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During the project in Brawley, Richard worked with sugarbeet growers Larry Fleming, Craig Elmore and Carson Kalin to produce the sugarcane.

“The project was rewarding and fun. It involved groundbreaking efforts since there was nothing previously done to show a way forward. New cultural practices, irrigation techniques, and fertilization practices had to be developed from scratch,” he said. “I learned much about the agricultural production of sugarbeets as well as processing practices that would be important in a combined cane/beet operation.”

Richard’s consulting work has also taken him to Central and South America. He worked with sugarcane growers in Guyana on construction of a new sugar factory and helped establish several hundred acres of heirloom varieties of organically grown sugarcane in Belize to be used for rum production.

In 2007, he was asked to take over the managing director position of the Sugar Processing and Research Institute on a part-time basis. SPRI is a private, nonprofit international research organization that specializes in process improvements in both the sugarcane and sugarbeet industries. It is one of few, and perhaps only, research organizations that works with both sugarcane and sugarbeets. SPRI works to make processing improvements in both beet and cane, and recent projects involved the nature of cane and beet colorants, odors in beet sugar, and production of alternate products from sugar.

In 2013, Richard accepted a request to also manage the New York Sugar Trade Laboratory on a part-time basis.

“The main function of this laboratory is to conduct third party testing of raw sugar

Hello Spring!

imported into the U.S. The lab also tests raw sugar quality as well as molasses and edible syrups,” Richard said. “Occasionally, there are samples of refined sugar that we are requested to test as well as some beet molasses products.”

Richard is passionate about sharing a lifetime of sugar knowledge. He is a program coordinator and teacher at the Nicholls State University International Sugar Institute, and has written over 400 publications on a wide range of sugar industry topics.

Richard’s wife, Romney Kriedt-Richard, is editor and publisher of Sugar Journal, a monthly technical publication distributed to an international sugar industry audience. The couple’s respective work in the sugar industry has taken them to 33 U.S. states and 46 countries.

Richard has seen many changes in the industry over the course of his career.

“When I first started, we didn’t have personal computers or hand calculators. Many of the things we have now grown accustomed to, like any recordkeeping or factory automation, weren’t possible,” he said. “One of the biggest changes I’ve seen deals simply with our ability to manage data and use this to improve agricultural and factory operations within the cane and beet industries.”

Richard predicts that the mix of satellites and artificial intelligence will enable continued improvement in the American sugar industry in the future.

“When I was growing up, small horsepower tractors using single row equipment and small implements were the norm. More than 50 man hours were required to produce a ton of sugar in Louisiana. That number has dropped to less than six and will continue to fall as more automation is seen in the industry,” he said. “Factory operations, while using almost the same practices, have improved considerably due to more efficient

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There’s something electric about the optimism the start of a new growing season can bring. That feeling of once the ground is ready, the sky is the limit. With new varieties tailored for your growing area, and experienced Independent Seedex Representatives that understand the demands of your soils, we’re ready to help you get a sweet start to the new growing season.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 equipment and a better understanding of the technologies that improve sugar recovery in both industries.”

The future is bright and Richard strongly encourages young people to consider a career in the sugar industry.

“Anyone wanting to work in sugar should, first of all, realize how much of a family the international sugar industry is. I would advise them not to skip the basics. Learn the history and how the industry got to where it is today,” he said. “From an educational standpoint, that also means taking the classes that sometimes young people don’t think are important. Chemistry, statistics, intermediary metabolism, and basic engineering can all help provide some of these basic concepts to provide a solid foundation for a successful career.”

The best part of his career are the people, according to Richard.

“Over the years, we have made many friends from around the world that we love to see at every opportunity,” he said. “We have seen many of them prosper and then retire, and then we meet the new and younger people who fill their jobs. This is very encouraging, as we see this as one of the strengths for the future of the sugar industry.”

Another spring. Another opportunity for us to grow together and share our passions. At SESVanderHave, we’re continuously working to develop sugarbeet varieties that meet the demands of your fields. When you’re ready to start planting, we’ll be there to provide seed that thrives despite the pressures from disease or the challenges of nature. Because sharing the pride of success starts with sharing the knowledge to achieve it.

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.

More than 70 farmers attended a field at the Vance Johnson farm north of Breckenridge in 2021. The 2022 field day will be July 13. Wilkin County Soil and Water Conservation District

“I feel bad because I don’t pay him,” Melton said.

With the field being only 60 acres, the knowledge gained is worth it, says Johnson, who has a crop and weed science degree from the University of Minnesota.

From the first year of the test plot during the drought year of 2021, no-till and stip till sections were noticeably better than conventional tillage area, where the corn had problems with lodging.

He said the strip till had some problems with lodging but the no-till had no lodging at all.