If you were to ask your child, “Where does sugar come from?”, what would they answer? Kids from families living in cane-growing areas might tell you about the paddocks, the sugarcane harvesters, the cane train or the mill. And they'd be right. Each is part of the journey that brings sugar to your kitchen pantry.
In this month's blog post, we'll explore where sugar comes from, how sugarcane becomes sugar, and what children can learn about the people and machines behind the harvest. I'll tell you about the question my own son asked me that inspired The Sugarcane Harvester Song. And I'll share a free guide you can download filled with hands-on activities, simple science lessons, and fun facts about cane farming in Australia.
Where Does Sugar Come From?
Most of the sugar we use comes from sugarcane or sugar beet. In Australia, sugar is primarily produced from sugarcane, a tall grass that grows in warm, sunny regions. Farmers grow sugarcane for many months before it is ready to harvest. Sugarcane harvesters cut the cane, separate the leafy material from the stalks and prepare the harvested cane to be transported to a sugar mill.
If your child is also curious to see what sugarcane harvesting is like, join Malcolm as he visits a cane-farming family in Mackay.
At the mill, the cane is crushed to extract its juice. The juice is processed to recover the sugar, which is crystallised and further refined before becoming the familiar sugar we buy at the shops. For children, learning about sugarcane can be a wonderful introduction to farming, food production, machines, science and the people who help bring food from the paddock to the plate. And kids begin to understand that other foods also have a story to tell.
Why Should Kids Learn Where Food Comes From?
Children are naturally curious. They notice tractors beside the road. They ask why bananas grow in bunches. They wonder where milk comes from and how bread is made.
My son saw a display of traditional sugarcane harvesting machinery and wondered what he was looking at. He asked me what they did. And how. The wonderful thing is that you don't need to know all the answers. I know I didn't when I first started researching my children's book! All you really need is a sense of wonder, an open mind, and a willingness to learn.
The next time you're at the supermarket, let your child choose just one food and ask:
"How did this get here?"
Maybe it's an apple. A loaf of bread. A carton of milk. Or a bag of sugar.
A bowl of fruit can start a conversation about the orchard where it grew, the people who picked it, and the journey it took to the farmer's market.
Your toast used to be a grain of wheat before it was harvested, milled into flour, and baked into bread.
Before long, you might find yourselves talking about farmers, machines, trucks, weather, seasons, factories, and all the people who help bring food to your table. Everyday ingredients suddenly have a story behind them.
A Free Guide to Help Kids Learn Where Sugar Comes From
After sharing The Sugarcane Harvester Song with a homeschooling mum, she said something that stuck with me.
“I think you have an amazing opportunity to take this book one step further when it comes to the educational aspect of it.”
She suggested going deeper into the harvesting process, the machinery, how long sugarcane takes to grow, and what happens after harvest. So I did. I created something that would help families continue the conversation long after the story ended. While my book celebrates one important part of the journey, the harvest, I wanted to also share everything that happens before and after the crushing season.
I'm so excited to share with you Where Does Sugar Come From?. It is a free, printable, family guide designed to help curious kids aged 2–7 discover where sugar comes from and how sugarcane becomes sugar.
Inside you'll discover:
- Where sugarcane grows in Australia
- The sugarcane growing cycle
- The people and machines behind the harvest
- What happens at the sugar mill
- Food Detective challenges
- A simple recipe and hands-on science activity
- A crystal-growing experiment
- Colouring pages featuring Malcolm and Maggie
Together, The Sugarcane Harvester Song and the guide give families a broader picture of the incredible journey sugar takes from paddock to plate.
Keep Exploring Where Food Comes From
My hope is that this guide is just the beginning. Whether your child loves tractors, big machines, or simply loves asking questions, I'd love to help your family discover the remarkable journey behind the ingredients we use every day.
Where Does Sugar Come From? Guide - Payhip
When you download your free guide, you'll also join my reader community. You'll receive fortnightly stories about Australian farming, family activities, and fascinating discoveries celebrating the people, machines, and innovation behind the journey from paddock to plate.