West Jordan’s Sweet Roots: Why That Isn’t a Turnip

Long before West Jordan became the city it is today, this valley was home to sprawling sugar beet fields and a bustling sugar industry that helped shape the community. In 1891, the first sugar beets were planted here and quickly became a staple crop for local farmers. By 1916, the West Jordan Sugar Factory was built to process those crops, growing into one of the area's major economic engines and employing hundreds of residents throughout the early-to-mid 20th century.

For decades, sugar beet farming fed families, filled wagons, and brought cash into the valley, so much so that nearly every farm in the region participated in the harvest. Schools even gave students time off during beet-digging season, and local high school teams earned nicknames like the "Beetdiggers," proudly rooted in the agricultural life that sustained the community.

Today, that legacy is commemorated by a striking steel sugar beet sculpture outside the Canyon View Credit Union Community and Arts Center. The piece - titled Rooted - was created to honor West Jordan's farming heritage and remind us of the roots that helped grow the city we know now. You can read more about the artist here.

So when you see it standing tall and leafy, remember this isn't a turnip trying to steal its identity - it's a sugar beet, a sweet symbol of West Jordan's history and the hardworking farmers who once tilled this land.