The latest addition to the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) family is the 10,000 farmers in 11 states who make up the American Sugarbeet Growers Association (ASGA).

One of those farmers is Galen Lee of New Plymouth, Idaho who currently serves as ASGA president. “In addition to sugarbeets, we also raise hay, grain, and corn, because we have a dairy and a feedlot operation,” Lee says. His diversified operation also includes asparagus and peppermint.

Lee says ASGA decided to become a USFRA affiliate because it’s critical for them to communicate the importance of biotechnology to consumers. “We have virtually 100 percent of the sugarbeets planted are biotech,” he said. “So we’re using a GM crop that we can use fewer inputs on and produce the food more efficiently and safer for the environment. And the end product has no trace of any GM material in it.”

Sugarbeet growers are excited to be working with the many other commodity organizations under the USFRA umbrella to communicate that message to consumers. “Environmentalists and consumers ought to be jumping with joy for the approach we’re taking in using this technology,” said Lee.

Learn more about why sugarbeet growers are excited to be part of USFRA in this interview: Interview with Galen Lee, Sugarbeet Growers

USFRA 2016 Fall Board Meeting photos