With 87% of the area sugar beet crop delivered, freezing temperatures and snow called a halt Friday, Oct. 23 to the 2020 Western Sugar Cooperative harvest.

Sugar company and growers hope the shutdown is only temporary and were collectively holding their breath about the extent of damage.

After a weekend in which temperatures over the growing area reached the single digits and even readings below zero, some frozen beet crop damage is inevitable.  The crown — the top of the beets closest to the surface — typically sustains initial frost damage.

“The beets will be evaluated during the week,” said Heart Mountain grower Ric Rodriguez, a member of Western Sugar’s co-op board.

“There was already some damage below the tops and into the crown.  That was the reason for the separation of the piles.  The cold temperatures in the last few days drives the damage down further into the root. Lots of tops help insulate the root, as well as snow coverage,” he added.

When conditions allow, the harvest will resume as long as growers can bring in fairly clean loads —without excessive frozen beet top matter or dirt clogs.  It has not been determined how much will be harvested initially.

“We’ll definitely take some loads and start processing frozen beets immediately and keep on with that for as long as possible,” Rodriguez said.

“We’ll probably put three to five days of slice down (at dumps) and see how they look. We might be able to get them all harvested in a week to 10 days if the initial frozen beet pile stores well enough after a couple of days. It depends on damage and weather,” he said.

The forecast in the week ahead calls for warmer temperatures.