Representing the St. Vrain Valley Young Farmer Chapter to receive the award for being the top community service chapter in the state were (l to r): Tammy Coleman, Steve Coleman and Kelly Huenink. Steve is chapter advisor and Huenink is chapter president and co-advisor for the group.

Sugarbeet Festival helps land St. Vrain Young

 Farmers Chapter top community service award

Farming in an area of Colorado that definitely feels the pinch of urban sprawl daily, members of the St. Vrain Progressive Farmers Chapter headquartered in Longmont, decided in 2006 to not only embrace new neighbors, but to also educate them. For the second year, the chapter held its Mead Sugarbeet Festival on the Sekich Farm. For this significant community service project and other activities, the St. Vrain Chapter was named the recipient of the Outstanding Colorado Young Farmer Chapter Community Service Award for 2008.

Now 28 members strong,  the St. Vrain Chapter  joined forces with the Mead Chamber of Commerce two years ago to begin this annual festival.  Its purpose is to educate area residents about the history and importance of the sugarbeet industry to Colorado in general and Boulder County specifically. In 2007 the Mead Community Foundation and Mead Rotary Club also joined in as sponsors of the event, which drew more than 2,500 people.

The Mead Sugarbeet Festival is quickly becoming one of the premier agricultural events in northern Colorado. Held in late September, it coincides with the sugarbeet harvest in the St. Vrain Valley. The festival is actually held on the grounds of one of the farms owned by the Sekich family, who are long time beet growers. The St. Vrain sugarbeet receiving station is located just across the county road from the festival site, which allows those who attend to learn how beets are grown, harvested and shipped from the farm. A presentation is given to tell how sugarbeet production has evolved over the years, from using migrant farm labor and horse drawn equipment to today’s 12 row mechanical sugarbeet harvesters. A wagon ride is offered to those who want to visit the actual field, then go to the piling ground and see equipment in operation.

Acting as a bit of a pre-Octoberfest event, the Mead Sugarbeet Festival includes some booths that are set up and operated by area businesses and farm organizations who want to promote their causes. Some children’s carnival-type booths are set up as well and a special pedal tractor pull contest, complete with prizes, is also held for the young spectators. Plenty of food, beverage and music is also available onsite. Admission is charged for the event and proceeds were distributed by the Mead Community Foundation to several non-profit groups in the area, including the St. Vrain Young Farmer Chapter.

The sugarbeet festival involves many volunteers and a huge outlay of manpower, but it certainly isn’t the only community service event done by the chapter. The St. Vrain members have established a website which members and the general public may access to get updates on activities and issues important to agriculture in the immediate area. The group sponsors an FFA member who is a winner in the Heifer Wrangle contest held each year at the National Western Stock Show.  Each year fundraisers are held to add to the St. Vrain Chapter’s college scholarship program, primarily using proceeds from a tractor auction it conducts each year at which time the Chapter sells blocks of time to members to use a new tractor on their farm. Scholarships are awarded to high school graduates who plan to pursue degrees in agriculture.

Other community service activities include an  AgriCULTURE in the Classroom program which brings some school teachers from throughout Colorado to the Longmont area to spend a couple of days learning about farming from those who are doing it daily. The idea behind this is that the teachers will then share what they learned in the summer with their students during the school year.

The chapter took on two new events this year which were also of an educational nature. It conducted an informational ‘green tour’ for members of Governor Ritter’s office, the secretary and deputy secretary of agriculture and the Colorado Farmers Union members, to give them an upclose look at possible ‘green’ options. Twenty plus guests were introduced to three very different tillage methods, followed by a discussion on manure management which included a tour of a local dairy using composting as a means of diversification. Discussion on water usage concluded the event.

While giving this tour, the St. Vrain Farmers showcased a sugarbeet strip till project its members are involved with in conjunction with the Longmont Conservation District. In 2008 eight sugarbeet growers will each plant five acres of conventionally grown beets along side another five acres of beets grown under the strip till method. After harvest, each grower will calculate the net dollar return per acre, hoping to realize a significant increase in net income on the strip till plot.

An annual consignment auction, several area pedal tractor pulls, and the sponsorship of 4-H awards and buying of livestock at the Boulder County Fair, were other community service related activities done this year by the St. Vrain Chapter. Last but not least, the group participates in a holiday food drive to help the food banks in Greeley and Longmont by getting local elevators to donate ample supplies of pinto beans to be delivered to these sites for distribution to the hungry.

Steve Coleman is the chapter advisor for the group. He has been involved with the organization for the past 18 years.