Our Simple Life
  • Home
  • Land of Enchantment
  • Our Journey
  • Fun Stuff
  • Marion's Travels

Sugar Cane in the Rio Grande Valley

1/31/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Several weeks ago, a representative of the Sugar growers of the Rio Grande Valley gave us an insider's insight to what actually happens during sugar cane growing season and how they harvest it.

"Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers (RGVSG), Inc. is a member-owned cooperative comprised of over 126 growers in a three-county area. Together, members produce more than 1.5 million tons of sugar cane each year, yielding nearly 160,000 tons of raw sugar and 60,000 tons of molasses. RGVSG is one of the top 10 producers of raw sugar in the United States.
RGVSG employs up to 500 workers in a normal producing year, which culminates with a harvesting period from October to April. Annual payroll of the cooperative exceeds $12 million, with an annual operating budget of more than $32 million.
In Texas, where more than 8,000 jobs rely on a strong U.S. sweetener industry, RGVSG alone accounts for up to 11 percent of the total gross revenues produced by Valley agriculture every year. Member growers utilize over 40,000 acres of rich South Texas farmland in the cultivation of sugar cane crops.
RGVSG works closely with Texas A&M University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other agricultural research and technology institutions to consistently improve the efficiency of sugar growing and production, passing along these benefits to its members. As a result of this collaboration, an average acre of sugar cane today yields 100 pounds of raw sugar more than the same acre did in 1990."

The process of actually capturing the cane sugar is fascinating.  However much I try to describe it, I can't do justice, so here is the process in their own words:



From Cane to Crystals: How Sugar Happens
Sugar cane is a unique crop in many ways, and the Rio Grande Valley is well suited for its growth. With its subtropical climate, fertile soils and excellent irrigation system, the Valley is an ideal region for sugar cane. Sugar cane is energy efficient and partially self-sustaining. There is a life cycle for sugar growing and production, and there are many steps involved to get from cane to the sugar refineries and, ultimately, your table:

​


Planting the Sugar Cane Crop
Each RGVSG member grower is responsible for planting and maintaining their own crop. The sugar cane planting season extends from August to December, with full maturity requiring at least 12 months. During the planting season, pieces of sugar cane stalk are planted up to six inches deep in an overlapping, straight-line pattern. Each cane piece normally contains three or four vegetative buds which germinate and eventually grow new plants. Sugar cane requires 40 to 50 inches of water annually and is a "ratooning" plant, meaning that it re-grows each year after it is harvested. Sugar cane stands can last up to five years or longer and yield an average of more than 39 tons per acre.

Picture
Picture

Harvesting and Transporting the Sugar Cane

The cane is mechanically harvested, chopped into eight to ten-inch long pieces, and transported in specially designed high-lift baskets to a transfer point. There, the high-lift baskets place the bins on trucks for delivery to the mill. As the sugar cane leaves the field, the truck driver is given a computer card which identifies the sugar cane by field, owner, and variety. The computer card is used to identify the cane at weigh-in and again when it is unloaded at the mill.


Picture
Processing the Raw Cane
Each truckload of sugar cane is hydraulically lifted to dump the cane onto a moving conveyor. As the cane enters the mill, it is washed to remove dirt accumulated during harvesting and then milled in a series of large rollers, extracting the sweet juice from the fiber. The leftover crushed cane (called bagasse) is then conveyed directly to the mill boilers and used as fuel to generate steam and electricity. This reuse of the cane byproduct creates an energy-efficient process that saves the mill a substantial amount of money in fuel costs.

The extracted juice is then heated and filtered as part of a clarification process, removing most of the remaining particles of dirt and stalk. The juice is evaporated into a heavy, dark brown syrup which is then cooked in special vacuum pans holding 14,000 gallons each. Under ideal cooking conditions of medium heat and low atmospheric pressure, sugar crystals form in the syrup. The resulting mixture of crystals and molasses (massecuite) is later separated by high-speed centrifugal force, leaving the two final products - raw sugar and blackstrap (brix) molasses.

Picture
Off to the Refinery
The raw sugar -- as much as 900 - 1,100 tons per day -- is transported to the sugar warehouse and the molasses is pumped into one of several one and two-million-gallon storage tanks. The raw sugar is eventually sold and shipped by barge to a sugar refinery and molasses is sold as cattle-feed.

