For the first time, Sidney Sugars installed temperature probes in some of their beet piles to improve monitoring. Sidney Sugars agriculturalist James Johnson spent 10 days at American Crystal headquarters in Moorhead, MN where the equipment was built, learning how to install and utilize it to maximize benefits. Monitors are a common practice for Crystal, but new to the Sidney Sugars area.
PVC pipe is put in the beet pile, then the equipment is placed inside. One pile in Savage, two in Fairview, and two in the factory yard received three monitors per pile. While physical checks are still necessary, the equipment also allows the agriculturalists to monitor heat in the piles on their computers and phones, and determine where ventilation may be needed.
Johnson is really pleased with how the monitors functioned during this campaign saying they gave really good information.
Agricultural manager Duane Peters praised both Johnson and Kathryn Cayko for their excellent job monitoring the piles this year. “They did an excellent job, including working some weekends to ensure maximum storage. This was definitely a really good year,” he said.
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