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.