 
​

0 Comments

A Progressive Dinner

1/28/2019

0 Comments

 
Yesterday afternoon, about 180 of our campground residents joined together for the annual Progressive Dinner.  The Campground was divided into areas and each area was responsible for appetizers, salads, entree or dessert.

We all started at one end of the Campground, under a Palapa, and enjoyed appetizers, wine and great company.  We all brought our own chairs and sat in the beautiful sunshine, enjoying the company of friends.  After an hour of snacking and enjoying some great wines, the horn blasted and we all moved on to the next Palapa to enjoy the many varied salads on display.

The next horn blast moved us to the Community Center where we enjoyed Lasagna as our entree - with wine, of course.

The last stop was the dessert station.  Oh my!  The cakes, pies were decadent and so delicious.  And we finished off a great meal with Irish Cream or Kahlua.

The weather was perfect - sunny, in the 70s and we all enjoyed food, fun and fellowship.  Many thanks to all who participated!

* NOTE:  I was too busy enjoying the food and fun to take decent pictures, so the bwlow photos are courtesy of my talented friend, Susan Dent.  Thank you for sharing your pictures, Sue!
0 Comments

Our 2019 Travels

1/23/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
















​We've been working on planning our 2019 travels.  We already knew that this summer season would be a little slower than last season.  We'd take the time to visit two states, instead of five and spend our time totally immersed in those areas.  As always, we love suggestions and ideas on where to go!

Some spots we'll stay for a week or two, and in others we may stay for a month.  As we get closer, we'll add more detail, but here are our stays for the 2019 season:

NEW MEXICO:
Roswell
Alamagordo/Cloudcroft
Elephant Butte/Truth or Consequences
Santa Fe
Taos/Angel Fire

COLORADO:
Pueblo/Colorado Springs
Eastes Park/ Rocky Mountain NP
Buena Vista
Carbondale/Glenwood Springs
Grand Junction
Silverton
Bayfield

BACK TO NEW MEXICO:
Chama
Santa Fe

And we'll finish our travels at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in October!  This has been on my bucket list for many years and I'm thrilled that we'll be on the fairgrounds with the Monaco group, so we'll have a great view.

​Next winter will be spent in Arizona!

And, in the meantime, we're thoroughly enjoying our winter in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

0 Comments

Shopping in Mexico

1/9/2019

0 Comments

 
I went to Mexico yesterday with a group of new friends from the Campground.  We had a great lunch at Angel's, who also does dental work and pharmacy sales.  Shopping rounded out the day.  We crossed at Progresso, which is a little safer than Reynosa, and we had no issues.

The last time I was in Mexico, over 15 years ago, there were federales at every corner with automatic weapons.  This time, the only police officer I saw was directing traffic.  I felt totally safe, although swamped by people trying to sell us everything from candy to wooden flowers to manicures/pedicures to dental work.

I managed to find a knock off Michael Kors cross-body purse for $20.  It looks great and it's the perfect size.  Other than that, I restrained.  We don't need pottery.

I took a few pictures of the wall as well and on our way back home we watched a truck go through the border control with a payload higher than the stand he was going across.
0 Comments

The New Year

1/1/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
I loved reading my hopes for 2018.

We learned how to be nomads and to live each day to the fullest. This past year gave us so many opportunities to witness and wonders to see. We made new friends who transcend location and we share our lives joyously on social media. We saw God's beauty at work in the most unlikely places. We learned to communicate with our hearts without saying a word and I realized, once again, that I'm sharing this adventure with my best friend and soul mate. How lucky I am. This year also saw my mom learn the joy and peace of our lifestyle as she shared a holiday with us.

As we start a new year, I'm excited to see what the future holds for us. We're loving our winter's rest - an opportunity to settle for a while and redevelop the sense of community that keeps us anchored in the real world. New friends are a treasure and fill my heart. Old friends are always, just a click away. We may not be together, but they are always in my heart.

The pain of being away from family was made easier with new technology. Although it pains us to be away from them, we hope that we're setting a good example of living our life's dream.
What will this new Year hold for us? Our word for the year is EXPLORE. Moving away from the tourist traps and learning about secret places is our goal. We want to continue to see this wonderful world in a new light and take something away from each experience. We hope that sharing our experiences will make this world a little better.

0 Comments

    Archives

    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

      Sign up to comment!

    Submit
Proudly powered by Weebly