Sugarcane to Raw Sugar, the 100-Day Cycle at Raceland Raw Sugar Corporation

In Louisiana, we constantly have cycles of fresh produce and products. Crawfish, crabs, strawberries, and satsumas are highly anticipated as their time of year rolls around. As a food photographer, I have the privilege of peeking behind the scenes and seeing how these items get to your plate. Some of these products, like sugar, are available year-round, but are only harvested for a short time.

Sugarcane is harvested and turned into sugar in the raw across a 100- day cycle during the fall and winter months. The hard-working men and women at the Raceland Raw Sugar Corporation work through Christmas and New Years while the plant runs 24/7.

I spent some time with plant manager Neville Dolan, who walked me through the various steps of turning sugarcane into raw sugar. It was evident that the technical process and hard work was his favorite part of being there.

Year-round, consumers experience the fruits of his labor when they use refined white table sugar that has been transformed from the raw. This season, the fruits of his labor are apparent in the snoballs and daiquiris we enjoy.

I hope these photographs help make that connection between food and the people who work hard to provide it any time of the year.