Re: Yet Another Narrow Gauge Mystery Location

The cane sugar and sugar beet industries took a massive hit with the promotion and switch to corn syrup about 40 years ago. Cane and sugar beets have high amounts of sucrose. Corn syrup is essentially fructose. Earl Butz, President Nixon & Ford's Secretary of Agriculture pushed for increased production of corn and more uses for it. The switch to corn syrup doomed the sugar cane and sugar beet industries(both here in California and in Hawaii). Following the ROW of the Pajaro Valley Railroad last Thursday I noted that nearly 100% of the land used for growing sugar beets is still farm land, but with the large subsidies available for growing corn (which needs warmer temperatures than found in the Salinas area) the former sugar beet fields are now used for growing other crops...