If you know me at all, you'll know that I get excited over extremely strange and obscure things. And so here's what has me right now: SUGAR BEETS
Sugar beets are basically just beets that have very high sugar contents. The Netherlands gets a good portion of its sugar specifically from sugar beets, which I think is way cooler than corn.
The sugar in sugar beets diminishes really fast after harvesting though so they have to refine it within just a few days of harvest!!
Okay but here's something really fun, if you don't know, farmers will compete on just about anything. Prettiest cow? sure! (my mom participated in that). Best pie? of course! But for this post I wanna talk about biggest beet! (or in this case grootste suikerbiet because dutch)
In 2020 in North Holland (a province) a farmer harvested a 51.8 kg (114 lb) sugar beet, that year's record largest beet. source: https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/275839/geen-bietenbal-wel-een-wereldkampioen-arjen-hamers-teelt-voederbiet-van-52-kilo
But as massive as that thing is, that's not even the all time record. The all time record is 71.2 kilos (156.97 lb), harvested in 2005. Sadly though i haven't been able to find an image or an article talking about this beyond the mention in the source.
Chances are, i'll post about the 2021 harvest because I think about this at least once every few months. So stay tuned for dutch sugar beet records i guess lol source: https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/275839/geen-bietenbal-wel-een-wereldkampioen-arjen-hamers-teelt-voederbiet-van-52-kilo