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STEPHEN, Minn. -- I am a lifelong sugar beet
grower from northern Minnesota and I want to commend the sugar beet
growers from the Rocky Mountain area for their ongoing, courageous and
hard-fought efforts to purchase the Western Sugar Co. My heart goes
out to them and I hope they will be successful, as it will be a
benefit not only to those growers but in their communities as well.
In the early 1970s, my family, friends and
neighbors and nearly 2,000 other sugar beet farmers in the Red River
Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota faced the same situation as the
Rocky Mountain area sugar beet growers currently are in -- declining
beet payments, a company that is not able to reinvest back into the
business and growers facing an uncertain future. Our solution was to
take our future into our own hands by purchasing the company and
forming a grower-owned cooperative. Our collective efforts came
together in 1973.
After many months of negotiating with the company
and building financial support from growers, we purchased the company
to form the American Crystal Sugar Co. cooperative. Together, our
growers in good faith, plowed millions of dollars into the effort. We
said a prayer and went forward. That effort proved to be successful
for our growers and communities.
As a cooperative, we hire the management and we
grow the beets. Then we process them, pay the bills and the growers
get the rest. The concept is simple -- the growers come first. That is
the idea of our cooperative. If our effort had failed, my family and I
and 2,000 other sugar beet growers from the Red River Valley would not
be growing sugar beets today and many of our small towns and
communities would be gone as well.
Our sugar beet grower friends in the Rocky
Mountain area now face the same issues and are fighting for their
survival. They have had to overcome many obstacles along the way as
they move closer to a successful purchase. It is extremely
disappointing that some have tried to stand in the way of their
efforts. Despite the hurdles that have yet to be overcome, I am
confident that the Rocky Mountain sugar beet growers will prevail and
eventually will be the proud owners of their own sugar beet processing
cooperative.
From Minnesota and North Dakota, I and my fellow
sugar beet growers wish the Rocky Mountain sugar beet growers and
their communities the best of luck and hope they succeed. Sugar beet
growers from throughout the country fully support and applaud your
efforts. Together, we wish you success and we stand with you.
Editor's
Note: Halfman is president of Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers. |