negotiating broadleaf price

As a former grower of Ct Broadleaf  negotiating the sale of the crop was possible some years and other years the tobacco buyers would just walk away and not negotiate at all. Gain 1 dollar the very next year loose 1 dollar. Great memories lots of laughs.The last few years we grew the buyers would come to Ct and buy our Broadleaf crop first.   Good product / setting the price for the Ct valley growers. It sure was an honor to produce the world famous Ct Broad leaf !!!   

Broadleaf is completed

The last shed of broadleaf has been packaged in Suffield, C.t.  Now it is time to sell the broadleaf crop. There are 3 main Players.  Altadis former ( Consoidated Cigar ) .  General Cigar . Then Bill and Foster. and Lancaster leaf  is the representative for Altadis ( The in-between guy.)  The tobacco Buyers Follow the crops very closely through out the growing year. 2013 broadleaf sale price is not set by growers but set by the buyers !!! Yes that's right farmers put up the money take all the risk and they don't set prices. Price's are set by the buyers. This week some farmers sell there crop's my guess is $6.70 -  $  .50   6.70 is for premium crops.  Poor crops that are damaged by weather or disease sell for .50    There will be a few blogs about this great topic.   

C.t. Valley

    Geography time .The Ct broadleaf cigar we all ask for at our local cigar shop does not always come from Connecticut. Massachusetts grows many acres of Broadleaf. The (Tobacco Valley) stretches from the Vermont boarder threw Massachusetts into Half of  Connecticut. So the Next time your in your local cigar shop ask for a Massachusetts broadleaf wrapped cigar !!!   

Ct Shade

Since the 1950's the Ct Shade growing acres have decreased .These are hard words to type well here it is "The Shade market is officially gone" ! Ct Shade seed is grown in other countries. At a lower price .

 

bump

The First leaf from 2013 broadleaf crop was framed on 9-28-2013. 

Leaves

Owen Jarmoc showing his premium Tobacco.

Bailing box used to package broadleaf

Packing the broadleaf

All the leaf's are inspected leaf by leaf before getting packaged.

Leafs are covered by paper and plastic.

This is a conventional Broadleaf sorting bench used in New England.

steaming

High out put Broadleaf steamer.  Nick named Big Blue This morning the owners Steve and Owen Started big Blue at 4am blew steam for 3 Hours. Tobacco conditions were good they called in the staff and 2hrs later the broadleaf was taken down and placed piles 

This steamer burns 30 gallons of fuel an hour.  WOW  gets thirsty using 300 gallons of water

in one hour !!!

 Steam Bellows out the eves of the shed

Steaming a shed to take down tobacco is an Art. 

 This man uses welding gloves to handle the steam hoses moving  left to right up and down half the shed. As the sun starts to rise the east side of the shed needs 60 percent of the steam because the sun dry's the tobacco with the morning sun light.

Lath by lath men handle the leaves with care placing into a pile. Steam is two thing's in the shed Wet and Hot.  There is a balance of steaming to make the leaf pliable and not wet moist not Wet !!! Crops have been ruined during the 2000's tobacco boom.When taken down too wet tobacco Rots and the crop isn't marketable. So the grower Loose Big Money!!!  All is good here at Jarmoc's  the staff is happy the crop is fa nominal. The shed is completed by 9 am on a Saturday morning. Most people are still sleeping and these 14 men just took down 5 acres of tobacco. Simply Amazing !!! 

blog pictures

The family and i are stepping out to take blog photo's of a tobacco steamer used to moisten broadleaf when the tobacco is dry.

Mulnite Farms

Blog time! Passing threw Windsorville Ct. Huge tobacco history at this farm. Generation after generation working the land. Producing Nursery stock, Tented tobacco and C.t. Broadleaf. Tommy and Lenny are hands on. Year after year Mulnite farms are planting Broadleaf in May and are finished taking tobacco down late September.

The leafs are packaged (bundles).28 to 35 pounds.Moist not wet !!!

Packaged Broadleaf will be packed in a container mid October. Then loaded on a boat. Off to the Dominican. There the leafs will be fermented , sorted leaf by  leaf . Separated into different grades. Then the leafs are rolled on cigars. 

Conditioning Broadleaf is an Art a Science. When tobacco is dry. The shed is rapped in plastic a huge steamer is brought to the out side. The steamer starts men hold the hoses and walk back and forth. 2 to 4 hours later. Men start removing the tobacco layer after layer.Placing moist tobacco into piles.

Putting up plastic is done with Three men and 2 ladders 10' furring strips. A few pounds of double sided nails couple hammers and 3 to 5 hours depending on the wind. Being 20' up on the ladder is no joke. 8 years ago i was on the ladder hanging plastic on a windy day . The Wind gusted behind the plastic .Ladder fell off the shed i let go hit the ground back first . Very stunned couldn't move then after the fall here comes this dam ladder truly like out of a movie. A friend coworker was there to push the ladder just before i hit me. Luck was on my side that day.

