a federal trade commission case involving false health and diet claims purported on late night infomercials.

“I’ve been on a lot of farm tours throughout the United States as well as in Canada and Europe, but I had never been to a sugarbeet farm before. It was very interesting. I know a lot about soil health and how weather impacts farming, but I had no prior sugarbeet

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 knowledge,” Dobbins said. “I didn’t know what they looked like before taking the tour and I was amazed that their roots grow so deep.”

Dobbins has been a dietitian for almost 30 years and a certified diabetes educator for 25 years. Her motto is “I’m the Guilt-Free RD because food shouldn’t make you feel bad!” and her mission is to promote sound science, smart nutrition and good food.

“I empower people because they shouldn’t feel guilty about the food they eat,” Dobbins said. “I help people understand food labels and make the discussion around food less fear-based. I convey positive messages based on facts, not fear, and work to teach people that they don’t need to worry about certain buzzwords when it comes to nutrition.”

Learning more about sugar production is an exciting opportunity for a diabetes educator, according to Dobbins.

“I get a lot of questions about sugar. People often think that honey is better than sugar, but the fact is that all sugar is the same — all sugars are carbohydrates. People with diabetes need to understand that,” she said. “You can eat anything you want, but you should pay attention to portion sizes and how foods affect your blood sugar levels. There are no ‘good foods’ versus ‘bad foods.’ You learn this if you have diabetes, and I wish that everyone else would learn this perspective as well. We have to take the stigma away from sugar and diabetes.”

As a dietitian, Dobbins wants people to know that it’s all about balance and balance will look different to different people.

The Sugar Association, together with the American Crystal Sugar Company and the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, held their first “Farm to Table” tour for seven social media influencers from across the United States. In the front row, from left, are Diana Rice, Melissa Joy Dobbins, Jonathan Valdez, Rosanne Rust, Belinda Forknell, Stephanie Grasso, Meme Inge, Chrissy Jacobson, Mindy Bakke and Trygg Bakke. In the back row, from left, are Harrison Weber, Ali Swietek, Andy Fiske, Courtney Gaine, Michael Martin, Beau Jacobson, Soren Bakke, Erik Bakke and Joe Hastings. Courtesy of the Sugar Association

“There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to nutrition,” she said. “As a dietitian, I personalize and tailor different priorities for different people. Everyone is unique.”

Helping people evaluate the source of their nutrition information and providing them with scientific facts is the goal of Dobbins’ Sound Bites podcast.

“My podcast has been out for more than six years, and I interview experts on topics ranging from fad diets to farming,” she said. “I talk with farmers and producers and get their perspectives, and put out accurate, credible information.”

Dobbins said it is critically important for farmers to tell their story to the American consumer public.

“Consumers want more information about farming and where their food is coming from. They don’t always trust industry, but they do trust farmers,” she said. “Farmers have a great story that they shouldn’t be afraid to tell. It reaps rewards to give consumers more information. Good things happen.”

When farmers share information with consumers, it builds trust.

“On social media, I want to show consumers that they can trust that farmers know what they’re doing,” Dobbins said. “It scares me when technology gets taken away from farmers by consumers and nonfarmers. Farmers should get to make their own decisions, so the more people can know and understand about farming, the better. People don’t always understand the specifics, but they understand and appreciate the overall concepts.”

Both Rust and Dobbins said they enjoyed talking with sugarbeet farmers on the tour, learning about the cooperative system and experiencing the strong sense of community in the American sugarbeet industry.

“It’s an awesome crop and I want people to know about it,” Dobbins said.

Laura is a shareholder in American Crystal Sugar Company and a member of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, the World Association of Beet and Cane Growers, and the American Society of Sugarbeet Technologists. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Sugar Industry Biotechnology Council.

Laura can be reached at GoSugar.LR@gmail.com.