Ct tobaccoman's 2015 log

[bonehead]

good info,thanks. We try to set plants as early as possible and many broadleaf guys were setting by Memorial Day, so it's time. Did you get a chance to see OJ Thrall's shade operation near the airport? They must be on fifth priming by now at that farm, which is first in their rotation of 3 farms in different towns. They grow over half of CT Shade still grown, for General Cigar Macanudo wrappers

i saw some shade grown fields and some were planted but more of the shade fields were not planted this year. the supports were up but the shade cloth was absent in the empty fields. it seems like such a waste to have so many empty fields. i don't know what the farms names were. i wish i had a little more room to grow.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

i saw some shade grown fields and some were planted but more of the shade fields were not planted this year. the supports were up but the shade cloth was absent in the empty fields. it seems like such a waste to have so many empty fields. i don't know what the farms names were. i wish i had a little more room to grow.

Actually Thrall is resting much of the Windsor home farm this year. They generally rest a lot every third year. They have farms in East Granby and Ellington too. Some fields are resting longer to weaken mosaic virus. But yes, many shade lots are empty or have broadleaf growing. Last few years I see many poles and wires removed but also new shade farms on land fallow 10-20 years. Conn Shade is not really dying but has gone from 1200 acres 10 years ago to under 1000 now. There are only 3 large growers now: OJ Thrall for General Cigar, Altadis Shade and Markowski Farms for Windsor Shade Co-Op. It pains me to see it because I started in shade when many malls, warehouses and housing were shade farms.

 

[ProfessorPangloss]

Actually Thrall is resting much of the Windsor home farm this year. They generally rest a lot every third year. They have farms in East Granby and Ellington too. Some fields are resting longer to weaken mosaic virus. But yes, many shade lots are empty or have broadleaf growing. Last few years I see many poles and wires removed but also new shade farms on land fallow 10-20 years. Conn Shade is not really dying but has gone from 1200 acres 10 years ago to under 1000 now. There are only 3 large growers now: OJ Thrall for General Cigar, Altadis Shade and Markowski Farms for Windsor Shade Co-Op. It pains me to see it because I started in shade when many malls, warehouses and housing were shade farms.

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

Pretty much, Prof. That song was a radio hit my first years working shade when there were 12,000 acres and dozens of companies and warehouses in Hartford. Second only to Richmond as tobacco city. I feel like a ghost or time traveler sometimes. I see the tall office bldgs but I REMEMBER.

 

[bonehead]

my uncle is in his later years and grew up in that neck of the woods. everytime we drive up that way he tells stories of when he was a kid and worked on some of them farms or was fishing in the ct. river. i know a lot of them are true but sometimes i am suspicious of some of them. i know the world is a different place and always changes.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Bone,
I do know that the CT River was badly polluted until the 1990s. You can swim in it now

 

[ProfessorPangloss]

Bone,
I do know that the CT River was badly polluted until the 1990s. You can swim in it now

I don't want to hijack the thread, but my grandfather used to take me fishing on the Hudson near Albany in the late nineties, and one of his old steelworker buddies lived in Castleton and used to *eat* the fish from there (downstream of the Schnectady General Electric plant). You really wouldn't recognize the place now. It looks better. It's nice that some things are changes for the better.

But to the topic at hand - have you sorted out the tech issues and have you any pictures of your grow for us?

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Yes, going to Conn tomorrow to pick, spray and whatever else and I will post pics in a couple days. Been beating the heat on Cape Cod over 2 weeks. A topsy-turvey summer for me. I wasn't able to give the plants the best care. Next year I will have time to do everything right. Too bad it has been nearly no rain all summer

 

[Knucklehead]

Yes, going to Conn tomorrow to pick, spray and whatever else and I will post pics in a couple days. Been beating the heat on Cape Cod over 2 weeks. A topsy-turvey summer for me. I wasn't able to give the plants the best care. Next year I will have time to do everything right. Too bad it has been nearly no rain all summer

I've been in a drought also. I found out tobacco can get by with very little rain. I will never irrigate again.

 

[Gmac]

I've been in a drought also. I found out tobacco can get by with very little rain. I will never irrigate again.

I agree, I have some that are doing great, & at least four weeks with no water. I have found too much water makes the leaves thiner, & same with watermelons & tomatoes. "Watering your whiskey down so to speak."

Gmac