My Golden Opportunity??!!!

[Levi Gross]

I also mean absolutely no offense to any of my commercial growing brothers! But I came to FTT seeking a better way. I have no interest in giving big brother or big tobacco any of my time, money, or resources. I’m trying to get into this for us, the common man. The distinguished men of our forum and community. Quality over quantity.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I’m a very optimistic person and consider the risk worth it. Something I don’t fully understand though is I know a lot of emphasis is placed on the type of tobacco and the region it is grown in. Would I be confined to only growing those types specific to Indiana in order to be recognized as an authentic grower? I’m not so much interested in commercial production as I am a much more interested in a high quality much sought after leaf and type of tobacco. The burley wrapper mentioned above has my interest. But what about other types even if they are not my region specific???

It would be an extra touch to say the strain originated in Indiana for marketing, but to be honest, nobody outside of Indiana gives a shit about Indiana, (probably half of Indianans, too), and most non-whole leaf pipe smokers don't know enough to know why they should care about the strain. And, those who don't buy bulk or 10oz bags of candy tobacco, those who buy the tinned stuff, are easily swayed by branding, in general and it would be very difficult to compete with those they've already associated with quality.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

The golden opportunity of having an acre at my disposal for me would be that I would be able to grow lots of tobacco for personal use, probably could cut my grocery bill by 80%, and maybe even raise some meat of some kind.

Families with a section of land (640 acres) get by these days, but they ain't millionaires. An acre isn't a farm, but put to good personal use, it can be pretty awesome, anyways.

 

[alPol05]

Levi, as you know I am very new to tobacco. I also don't know anything about growing tobacco. However, over last few months, I am studying this subject and read every material I can put my hand on. One of the sources I use is Google Books. They are free and you can download them and print if you want. Here is a link to the results of a search I just completed. Take a look if there is something that can expand your knowledge and help with your plans.

Wiktor

 

[deluxestogie]

...to be honest, nobody outside of Indiana gives a shit about Indiana...

Connecticut Shade tobacco is grown in Vermont and Massachusetts, in addition to Connecticut. Have you ever heard of Vermont wrapper? If you wish to market the location that a tobacco is grown, then it would make sense to latch onto the varietal "heritage" of that location. Many variety-specific locations were established prior to modern agriculture's ability to significantly modify soil characteristics. They grew what would grow well. And distribution systems have inertia, once established.

Nobody grows many of the unique American cigar varieties commercially, because all of the cigar factories that utilized those non-Caribbean varieties have gone belly up. I think that chasing heritage for a share of the market is likely a losing proposition.

Bob

 

[mwaller]

I can just imagine... CV rajangan-fed beef.

The golden opportunity of having an acre at my disposal for me would be that I would be able to grow lots of tobacco for personal use, probably could cut my grocery bill by 80%, and maybe even raise some meat of some kind.

Families with a section of land (640 acres) get by these days, but they ain't millionaires. An acre isn't a farm, but put to good personal use, it can be pretty awesome, anyways.

 

[Levi Gross]

A very helpful link Wiktor thank you.

Levi, as you know I am very new to tobacco. I also don't know anything about growing tobacco. However, over last few months, I am studying this subject and read every material I can put my hand on. One of the sources I use is Google Books. They are free and you can download them and print if you want. Here is a link to the results of a search I just completed. Take a look if there is something that can expand your knowledge and help with your plans.

Wiktor

 

[BarG]

There's no money in growing tobacco, but there's a hell of a lot of it in not buying it.

You hit the nail on the head Don.

 

[Levi Gross]

I thought I would share with you all a couple pictures. It may not be much, and it might not ever make me any money but the thought occurred that it is still a Golden Opportunity. Like China said I can do so much for myself here. And most importantly I have the space here to maybe help some of my other tobacco growing brothers. I could do test grows, seed grows, specialty grows, etc. I am working on getting the 806 International going in the next couple weeks. I have to rebuild the starter and get a couple batteries along with some other minor issues. We have a tiller but the little 506 and the 460 are not big enough to power it. I am not really planning any type of grow on it this year but it could still be possible. We are going to put out some pumpkins and I am going to get a soil analysis done and see if I can pull a few arrowheads out of the ground. Our fields are littered with them up in these parts. I am still pondering the possibility's it may never go any further than a dream. but I do have one sweet grow spot!!!

 

[deluxestogie]

I like it.

Bob

 

[greenmonster714]

Yes very nice plot of land. Nice and flat. What type of feeder is that? Check out the pig harvest thread. There's a few ideas in there for ya. Other than the ideas stated I'd probably not worry much about planting anything and just work on building the soil. A few cover crops turned into the ground would certainly help the npk. And like you said soil test it. Maybe some free roam chickens. They scratch up weeds and Nitrogen falls out a their ass. Perfect little fertilizer factories. Plus free eggs to eat it just throw them in the plot as well.

 

[Levi Gross]

It’s just a couple of the old open face hog shelters pulled up together to protect the calves when we were raising freezer beef. They also housed my first tobacco harvest back in 2010. I believe the soil is very healthy but still want an analysis of it and to work it up. I have a friend who specializes in cover crops so I am also going to do that as well.

Yes very nice plot of land. Nice and flat. What type of feeder is that? Check out the pig harvest thread. There's a few ideas in there for ya. Other than the ideas stated I'd probably not worry much about planting anything and just work on building the soil. A few cover crops turned into the ground would certainly help the npk. And like you said soil test it. Maybe some free roam chickens. They scratch up weeds and Nitrogen falls out a their ass. Perfect little fertilizer factories. Plus free eggs to eat it just throw them in the plot as well.