Are you interested in earning good money in a short period of time and then moving on to the next opportunity, all while living in your bus, van, or truck conversion for a few weeks? Sounds like a dream, right? Well, I’ve got a couple of potential opportunities you won’t want to miss. 

Publishers Note: Traveling and living full-time on a bus, van, or truck is a lifestyle many people can only dream about. You get to meet new people all the time and rendezvous with old friends all over the U.S. and maybe Canada and Mexico. However, traveling costs money for fuel, maintenance, and repairs on your rig.  Several people have discovered the secret is to work a month or two each year to save up money for these expenses so they can travel the other 10 or 11 months of the year.  One way to earn some extra money is outlined in this article.

The Sugar Beet Harvest

I'm referring to the Sugar Beet Harvest, which you may or may not have heard of. Express Employment runs two main harvests: one in Eastern North Dakota and Western Minnesota, known as The Unbeetable Experience, and another in the Thumb of Michigan, called The Michigan Beet Harvest. In this article, I’ll share my experience with The Unbeetable Experience and some information about the Michigan Beet Harvest.

Before diving into the details, it's important to note that the harvests in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Michigan are managed by American Crystal Sugar in the North Dakota / Minnesota region and Michigan Sugar Company in Michigan. Each company has its own pay structure, benefits, start and end dates, and shift schedules. After reading this article, if you decide to try the sugar beet harvest, be sure to thoroughly research each opportunity to make an informed decision that suits your preferences and goals.

Settling in at the Campground

When my husband and I pulled into the FREE campground provided by Express Employment Professionals, we weren’t exactly sure what to expect. Depending on which sugar beet harvest you decide to work, it is either the last week of September for North Dakota / Minnesota or mid-October for Michigan. We had just committed to a seasonal job we had only recently heard about through word of mouth and a few online forums.

We were there for the Sugar Beet Harvest, where we’d be working at a piling site. Although we wouldn’t be out in the fields with the farmers and truck drivers, we’d still be right in the heart of the action, working at the actual beet processing facilities, making HUGE sugar beet piles.

The first day was all about settling in. The campground was already buzzing with arrivals, and it didn’t take long for us to meet our neighbors. People from all over the country have shown up - some in RVs, some in converted buses, vans, and trucks, and others in fifth wheels. Conversations flowed easily as everyone shared stories of where they’d been and how many harvests they’d worked. We quickly realized that this wasn’t just a job; it was a tight-knit community of seasonal workers who looked forward to reconnecting each fall.

Orientation and Training

Day two was orientation. In North Dakota / Minnesota, we were taken to the piling site, where we would spend the next several weeks. The training covered everything from equipment safety to proper procedures for sampling beets and directing truck traffic. There was a lot to absorb, but it was well-organized and thorough. Safety was a big priority, giving us peace of mind.

Day two in Michigan was slightly different, including a 4-hour paid training shift. During office orientation, the Express Supervisors provided us with the date and time for the pre-harvest training. This session focused on safety procedures and daily operations specific to the Tare Taker/Piler Operator position. Michigan Sugar staff walked us through everything we needed to know, ensuring we were prepared for the work ahead. If selected for any unique positions, additional training sessions would be scheduled to further enhance our skills and knowledge.

Starting the Work

Work officially began, and each shift started with a safety briefing, a daily reminder of the risks, and how to stay alert and cautious. For The Unbeetable Experience, the work schedule was divided into two 12-hour shifts: day and night. We ended up on the day shift, clocking in just before sunrise and heading home as the sky darkened. It made for long days, but there was something almost meditative about the rhythm of it.

In Michigan, the start times and shifts are different. There are mainly 9-hour shifts, although 12-hour shifts are sometimes required, depending on the needs of Michigan Sugar Company. The typical shifts are from 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

The Piling Site: Roles and Responsibilities

There are several different roles at the piling site. Each piler has a team comprising a ground crew and a piler operator. I worked on the ground crew while my husband operated the piler. On the ground, my main tasks were to collect beet samples from selected trucks and direct the truck drivers to the correct placement. This kept me on my feet, constantly moving and communicating. 

Some days were muddy, others dry and dusty. Weather played a significant role in our workflow. If the conditions weren’t right, piling would come to a halt. But those delays gave us time to rest and reset. If our piling site gets shut down due to weather, both Michigan and North Dakota / Minnesota offer Stay Pay, so if we’re shut down, we still get paid up to four hours for that day. Michigan works a little differently, giving four hours for the first day we are shut down and $75 a day for each subsequent day we are shut down.

Meanwhile, my husband spent his shifts perched up in the piler’s control area, managing the machine that built massive piles of sugar beets, 240 feet long and about 30 feet high. It was a job that required focus and a steady hand. Communication between us and the truck drivers was crucial to keep everything running smoothly. Despite the occasional hiccup, most days proceeded smoothly.

Camaraderie and Routine

The atmosphere at the site was surprisingly positive. Everyone worked hard, but there was a shared understanding that we were all in it together. Long work hours gave way to small moments of camaraderie, where we shared stories, and even on colder days, laughter and casual conversation prevailed. The job wasn’t easy—standing outside for 9-12 hours takes a toll—but its simplicity and structure had a strange kind of joy.

Wrapping Up and Reflecting

The season takes 10 to 15 working days to complete in North Dakota / Minnesota and 18 to 21 working in Michigan, depending on the weather and the beet yield. As the piles grew taller and the number of trucks dwindled, we knew the end was near. 

It was a bittersweet moment packing up the RV and saying goodbye to the friends we’d made. But we left with more than memories. We each earned around $4,000, plus a completion bonus ranging from 5% to 10% of your gross pay, depending on whether you're a new hire or a returning worker. It's not a fortune, but for a few weeks of work, it was more than worth it.

Looking back, it’s not the pay or the piles of beets that stand out the most; it’s the experience. The routine, the people, the unexpected sense of purpose. We didn’t come into it thinking we’d want to do it again, but now we’re already penciling in October for next year. It’s not for everyone, but for us, it was precisely the kind of adventure we didn’t know we needed.

Closing Thoughts

As our harvest experience ended, we began thinking about the future and whether this opportunity might be a good fit for others. If you’re considering one of these opportunities, I encourage you to do your own research. We each earned around $4,000 in North Dakota / Minnesota, but earnings in Michigan will differ. To learn more and or to apply, check out the websites for both harvests: www.theunbeetableexperience.com and www.michiganbeetharvest.com. You can also follow their social media pages, where they post weekly updates.

Cody Robertson, Marketing Director at Express Employment Professionals, assisted in editing this article. If you have any questions about either harvest, feel free to send a personal message to @theunbeetableexperience or @michiganbeetharvest on social media. He’ll be happy to chat with you and answer any questions you have.

I hope this article was both fun and informative. We hope to see you at the next harvest, where you can also share the camaraderie and make new friends that may last forever.