Racing the Clock for a Sweet Future
Processing sugar cane crops can be painstaking, but the results are always sweet. Each year, for approximately 100 days, Louisiana-based St. Mary Sugar Cooperative and its members work around the clock—often through rain, sleet and even hurricanes—to process the crop before the ground freezes. But with a new expansion on the horizon, the co-op’s general manager, Micah Guidry, is hopeful to increase efficiency and reclaim valuable time.
From Tradition to Innovation
St. Mary was founded in 1946 and is one of only two remaining sugar cooperatives in Louisiana. Each fall, it receives truckloads of sugar cane from its 104 members and then processes it into black molasses or sugar by grinding, pressing and boiling the cane. Once crystallized, the sugar is ready. But the process isn’t over yet! The leftover bagasse, which is the pulpy, woody fiber left after extraction, is used to fire the steam boilers and generates power for the plant.
“We utilize all parts of the sugar cane—it’s a great way to reduce waste and increase efficiency,” said Micah. “In order to keep expanding and meeting the needs of our members, we needed to add an additional boiler.”
A Longtime Partnership
Currently, St. Mary has seven boilers, three of which are originals from its founding nearly 80 years ago. With an eye to the future, the co-op is adding an eighth boiler, financed by its longtime partner, CoBank. This $20 million project will not only improve the efficiency of the plant but will also accelerate the co-op’s grinding time and capabilities.
With the new boiler in place, the co-op plans to process even more tons of sugar in less of a time crunch.
“Processing sugar cane is a 24/7 endeavor, and we are oftentimes at the mercy of mother nature. By adding this new boiler, we can grind more cane, increasing our output and hopefully saving a few days of labor,” Micah said. “We are grateful to CoBank for facilitating the loan—we have been with the bank for several decades, and they have been an incredible resource as we’ve implemented changes for the betterment of our members, staff and board.”
This story was originally published in the CoBank 2023 Annual Report.
