Protecting your tobacco crop

[abador]

Has anyone had any trouble with people stealing their tobacco from the plant? I know that people would probably love to get free tobacco and if they know that you are growing it I can imagine that people might try and steal some. I have thought about putting my bee hive by my crop but I don't think the bees would protect the tobacco at night when they are in the hive. Also honey bees are pretty docile and would be more of a psychological tactic unless they swat at the bees in which case they probably would regret their decision of going anywhere near the hive. lol Also what would you do if there were lots of people determined to steal your tobacco and you weren't able to catch them? I am planning on growing more tobacco next year and would like to know how I can keep it safe.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Tough question. My tobacco that I grow cannot be seen from the road so no one knows about it. A dog, or motion sensor light might help.

 

[Mad Oshea]

There are a few of Us that had that problem. Mine was very small, and the theif is still out on a 7,500 dollar bond. That was for two plants in My 2013 grow. Some were in the tons of tobacco. I would have gave the plants so as not to deal with theft.

 

[istanbulin]

If tobacco leaves were ready to smoke as soon as picking from the plant, stealing leaves would be a problem for an amateur homegrower. Curing and further curing (e.g. fermentation etc.) is labour-intensive so at the very most the "thief" may steal once and after an unsuccesful curing process s/he gives up. The issue is sure different for commercial farmers.

 

[Michibacy]

Abador, I too am in West Michigan, I haven't had any issues with it being stolen. I tend to grow it pretty much in the open, if a person is on the road, they could see my plants. What I've noticed:

-Most people don't know what it is
-Most people don't know how to make it "from green to grown"
-Most people think it's just an ornamental plant

The biggest testament was when our last house in Bath got robbed. They stole my gun, my wife's jewelry etc, but walked past 3 pounds of tobacco on my table, and didn't bother to get any out of the garage (20 pounds or so).

If you do have a problem with thievery, simply making it look like a garden patch, or not paying attention to it during the broad day light is usually the best best. Most people aren't very watchful.

 

[ArizonaDave]

In Arizona, most people have blocked back yards they call "privacy walls". They are basically a 5 ft. tall concrete block wall around the whole back of the property. So no, we don't have wall jumpers. Besides that, Sheriff Joe would put them in prison, and that's no country club.

 

[deluxestogie]

I grow the stuff, and I don't like having to touch it. Messy and sticky. Mine grows in full sight of the road, and quite close. As Michibacy pointed out, few people recognize the plants, and few, even if they recognize it, have any idea what to do with sticky, green tobacco plants or leaves. Hell, many new FTT members don't know what to do with them, until they've gone through the FAQ.

Bob

EDIT: I'll bet that if you put out free copies of our FAQ in a literature case beside your growing tobacco, and invited anyone to pick some and give it a go, you would hardly notice the loss.

 

[Michibacy]

Hell Bob, I've offered cured leaf to people, frog-legged, read to go and they STILL don't want to do anything with it...

 

[LeftyRighty]

my garden backs up to a buzy street, with a lot of walkers. Had lots stop and ask about the crop, all have no idea what it was, even had a school bus driver on route stop and ask what it was. Everyone that stops though, I make a point of saying that "growing is the easy part, proper curing is a whole different matter, more of an art form". Never had any stolen, I may be just lucky so far. My biggest worry is neighborhood kids, doing it just for kicks.
Also had an appliance repairman (visiting next door}, surprised me to ask what varieties I was growing - he had spent a couple summers in high school topping burley in Platte County north of here, said it was the worst job he ever had.