Rainy New England Day

Wet rainy damp (warm) day perfect condition's to take down Broadleaf . Heading out now with the camera . Time to get blog photo's. 

Broadleaf for sale

Another Banner Year at Jarmoc Farms.

The CT  River Valley  Produces the finest Broadleaf tobacco in the world.

The Broadleaf Quality is the Best in years. 

Weather has a huge affect on Tobacco.  With  Zero named storms coming up the East coast this keeps Broadleaf crops Super clean - Less Diseases - Less blue mold - and No wind damage.

  More quality leafs per pound

    For more information contact Steve Jarmoc at  jarmocfarms@gmail.com or (860) 306-7775

BroadLeaf harvest Completed

Blogging at Jarmoc Farms - Pro Pictures being taken by Mike Thibodeaux for a Cigar Magazine. Jarmoc Farms is a true Family run business.                                                                                        2013 Broadleaf Harvest is over !!! Once again these old red tractors have brought the crop in again                                                .Mikes eye's lit up when he saw Mr. Jarmoc's tractor's. The Broadleaf is 80 percent cured .

Drive by this shed at 40 mph your nose is over come with an aroma of heaven. The sweet, earthy , cigar humidor smell .

With a few weeks more to dry. The leaves feel like leather.  Stress testing of the leafs. Pull out with both hand watch if the leaf separates from the center stem.  

Another way to test tobacco is to take a hand of 25 leaves neatly tie the ends. Fill a 5 gallon water cooler Then submerge the tobacco in water cooler for 24 hours. Then Take the tobacco out of the cooler.  Pull on the leaves  make sure leaves doesn't separate from center stem. If the leaves pulls off the center stem this would mean leaves are tender (junk) unmarketable. 

Ok the left door is adjusted one last picture. 

Another great blog day. This Farm  this owner Steve Jarmoc is what makes up the CT Valley Broadleaf. These leaves will be rolled on the tastiest cigars we all enjoy after our golf game, at our favorite Casino and while so many of us cut our grass.  Most of our blog pictures including the green houses, tobacco field, and tractors, are taken at Jarmoc Farms. So I say this again, Thank you Steve for your help, experience and knowledge of this crop. 

C.t.Valley Tobacco Update

C.t. Valley Broadleaf grower are having a banner year. Mid Spring rain with late spring heat. With zero named storms. Minimal Blue mold, fleck, with no potato viruses. All the crops are curing nicely. New England Fall night temperatures in the 40's help's cure the broadleaf. Packaging Will begin in 2 weeks. This is what i have been waiting for. To blog about taking down broadleaf nature with rain -with fog - and with a huge steamer. When taking down tobacco done right there is zero water marks the leafs are moist soft and pliable not wet! Packaged to dry the leafs will have cracks or even worse crush like Corn Flakes. All of these preparations are for one and only one reason. To market the perfect leaf so manufactures can roll that Perfect Cigar !!! 

Charcoal drying

Driving up to the smoking shed it sure looks like it's on fire.  It's not, just drying Broadleaf. The same charcoal used in your outside grill at your home is used to dry tobacco.

Smoke bellows out the Eves of the shed.

This shed is in Enfield CT.

 Empty Charcoal bags

The Charcoal is place in a pan lit then the smoke begins a few minutes later the smoke stops the coals glow red.  Once an hour the coals must be turned with a big metal fork. In 4 hours more coals are added. After 8 hours there is lots of ash in the coal pan's. The pans are picked up turned upside down so the ashes are shaken into a wheelbarrow. Then the hot coals go back in the coal pan.

Charcoal curing is 100 percent hands on. When using the coals farmers cant stop until the tobacco is dry. When tobacco is damp you add heat then stop the heat before tobacco is dry.  Rot begins.  This means you just screwed up your crop.  During the cigar boom of the late 90's into 2000's when every one and there brother was growing. Some Broadleaf never made it to market because new growers didn't under stand curing. There are no rookies growing ct broadleaf in 2013.  These farmers are hard core.  There some of the best of the best in the world.  Because these growers know how not to loose a crop to disease,dealing with bad weather in the field. How to take care of the crop in the sheds until the broadleaf is packaged!  

drying tobacco

The weather has been wet, damp and humid for 2 days. The broadleaf farmers are gearing up to dry the tobacco in the sheds.The weather forecast is rain on & off all week.With dry clean air a week away. The sheds must be dried. Charcoal bags are being carried into the Sheds. Burners hoses and gas pipe are brought into other sheds. Lots of important work to do.If the broadleaf crop hangs in the sheds damp for a week the crop will be ruined.Farmers would be unable to sell the tobacco to the world market. There will be great pictures to post this week .

