Off to the tobacco "market" we go...

While the fall field work has progressed our tobacco stripping crew has maintained a good pace as well.  We used to have to wait until November to start stripping tobacco because the market didn't open until around Thanksgiving.  Today we are selling tobacco by the end of September.  I have taken a few pictures to show how the process of stripping and grading tobacco works for this post.  The tobacco is taken down from the rails in the barn when it comes "in order" this can be by rain or artificially created by spraying water over the top of the tobacco hanging in a barn.  The tobacco is taken off the stick and laid flat on a trailer or wagon and moved to the stripping room.  Once at the stripping room water or steam can be added if needed to make the leaves pliable and flexible for handling and packing.  

The tobacco is sorted on stripping table into 1 to 4 grades according to stalk position.  We have different contracts that require different amounts of sorting.  The leaves are sorted according to length, texture, color, and width.   Our H2A workers are diligent in keeping the tobacco in proper condition and grading it correctly.  Jorge Medina and Junana Cifuentes have been on our farm for 15 years and are like members of the family to us.  

There isn't anything prettier than dark fired tobacco when it is finished.  Robertson County TN is known as the dark fired tobacco capital of the world.  There is more fired tobacco grown in Robertson County TN than the rest of the world.  It has been a staple to the local economy for generations and will continue to be in the future.  There have been numerous farms, taxes, tractors, trucks, college tuition, groceries and Christmas presents paid with "Tobacco Money" in our community and my family over the years.

Once sorted into grades the tobacco is placed neatly on a barrel head top into piles that weigh 800-900 pounds for shipping.

We haul the tobacco to the company in a van trailer 24 - 26 piles at a time.  Once we arrive at the tobacco company the tobacco is taken off the trailer and inspected by the buyer to be certain it meets the contract specifications and is in good condition.  A farmer has a unique perspective watching his tobacco crop go across the scales.  A year's work goes by very quickly and your crop is sold and gone.  On the way home you enjoy the sense pride and accomplishment in a job well done and before you get home you start planning for next year's crop.