9 Expectations While Workamping the Sugar Beet Harvest
11-29-2017
Author: in Henley's Happy Trails
Every year in October, areas of Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana become a hustle and bustle of trucks hauling loads of sugar beets from fields to piling stations. The beets are stored at the piling stations before being processed in factories. The crop is a high commodity in the country, yielding products like pure granulated sugar and livestock feed.
Beginning in January, head corporation, American Crystal Sugar Company, utilizes Express Employment to hire thousands of crew members to work at various piling stations. The harvest attracts full time and seasonal RVers from all over the country. It’s big money in a short amount of time, anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month.
Our first season at the beet harvest was trying at times but ended up being one of our favorite workamping experiences. We are returning for another season. There are a few key aspects of the sugar beet harvest that any interested applicant should know about before signing up. Knowing what to expect can make for a smoother transition into this one-of-a-kind venture.
The not-so sweet side of the sugar beet harvest involves...
Fatigue
Most piling stations run non stop once the harvest season begins. Crew members work 12-hour shifts, assigned the day or night shift. If weather conditions are optimal throughout the harvest, workers will find themselves working 7 or more consecutive days. This can be grueling, especially for those assigned to the night shift. It is necessary to be on your feet throughout the work day as there are beet samples to be taken, debris to be cleared, trucks to be guided, and piler operations to continue. We experienced our fair share of aches and exhaustion. Breaks became power nap sessions and coffee was our water.
Chilly Weather
Perhaps “chilly weather” isn’t the best choice of words. Temperatures can get downright cold and windy. Beets need to be harvested somewhere between slightly below freezing and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything outside of this magic range can cause serious damage to the crop. Plus, production is shut down and crew members are sent home. For that reason, employees are cautioned to dress in layers and keep insulated. Clothing like knit beanies, gloves, thermal underwear, ski pants, and wool socks are recommended. We made it a point to pack hot meals like soup and casseroles, also.
Dirty Clothes
The soil in this region of the country takes on a clay and tar consistency. Sugar beets thrive in this nutrient rich source. As crew members at our assigned piling station, we developed our own intimate relationship with this soil. It clinged to our boots, smudged our outer layers, fell of the piler and ricocheted off our hard hats and safety goggles, and sometimes fell down our pants! The earthy smell is potent and we experienced phantom whiffs of it several days after the harvest was over and we had left.
Loud Noises
Piling stations are the hub of the sugar beet harvest; all of the action happens at these locations. Trucks are roaring in and out of the stations, dumping their massive loads. The piler’s conveyer belt is whirring and vibrating as the beets travel further up and onto a 20-foot mound. Bobcats are whizzing by clearing the way for trucks and crew to safety work and maneuver about.
Many workers used ear plugs to defuse the noise. A few times, a piler was shut down for repairs. The silence was deafening and brought a moment of relief.
Porta Potties
Flushing toilets are not available at the piling stations. In their place are porta potties. Now this may not be an issue for others, but for some like me who like clean stalls with seat covers, ample room to maneuver, and plenty of light, this was a less than favorable situation.
There were about five porta potties at our piling station, all strategically placed for easy access; however, with workers rushing in and out with dirty boots, the place got a bit beat up. The toilet paper would sometimes get a lashing too with weather exposure. Working at night was tough too with limited lighting. Having a flashlight, like a headlamp, and extra toilet paper on hand helped.
Despite these adverse conditions, there are so many sweet rewards to relish like...
(Potential) Rest Days
As mentioned before, if weather conditions are not optimal for harvesting sugar beets, workers are sent home or notified ahead of time via phone. Although it is not in the farmer’s favor, having a day or two off for crew members can mean catch up on much needed sleep and downtime, especially after five or seven days of go, go, go. We had a couple of these days and we used them to rest, run to the closest laundromat, and resupply our pantry.
Free Site
For RVers, a part of the benefit package is a full or partial hook-up site in a nearby campground. Campground set-ups and amenities vary. For those parks that lacked dump facilities, honey wagons were scheduled for rounds each week. After mid October, the water main was shut off at our campground as part of preparations for the freezing winter weather. To accommodate beet harvest workers, the park arranged for a company to come by twice a week and fill fresh water tanks.
New Skill Sets
Participating in the sugar beet harvest was unlike any previous job we performed. We were out of our element as I come from an early childhood/elementary education background and Levi worked in the entertainment industry. The beauty of it is, many other RVers are in the same boat. As crew members working long hours at a piling station, alongside locals and veterans of previous harvests, we were able to not only learn the functions of a piler but we developed the skill set to safely operate and maintain the process of efficiently stacking and storing a valuable crop. We became part of the farming industry providing for a large portion of our country’s needs.
Fat Paychecks
Advertisements for the sugar beet harvest boast of employees earning up to $2500 in two weeks. First year crew members earn a minimum of $12 an hour. That amount goes up to time and a half after eight hours each day on weekdays and all day Saturdays. Sundays are double time. Anyone working consecutive seasons gets a raise. A bonus is tacked on for all employees that complete the season.
