Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Local Sugar

Idaho apparently produces one-sixth of the nation's sugar beet crop. The Snake River Valley is home to Amalgamated Sugar/Snake River Sugar, which takes the many tons of sugar beets grown in this region and refines them into several finished sugar products.

In case anyone besides me has been wondering where all our huge crop of local beet sugar has gone, it turns out it's retailed at Albertson's, Fred Meyer, and at Winco Foods, under the store brand or, in the case of Winco, as "White Satin Sugar." I had to call the company to get that information, because I couldn't find it anywhere online.

Note to Idaho companies - please, please, start making it easier to find your products in the retail market! I would have happily bought White Satin sugar all this past year if I'd only known where (and under what brand name) to find it! "Buy Idaho" is a great idea, but not if it turns into a wild online goose chase ending with a semi desperate long distance phone call to your corporate headquarters. Thanks.

4 comments:

valereee said...

I wonder if there are any local growers that also use local processors? You might be able to find truly local sugar!

Anonymous said...

Hi Valareee - actually, at least some of the sugar is refined in Twin Falls. I don't remember where the other Snake River plants are off the top of my head, but they are scattered all throughout this area.

Thanks for commenting - if you come back do you mind telling me where in the world you found the link to this blog? I just started it and it's not even finished yet! lol

Have a happy New Year!
Idaho Locavore

valereee said...

IdahoLoc, I do a google search every few days on locavore, and you came up. I try to keep an updated list of local foods blogs on my blog. I like to see what other local foodies are doing.

Idaho Locavore said...

That's a great idea, Valareee! I hope you don't mind me adding a link to your locavore blog to mine.