Sweetest Sorghum From Union County

A Union County couple received some sweet honors at the National Sweet Sorghum Producers and Processors Association's annual convention.

And, thanks to the recognition they received, Union County now is home to the number one sorghum syrup in the nation.

The association's annual convention was Feb. 26-29 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Clifford and Margaret Heil of rural Cobden, and Margaret's brother and his wife, Larry and Jane Johnson of Farmington, Mo., attended the convention. All four are members of the association.

The Heils have been association members for more than 20 years. Next year, the association's 25th annual convention is scheduled.

Clifford Heil was elected to the association's board of directors in 2006. He has been secretary of the association since being elected to the board.

Clifford said he had "the honor and privilege" of speaking at this year's convention about "safety at the mill."

Bill Batteau of Vergennes was scheduled to be the speaker, but could not attend due to the illness and death of his sister. Clifford was scheduled to be the assistant and to help Bill; instead, he became the speaker.

One of the events at the convention was a recipe contest featuring products made with sweet sorghum.

Margaret Heil won second place in the contest's miscellaneous category with a snack mix recipe.

Dr. Morris Bitzer, executive secretary and a retired professor at the University of Kentucky, presented Clifford with a certificate which stated: "The Honorable Clifford Heil Is Commissioned A Kentucky Colonel by the Governor of Kentucky, Steven L. Beshear."

"It was quite an honor" to be named as a Kentucky Colonel, Clifford said.

The "big event" at the convention is the awarding of the number one winner in a sorghum syrup contest.

"Much to our great surprise," Clifford said, the award was presented to the Heils' Sorghum Ridge Farm of rural Cobden.

The Heils have been growing sorghum for about 30 years. Clifford said they grow a quarter of an acre of the crop.

"The variety of sorghum cane we used this year is a new variety, KN Morris," Clifford explained.

"It is a hybrid cross using a strain from Kentucky and one from Nebraska. It is named after Dr. Morris Bitzer, professor of agriculture at the University of Kentucky. He has been active in sweet sorghum research and promotion for over 25 years.

"The seed was developed by Dr. Todd Pfeiffer through the sweet sorghum plant breeding program at the University of Kentucky. There were 20 pounds of seed available last year and we obtained some to plant on our farm," Clifford said.

"It produces more juice than the normal plant, makes a mild syrup and does not produce seed in the head, which helps to keep the plant from falling over."

The Heils do not have a commercial operation. "It's a hobby," Clifford said. Larry and Jane Johnson, as well as many other family members, are very active in the operation.

"We could sell all we make, but we want to keep it a family hobby," Clifford said. The Heils produce about 15 to 20 gallons of sorghum a year.

The competition had more than 40 entries coming from many areas of the country. The association has members in 40 states and two foreign countries, Canada and India. More than 200 people attended the convention.

Clifford explained that sweet sorghum syrup is a product that is made from sorghum cane.

The sorghum stalks look like corn stalks, but are much taller with a sorghum seed head at the top of the stalk. The plants grow from 8 to 15 feet tall.

The top of the stalk and leaves are removed for processing. The stalk is cut and squeezed through a mill press. Then, it is cooked to a temperature of 228 to 232 degrees. It is then cooled to about 140 degrees and put in a container.

"Many people call this product 'molasses,' but molasses is made from sugar cane, not sorghum cane," Clifford explained.

"Many times molasses is mixed with corn syrup or honey to make it a milder flavor. This product is sometimes dark and bitter."

Heil said the Sweet Sorghum Association is promoting the pure product "and many growers are producing an excellent product."

Sweetest Sorghum From Union County