Karbon Kounty Moos

Created with fd’s Flickr toys.

We started this field, #3, yesterday.
Even with all the wind that we’ve been having, it’s still muddy.

How could I resist this?

While the Sugar Beet Baron was cleaning the digger (some Baron, no minions cleaning for him) - I asked him:

“Uhh - could you pass me that beet stuck there that looks like it has two legs so I can take a picture of it?”

So here it is. It’s not that unusual - but if you’re not familiar with sugarbeets - now you are.

Here’s what they should look like:

We started here yesterday, and should be spending the day in this field.

Taken yesterday evening.
Click on the photo for a larger version with notes.

It has been brought to my attention that the Carbon County News, along with local businesses, is sponsoring a contest for sugar beet growers. There are prizes for the biggest sugar beet and the uniquely shaped beet. You won’t be able to find out about the contest on the newspapers web site. They don’t have much on-line.

As a sugar beet grower, I’m trying to imagine other growers out there actually going through the beets looking for the biggest and/or oddest. Right now most farmers are more manic than ever. They’re anxious to get into the fields and get it over with. It’s been raining - and the fields are wet. Mud stresses the equipment - and everyone. Farmers are cursing while trying to get equipment in and beets out of the fields.

I’ve decided to have a contest, too. How about the funniest looking farmer? This will not be restricted to sugar beet farmers. Any funny farmer will do. Please send your entries to karbonkountymoosatgmail.com.

Me first:

This is a pathetic sugarbeet

Not winning the largest sugar beet contest with that baby. Yes, that’s a corn field behind me. I’ve no idea why I had on the cap, other than to pose for a goofy photo. It looks like it was maybe late July - and several years ago. I had dug it up to show my mother who was visiting. I was wearing thongs (flipflops, don’t get excited) - so it was before the time I encountered a rattlesnake in the garden.

We’re working on second cutting hay and getting equipment ready for corn chopping. Oh, and did I mention cattle and irrigated acres? I haven’t had the time to think, let alone blog and visit. I miss it. . .

Evaporators, Sugar Beet Factory

Here’s an unused postcard by the Hugh C. Leighton Company. It is closely related to the card in this post.

*** The spam comments are getting out of hand, so I’ve added word verification. It takes another moment, but should save a lot of misery. Thanks! ***

Can someone please explain this to me?

Click on photos for larger images at the flick’r site.
The brown sugar looks delicious there.

Here the Sugar Beet Baron is backing the trailer up to one of the gated pipe stacks. The stack on the left side is 10″ pipe. On the right is 12″ pipe. They’re 30′ lengths.

We’ve loaded some gated pipe. He’s putting a metal pipe on the side of the trailer to keep the load from rolling. There are two of these on either side of the trailer. Note the hitch on the back of the trailer. It has hitches on both ends.

Here’s the hitch attached to the 4 wheeler. We’re in the beet field now. For now we’re just dropping the pipe in the field.

This is my view.

And the view behind me. We drop the pipe, and go back for more. We started with the 12″ pipe and then load up the 10″ and do the same. Once all the pipe is set up, we go back to the field and put it together.

You can view these photos and more at my flick’r site.

They don’t give me much room.

We brought a snack to the Baron - who is out cultivating.

Not a great shot of the tractor - but you can see snow on the peaks.

Lucky is waiting - she knows that when he gets here - he’ll share.

Getting to the end of the rows.

Twelve row cultivator turning around.

Lucky doesn’t mind getting on the back. Which was nice of her, since she was swimming in the ditch.