Connecticut - Tobacco

Many times I reflect back on Connecticut and my mission and I miss it. I served twice in one area, Windsor. It is just north of Hartford only a few miles and is one of the oldest cities in the U.S. Right across the Connecticut River is Enfield, East Windsor where I also served and South Windsor.

Believe it or not this is an area that has a lot of Tobacco Farms. I remember driving around and seeing sheets hung up across the fields. They hang cheese cloth like material around the tobacco to prevent any flying bugs or pest. It also helps to keep in some humidity and works a bit like a greenhouse.

You can see the tobacco grow and grow until somtimes it grows over and out of the nets. Once harvest time comes workers put it on a truck and hang it like its on a hanger. They take it to a tobacco barn where it hangs and dries in the heat and sun. This is a process called curing. I have included pictures of a barn in CT(middle left). You can see the bacco hanging in the barn. The barns have the sides open up to let in extra heat and air. It seems like every other plank of wood to build the outside bends outward while it dries and then you can close it after the bacco is done.










The tobacco in the south has a chemical added to the soil to take out the akaline in it, which makes it taste a bit different. In the north, like Windsor area, it is all natural. More tobacco in the Northern states comes from Connecticut than any other parts of the country.

Let it be known that the use of tobacco, except for sick cattle is condoned by this blog author! But the beauty of nature and farming is evident. Also it is more for the nostalgic appeal to author.