Where are the sugar cane fields in Florida?

Currently, sugarcane is planted on approximately 440,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), making it the most extensively grown row crop in Florida. Production is primarily on land along or near the southern half of Lake Okeechobee.

How is sugar cane harvested?

Typically, farmers will harvest crops from one planting for 3-5 years. Once the cane is cut, rotating arms remove leaves and undergrowth and move the stems through cutters that chop them into smaller pieces. A transport arm transfers the stalk pieces to a tractor pulling a large hopper-like trailer.

Are they burning sugarcane in Florida?

Florida's cane-burning practices are at the heart of a class-action lawsuit filed in 2019 against nearly a dozen growers, in addition to the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida. The lawsuit alleges that 10 Glades residents were injured due to particulate matter in the air from burning sugar cane.

How tall can sugarcane grow?

20 feet tall
The stems grow to 2 inches in diameter and shoot upwards. In its native climate, sugarcane can grow up to 20 feet tall. Here in the US, your fescue will probably only be 5-8 feet tall and wide. Because it is a rhizome, each plant produces multiple shoots that grow plumes of long, thin, and often sharp leaves.

Where is sugar cane grown today?

Sugarcane is a grass native to Asia and grows mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. As for the US sugar cane production per state, it is mainly concentrated in the federal states of Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Hawaii.

How many times a year is sugar cane harvested?

Generally January to March is the period for planting and December to March is the harvest period. In some states, sugarcane is grown year-round. After harvest, a ratoon crop is generally grown from the regrowth. In some countries 2-6 ratoons are allowed.

How many times can you harvest sugar cane?

Once planted, a stand can be harvested multiple times; after each harvest, the cane sends up new stems, called ratoons. Successive harvests produce diminishing returns, ultimately justifying replanting. Two to 10 harvests are usually made depending on the type of culture.

Can you eat sugar cane raw?

Raw sugar cane stalks can be chewed as a snack. Because the stems are fibrous, they are not eaten per se, but simply chewed to extract the juice. Before the sugarcane stalks are sold for this purpose, the tough skin is first cut off and discarded. Bundled peeled sugarcane stalks for cooking are available in markets.

Who is the largest sugar producer in Florida?

US Sugar Corporation
US Sugar Corporation is a privately held agricultural company based in Clewiston, Florida. The company farms over 230,000 acres of land in Hendry, Glades and Palm Beach counties. It is the largest producer of sugarcane in the United States by volume, producing over 700,000 tons per year.

Where is sugarcane grown in South Florida?

But in southern Florida, near Lake Okeechobee, sugarcane is grown commercially for the production of crystal or "white" sugar. This overview has been prepared to answer the most frequently asked questions about the commercial Florida sugarcane industry and to describe sugarcane and sugar production. What is sugar cane?

What do you need to know about harvesting sugarcane?

Sugarcane is the crop that produces table sugar. If you have sugarcane growing near you, you can harvest it for use. To harvest sugarcane, you must manually trim the shoots to the ground. After that, you will need to trim the excess leaves and protect the remaining roots to keep the crop strong.

When is sugarcane harvesting season in Florida?

The harvesting season lasts from the end of October to the middle of March, approximately 150 days. The first step in the harvesting process is the highly controlled burning of the sugarcane fields before harvest. Each field burn is individually permitted by the State of Florida Division of Forestry. Farmers may only burn when climatic conditions permit.

Why did sugarcane growers form a cooperative in Florida?

The group's objective was to provide a means of harvesting, milling, processing and marketing sugar and its by-products from a single crop of sugarcane to bring stability to growers' operations. In July 1960, 54 farmer members chartered the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida.