A cold and wet start to spring is holding up many area sugar beet growers, but as of Tuesday, April 11, north end farmer Tod Stutzman said the delay isn’t yet a crisis.

“Well there’s been barley planted now, there’s gonna be some sugar beets next week most likely,” he said. “Now, there’s little micro climates all over from Powell to Heart Mountain. And there’s probably still snow on the ground there and they would think I’m crazy (to plant next week).”

Last year Stutzman said he was putting in sugar beets the second week of April. Stutzman, a board member of the Western Sugar Cooperative Lovell District, said if the current weather conditions continue the slight delay shouldn’t result in a yield drag, but just make for some even longer than usual planting days.

“Rather than 12 hour days, we’ll have some longer ones,” he said. “That’s just the reality.”

The key, he said, will be making sure the equipment keeps going as long as needed, and then ensuring that beets aren’t in the ground too early, which could lead to beets being destroyed by a May freeze.

“They may be subject to frost damage, and you’ll lose them and have to replant and nobody likes to replant,” he said, noting the high cost of fuel for each pass while planting.