Freeze, warm spell, damaging to Wyoming beets

Farmers in Wyoming are wrapping up a difficult year for sugar beets.

A cold snap followed by a week of mild temperatures is threatening the harvest in the Bighorn Basin.

A freeze followed by a thaw causes liquids to run out and spoil other beets when they’re stacked in piles. It also lowers the sugar content and price for beets.

The Cody Enterprise reports a summer hailstorm and rainy weather also made for a difficult year.

Farmer Cody Easum says harvest size and sugar content are both low this year.

A local beet pile is growing by about 1,200 tons per day, down from 3,000-4,000 tons in a typical year.