[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15408]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


TRIBUTE TO THE PAST AND CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE MADE 
             THE SUGAR PLANT IN FORT MORGAN, CO, A SUCCESS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MARILYN N. MUSGRAVE

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 20, 2006

  Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the past 
and current members of the community that have made the Sugar Plant in 
Fort Morgan, CO, a success. They are now observing the plant's 
Centennial Celebration. For 100 years the sugar plant has significantly 
impacted the economy of northeastern Colorado.
  Sugar beets became a major crop in the Fort Morgan area in 1905. 
People in the community realized the potential impact of the sugar 
industry and began a drive to get a sugar factory constructed. A 
contract for construction was made with the provision that area farmers 
would agree to raise 1,500 acres of beets the first year, increasing to 
3,500 acres the following years.
  On August 31, 1905, the last day to contract the required beet acres, 
the committee was short 1,500 acres. Fort Morgan Mayor Farnsworth 
issued a proclamation for all business places to close from 2-2:30 p.m. 
so the entire community could focus their efforts to ensure a 
successful campaign. The first beets were sliced on December 26, 1906. 
The campaign lasted 55 days and 17,000 tons of beets were sliced. Lack 
of adequate water was a handicap in the early days, but in 1912 a well 
system and pumping plant was provided at the South Platte River to end 
the trouble.
  The establishment of the sugar plant had several economic advantages 
for the area. The value of the land was increased, irrigated acreage 
jumped from $40/acre to $200-250/acre. Cattle feeding started in the 
area that used beet tops and beet pulp, giving year round employment to 
hired hands who had previously been out of work during the winter 
months. The first beet crop brought $1,000,000 in cash into the county 
and the population of the county grew during that year by nearly 2,500.
  The Tate & Lyle company acquired 6 operating plants from the Great 
Western Sugar Company in 1985 and 1986, including the Fort Morgan 
Plant. In the late 1990s Tate & Lyle decided to sell their sugar 
holdings in the United States. The growers in the four state area 
decided that if they were going to keep the sugar beet industry they 
would have to become owners themselves. The Western Sugar Cooperative 
was formed when over 1,000 individuals stepped forward and invested 
their trust and dollars into the purchase of the Western Sugar Company. 
After a number of false starts and many frustrating months, the 
purchase was closed on April 30, 2002.
  The 2006 campaign saw 745,169 tons of beets sliced in 139 days, 
producing a net 1,660,132 hundredweight of refined sugar. The payroll 
for fiscal year 2005 in Fort Morgan was $5,325,349 for 90 year-round 
workers and approximately 98 seasonal workers.
  Throughout the years there have been 21 other sugar factories under 
various companies in Colorado. Today, there is one remaining--the Fort 
Morgan plant. Many changes have taken place during the past 100 years, 
however, the sugar factory remains an integral part of the agricultural 
and business communities. I am proud to honor the Great Western Sugar 
Cooperative and the Fort Morgan Sugar Plant for 100 years of successful 
sugar production and the positive impact it has had on families and 
communities in northeast Colorado.

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