This sugar beet field looks like how its farmers feel — sad and defeated by Mother Nature.
Farmer Rachel Arneson said because of the wet fields and all the mud, they're calling it quits for the beet harvest, leaving more than 60 acres of beets in the ground.
"It's just we haven't been able to catch a break or a long enough dry spell to get all the crops in," said Arneson.
In this field alone, there's about 5 million unharvested beets, and that's about tens of thousands of dollars in lost crops.
"I almost am wary to put pen to paper and figure all that out just because we've kinda been living in the denial phase all fall," she said.
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In her decade as a farmer, it's the first she's ever left beets behind.
"We put seed in the ground and we want to harvest it, and it's pretty depressing when we can't," said Arneson.
There's a silver lining to all of this. American Crystal Sugar is bending the rules and accepting frozen beets, giving farmers some relief.
"Probably about 30% of the beets we brought have been frozen," said Arneson.
She said as far as damage costs go, they still don't know if there will be any fees for unharvested acres.
"Hopefully those who were unable to harvest will be able to collect insurance and hopefully there are enough beets harvested from those of us who were able to dig them to get a large enough beet payment to cover our basic costs as well," she added.
It's no doubt been a taxing year, but the community kept her spirits from plummeting.
"I've had some pretty heart-to-heart conversations with some farmers, and just some beers and some laughs too; sometimes if you don't laugh you cry," she said.
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It has been discouraging to leave beets in the ground, but she said she at least received a learning experience.
Arneson says with perfect dry weather, they can harvest their beets in seven days or less. This year took more than 30.
