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 !!!