Teamwork really does make the dream work for Charlie Bauer of Reese, Mich.
He was awarded the Sugar Producer Magazine’s 2021 Grower of the Year Award. For nearly five decades, he farmed alongside his brothers Larry and Randy, creating Laracha Farms.
Bauer had a natural tendency to be part of teams to serve his fellow growers here in Michigan.
“Early- to mid-90s, I got on the Michigan Sugar Company grower board, then was part of the steering committee to form the co-op,” he says. “Between all that, I was also on the committee for the research farm transition. We located a farm—it’s close to our home farm—and we were able to put that together. Now we have the Saginaw Valley Research and Education Center in our neighborhood.”
He’s also served on the American Sugarbeet Growers Association and the Sugar Association.
“While I was on the Sugar Association, we were dealing with protecting our name with the corn/sugar fight,” says Bauer. “I was also involved to help pass Roundup through the court system and the litigation on all that. Roundup ready sugarbeets has been nothing but a plus for our industry.”
Over time, Laracha Farms grew to include Bauer’s two nephews and son. In addition to beets, they produce soybeans, corn, dry beans, and pickling cucumbers. Bauer says there’s no way he could have won this award alone.
“I will assure you I did not do it by myself,” he says humbly. “It took a team of not only our family, brothers, nephews, and sons, but we have hired help as well. Some really good people helped us do what we do and allowed me to be part of all this stuff because what I did at home had to be covered in my absence.”
Bauer received the 2021 Grower of the Year award at the ASGA annual conference in Arizona last week. He says it’s been a blessing to be part of these organizations to have the opportunity to learn and serve.
“It was an honor to be recognized, and I didn’t feel I did anything special, to be honest with you. I was just doing what was expected of me.”
Bauer retired from Laracha Farms in 2020 and is enjoying his time ice fishing and spending more time with his family.
