How sugar beets helped shape Idaho — and why the industry is now at risk
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Sugar beet harvest is in full swing across Idaho and Duane Grant, a longtime sugar producer from Rupert, says this season got off to one of the roughest starts he’s seen in the 45 years he’s been in the industry.
This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” we’re taking a closer look at Idaho’s sugar market. Idaho potatoes may be world-renowned, but sugar beets have a long and important history in the Gem State, too.
Grant, the second-generation owner of Grant 4-D Farms, kicks off the show by sharing how harvest is going and the challenges he’s faced this season.
Idaho sugar beets are processed into sugar and used by major corporations like The Hershey Company, Pepsi and General Mills. Grant explains how sugar is extracted from the crop and how beets are stored and processed after harvest.
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Old sugar factories dot the eastern Idaho landscape, serving as reminders of an industry that once helped shape local communities. Grant takes us back to the early days of sugar production, from the rise of sugar cane to Napoleon Bonaparte’s push to develop sugar beets in France during the early 1800s. He also explains why sugar became an important issue in America’s early history.
Grant discusses how sugar beets made their way to the American West and the role The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints played in introducing the crop to the region.
Grant revisits the industry’s heyday and explains how politics and policy decisions have shaped it over the past century.
According to the latest data from the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, sugar beets generated $508 million in farm-gate revenue in 2024, making them Idaho’s No. 5 agricultural commodity. Despite the industry’s economic importance, Grant says it’s facing an existential crisis — and its future rests in the hands of Congress.
It’s a fascinating look at a lesser-known part of Idaho’s agricultural heritage, the people behind the crop and the political decisions that could determine its future. It’s an episode you don’t want to miss.
Watch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea, or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.