JANUARY 28, 2026, PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA – Clint Hagen of
Ubly, Michigan, has been unanimously elected President of the
American Sugarbeet Growers Association (ASGA) Board of Directors.
“I am honored to be elected to this position. My time as Vice President
has taught me the importance of this position and the grower-power
that can be channeled through our association to advance the needs of
our farms,” said Clint, who along with his brother Brad and their 20
employees, runs Atwater Farms Inc. in the Huron County community of
Ubly. “The sugarbeet industry continually amazes me; our crop, our
markets, and everything that goes on in Washington, D.C., is
constantly changing. Keeping up with these changes is what our
association prides itself on.”
Clint, a fifth-generation farmer, has been growing sugarbeets since 1986 when he was just 10
years old. Today, Atwater Farms includes 4,100 acres of sugarbeets plus edible beans and
white wheat. The Hagen brothers also have a trucking business and recently expanded into
livestock with cattle.
“Sugarbeets are far and away my favorite crop to grow,” said Clint. “I’ve always felt the
challenge of growing a great sugarbeet crop is extremely rewarding. But we also must
recognize the difficult circumstances our growers face today. The market is oversupplied and
prices have collapsed. The harm to our growers and their cooperatives is real. Our growers
and their cooperatives are trying to meet the moment, but Washington must also meet the
moment by supporting our country’s farmers. I look forward to using my position to advocate
for my fellow growers to keep them doing what they love, farming, and feeding the nation.”
Clint has been a member of the ASGA Board since 2019 and previously served as Vice
President.
Back home, Clint serves as Vice President of Michigan Sugar Company’s Central District
Board of Directors and maintains memberships with the Huron County Corn Growers and
Huron County Junior Livestock Association. He also serves as President of the Ubly
Community Schools Board of Education.
Clint and his wife Melissa have been married for 27 years and have five children – Dylan, Cole,
Addison, and twins Beckett, and Waverly, as well as one grandchild – Lochlan Rhett. Dylan
works on the farm and lives nearby with his wife Ashley. They are parents to Lochlan. Cole studies agricultural business at Michigan State University and graduate in the spring Addison
also attends MSU where she is majoring in agricultural business and sustainable agriculture.
Twins Beckett and Waverly are juniors at Ubly High School.
Clint and Melissa enjoy watching their kids play sports and cheering on the Detroit Red Wings.
