It's like NC used to run on tobacco farming and cigarette manufacturers. ...

[littlemissmartypants]

Now you never see it growing anywhere anymore. I just looked it up. We've gone from ~50,000 farms to ~800 just since 1997. China canceled its orders for 2025 recently.

Of course, it's all bad. But it used to be our claim to fame in NC. Thank Capt. John Smith in Jamestown for that, I guess.

There's a tobacco barn here on the farm. It hasn't been used in years and years. I used to hand and my two cousins used to hang it. Now, it's a totally different operation.

And of course, migrant labor does most all of the farm field work now, here and everywhere, regardless of the crop. But even that's changing now. For totally different heartbreaking reasons.

From duck.ai
Query: What does handing and hanging tobacco mean
Response:
*Handing* and *hanging* tobacco refer to specific processes in the cultivation and curing of tobacco leaves.

Handing Tobacco
Handing tobacco involves the careful handling and preparation of tobacco leaves after they have been harvested. This process typically includes:

Sorting: Leaves are sorted based on size, quality, and maturity.
Bunching: Leaves are often tied together in small bundles or "hands" for easier handling and curing.
Preparation for Curing: The sorted and bunched leaves are prepared for the next stage, which is curing.

Hanging Tobacco
Hanging tobacco refers to the method of curing the tobacco leaves by suspending them in a controlled environment. This process is crucial for developing the flavor and aroma of the tobacco. Key aspects include:

Curing Barns: Tobacco leaves are hung in barns where temperature and humidity can be controlled.
Drying: The leaves are allowed to dry slowly, which helps in reducing moisture content and enhancing flavor.
Fermentation: During this process, chemical changes occur in the leaves, contributing to the final taste and quality of the tobacco.

Both handing and hanging are essential steps in the tobacco production process, ensuring that the leaves are properly prepared for use in products like cigars, cigarettes, and pipe tobacco.

What it left out is hanging back in the day, required nimble, fearless kids who climbed up into the heights of the barn carrying the sticks full of leaves to hang them above the burners on the floor of the barn.