Think this may be a workamping gig you’d like to try? Interested applicants can contact the hiring staff at www.sugarbeetharvest.com or call 888-791-6738 for additional information on seasonal positions.
Beginning in January, head corporation, American Crystal Sugar Company, utilizes Express Employment to hire thousands of crew members to work at various piling stations. The harvest attracts full time and seasonal RVers from all over the country. It’s big money in a short amount of time, anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month.
Our first season at the beet harvest was trying at times but ended up being one of our favorite workamping experiences. We are returning for another season. There are a few key aspects of the sugar beet harvest that any interested applicant should know about before signing up. Knowing what to expect can make for a smoother transition into this one-of-a-kind venture.
The not-so sweet side of the sugar beet harvest involves...
Fatigue
Most piling stations run non stop once the harvest season begins. Crew members work 12-hour shifts, assigned the day or night shift. If weather conditions are optimal throughout the harvest, workers will find themselves working 7 or more consecutive days. This can be grueling, especially for those assigned to the night shift. It is necessary to be on your feet throughout the work day as there are beet samples to be taken, debris to be cleared, trucks to be guided, and piler operations to continue. We experienced our fair share of aches and exhaustion. Breaks became power nap sessions and coffee was our water.
Chilly Weather
Perhaps “chilly weather” isn’t the best choice of words. Temperatures can get downright cold and windy. Beets need to be harvested somewhere between slightly below freezing and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything outside of this magic range can cause serious damage to the crop. Plus, production is shut down and crew members are sent home. For that reason, employees are cautioned to dress in layers and keep insulated. Clothing like knit beanies, gloves, thermal underwear, ski pants, and wool socks are recommended. We made it a point to pack hot meals like soup and casseroles, also.
Dirty Clothes
The soil in this region of the country takes on a clay and tar consistency. Sugar beets thrive in this nutrient rich source. As crew members at our assigned piling station, we developed our own intimate relationship with this soil. It clinged to our boots, smudged our outer layers, fell of the piler and ricocheted off our hard hats and safety goggles, and sometimes fell down our pants! The earthy smell is potent and we experienced phantom whiffs of it several days after the harvest was over and we had left.
Loud Noises
Piling stations are the hub of the sugar beet harvest; all of the action happens at these locations. Trucks are roaring in and out of the stations, dumping their massive loads. The piler’s conveyer belt is whirring and vibrating as the beets travel further up and onto a 20-foot mound. Bobcats are whizzing by clearing the way for trucks and crew to safety work and maneuver about.
Many workers used ear plugs to defuse the noise. A few times, a piler was shut down for repairs. The silence was deafening and brought a moment of relief.
Porta Potties
Flushing toilets are not available at the piling stations. In their place are porta potties. Now this may not be an issue for others, but for some like me who like clean stalls with seat covers, ample room to maneuver, and plenty of light, this was a less than favorable situation.
There were about five porta potties at our piling station, all strategically placed for easy access; however, with workers rushing in and out with dirty boots, the place got a bit beat up. The toilet paper would sometimes get a lashing too with weather exposure. Working at night was tough too with limited lighting. Having a flashlight, like a headlamp, and extra toilet paper on hand helped.
Despite these adverse conditions, there are so many sweet rewards to relish like...
(Potential) Rest Days
As mentioned before, if weather conditions are not optimal for harvesting sugar beets, workers are sent home or notified ahead of time via phone. Although it is not in the farmer’s favor, having a day or two off for crew members can mean catch up on much needed sleep and downtime, especially after five or seven days of go, go, go. We had a couple of these days and we used them to rest, run to the closest laundromat, and resupply our pantry.
Free Site
For RVers, a part of the benefit package is a full or partial hook-up site in a nearby campground. Campground set-ups and amenities vary. For those parks that lacked dump facilities, honey wagons were scheduled for rounds each week. After mid October, the water main was shut off at our campground as part of preparations for the freezing winter weather. To accommodate beet harvest workers, the park arranged for a company to come by twice a week and fill fresh water tanks.
New Skill Sets
Participating in the sugar beet harvest was unlike any previous job we performed. We were out of our element as I come from an early childhood/elementary education background and Levi worked in the entertainment industry. The beauty of it is, many other RVers are in the same boat. As crew members working long hours at a piling station, alongside locals and veterans of previous harvests, we were able to not only learn the functions of a piler but we developed the skill set to safely operate and maintain the process of efficiently stacking and storing a valuable crop. We became part of the farming industry providing for a large portion of our country’s needs.
Fat Paychecks
Advertisements for the sugar beet harvest boast of employees earning up to $2500 in two weeks. First year crew members earn a minimum of $12 an hour. That amount goes up to time and a half after eight hours each day on weekdays and all day Saturdays. Sundays are double time. Anyone working consecutive seasons gets a raise. A bonus is tacked on for all employees that complete the season.
Think this may be a workamping gig you’d like to try? Interested applicants can contact the hiring staff at www.sugarbeetharvest.com or call 888-791-6738 for additional information on seasonal positions.
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Author: Levi and Natalie Henley
