The sun hid out for part of the week, but for sugarbeet growers visiting from places like Michigan and the Red River Valley, early February in San Diego still provided a warm respite.
    About 360 beet growers, spouses and affiliated industry traveled to southern California for the 2013 annual meeting of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association.  Along with a lot of one-on-one conversation, they also listened to speakers addressing several timely topics of importance to the nation’s sugar industry.
    ASGA’s 2014 annual meeting is scheduled to take place February 9-11 in Tampa, Fla.       

    Hallock, Minn., grower Kelly Erickson took the reins as president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association during ASGA’s annual meeting in early February.  In his first address to the group as president, he introduced himself, discussed the challenges ahead, and offered a road map on how ASGA can successfully meet those challenges.  Here are his remarks.