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Sugarcane educational packet available for schools

From Louisiana's Sugar Belt to Your TableHow is sugarcane, Louisiana’s number one row crop, turned into the sugar that’s in your sugar bowl?

The answer is explained in "From Louisiana’s Sugar Belt to Your Table,” a new, full color, 16-page educational brochure designed for students of all ages.

The brochure is published by the American Sugar Cane League (ASCL) and available for immediate distribution.

Frankie Sotile, an Ascension Parish sugarcane farmer and chairman of the ASCL’s public relations committee, said more than 16,000 Louisiana residents make their living from sugarcane, the state’s number one row crop.

"We farmers know sugar, but we’d like to share with everyone how sugarcane travels from the field and gets made into the sugar you put in your coffee or on your French toast,” Sotile said. "’Sugar Belt to Your Table’ helps us explain that in a fun and informative way.”

Sotile said the brochure is available for all teachers who want to include a lesson plan about sugarcane.

"The package has eight different lessons and covers the history, chemistry, geography, cultivation and the many ways sugar is used in the United States,” Sotile said. "The Louisiana sugarcane farmer produces enough sugar to supply the needs of more than 60 million Americans. That’s significant and we want to share with everyone how the sugarcane agricultural cycle works.”

The packet includes lesson entitled "One Sweet History,” "Where Does Sugar Come From,” "Captured Sunshine,” "A Closer Look at Sugar,” "From the Field to the Table,” "It’s Sweet to the Environment,” "More Than Just Sweet Taste,” and "A Sweet Part of a Healthy Diet.”

The lessons are printed on high quality paper and inserted inside a pocket folder. The entire package is also illustrated in full color with photographs.

"It’s a wonderful learning tool for everyone and we hope to place it in every classroom in the Sugar Belt,” Sotile said. "But the brochure is not just for school children; it’s for anyone who wants to learn more about Louisiana’s sugar industry.”

The packet is also available at the ASCL’s website at www.LaCane.org/learn and may be downloaded.

Teachers and other interested parties can contact the ASCL at 985-448-3707, 800-883-2875 or via email at sugar@amscl.org to request "From Louisiana’s Sugar Belt to Your Table” packets.

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