Sugar beet juice now plays a role in keeping winter roads free of ice
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This truck is spreading liquid deicer that has a sugar beet base to it. Proponents of this ag-based liquid say the salt brine/beet juice mixture effectively melts ice at lower temperatures, will adhere better to roadways because of its sticky consistency and the dark liquid better absorbs solar energy to more quickly melt ice or stop ice buildup.
Reporter's note: Doing research about methods for clearing icy roadways, I came across several news stories about deicers that had ag-based ingredients. In fact, sugar beet juice based products were the most numerous and used by many state highway departments to deice roadways and to prevent icing.
My wife and I lived several years in the Red River Valley, a large farming area that straddles the boundary of North Dakota and Minnesota. The valley is home to American Crystal Sugar, one of the biggest sugar beet cooperatives in the country. I knew a lot of beet farmers there, I even worked one ca...
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