Cigar Rolling Machine

The rolling shop at Enfield Shade Tobacco.  This is a cigar rolling machine.  Two men can produce 1000 cigars an hour.  It's amazing how quiet the machine is. 

 A True working man cigar.  Fresh off the press.  

Regal Palm Products are packaged here on site in Enfield, Connecticut. For more information contact Ken Chickosky at regalpalmtobacco.com  or   regalpalm@gmail.com.  I truly felt like I was in a candy store. The earthy smell of all the great flavors of blending tobaccos is so much better than any walk in humidor. So cool an owner would open his business give the ok to take pictures, and answer questions.  

Thanks Ken Chickosky owner of Enfield Shade Tobacco. Today was a Great Day !!!  

Cigar being rolled by machine in Connecticut

Visiting a farm tomorrow in Enfield Ct.The owner grows his broadleaf crop then rolls his cigars by machine. I can't wait to blog about the visit.

Cover crop

After harvest farmers disk the ground next they spin on 50 pounds of field rye per acre. Last we disk the  ground very lightly so the seed doesn't sink to deep.At last the Field work is completed.   

Harvest party

The harvest tradition has began. After the 100 hour weeks for the owner who planted in May. Harvest is Done. In East Windsor , Enfield , Suffield and Westfield. The owners Throw a party for the employees with pizza, chicken, rice and more good food. Finally a chance to relax to enjoy and reflect on there accomplishments - complement every one who helped in harvesting. Those who planted early and late June will complete there Broadleaf harvest by The first week of September.

Broadleaf farm tour

Special invitation to those interested in learning more about CT Broadleaf.  Get a free hands on tour of 3 Broadleaf  Farms in Connecticut, learn more about The Connecticut Broadleaf Tobacco from seed to wrapper.  Email me for more info  Craig Miner  ctvalleyb12@gmail.com

Curing Broadleaf

 Stems and veins are still green in color, quality of the leaf and thickness is very impressive. Walking into a shed has the aroma of a heavy sweet earthy Backwoods smell times 100. Some people walk into a shed then walk right out due to the smell being to strong. Other people as myself smell the tobacco and a huge smile comes on my face. Truly Heaven. I have enjoyed this tradition, experience this way of life for 40 years. Being able to share this crop this way of life from seed to ash through this blog. Seeing how many viewers is cool. This weekend the blog will be viewed over 1,000 time. From countries as Russia , Poland, China, Greece, France, Italy, Canada, and more....    

  

 

Broadleaf

{ Browning Stage}

6 Weeks then crop will be packaged and shipped.

.

Yellow Stage of Curing. We had three day's of rain so the shed burner's were lit because the tobacco felt clammy with a heavy salty odor smell. After 24 hours the burners were turned off the rain stopped. Sides of the sheds opened and the curing continues. 

This shed picture would make a great calender picture.

True Work

The amount of work that goes into raising a crop of Broadleaf is unimaginable, indescribable, back burning work. 6,000  plants per acre.  In the green house the plants are pulled by hand. Plants are transplanted in the field. Tons and tons of lifting fertilizer by hand and more using your Back. Weeding acre after acre. All this conditioning gets the body ready for harvest. Swinging the hatchet as you are bent over placing the plant with a gingerly touch neatly in rows. Not standing strait up till the end of the rows  my o' my these rows are a football field in length if your lucky.  All the way to 1/4 mile long, handing plant after plant in front of you all day.  Then raising the heavy full lath up into the rafters of the Sheds.  With 80 and 90 degree's heat. These men and women are truly the toughest workers I have been around.  Roofer's , Landscapers, Construction workers have nothing on a Farm worker. Now after describing the physical toughness this is even more remarkable, Farm workers are the nicest most caring People on earth. The quality of work the pride and willingness to help other fellow workers is truly amazing . Then there is an owner behind every Family Broadleaf farm. There the ones who put up the money raise the crop. Deal with weather, crop disease, then and only then if the crop is good it can go on the market for sale. A true Labor of Love !

Broadleaf : Early harvesting almost complete

Broadleaf : Early harvesting almost complete: The Growers who planted in May are finishing harvesting . Early June Planting of broadleaf is 40 percent Complete. Growers that planted lat...

    

Harvesting Broadleaf

Visiting my favorite Broadleaf farm in Enfield, Connecticut. 

Chopping tobacco

Laying the broadleaf down and letting it wilt, then we begin picking up the broadleaf

Handling the broadleaf with care. Walking and raising plants so they never drag on the ground.

Tobacco riggens are filled and brought to the sheds.

These leaves are truly the best I have seen in years.  

Heavy thick dark green leaves {Slight tint of gold, the signs of ripe tobacco}.

While hanging tobacco men stand on poles and place each stick (lath) one by one .