South Jersey Farmers Struggle with Unpredictable Weather Conditions

[Boyd]

South Jersey farmers struggle with unpredictable weather conditions

The recent unpredictable weather has forced many local farmers to adapt their strategies. With extremely hot temperatures and heavy rain this summer, farmers are working overtime to maintain their crops.

www.fox29.com

 

[RednekF350]

My tobacco is loving this squirrelly weather, especially the ones in my wife's flower garden that I sneak in every year, even after she says "Don't even think about it!" Last year I had two hit 11 feet in height. Not normal for tobacco and I only whack them once with Osmocote 14-14-14.

 

[RJG]

Just curious. What do you do with the tobacco? Do you dry it, process it and smoke it?

 

[bicycle tim]

I hope you’ve gone to your township and had your property rezoned agriculture. Very impressive crop.

 

[amf]

Tobacco flowers make a nice addition to the garden, imo. There used to be a farmer outside Quinton who raised it commercially for a few years. I worked on a tobacco research farm one summer in college - after handling it for a day my hands would be black as tar. Vowed then to never inhale!

 

[RednekF350]

Just curious. What do you do with the tobacco? Do you dry it, process it and smoke it?

I make my own loose leaf chewing tobacco. I color cure it in my garage and shed and try to age it for a year or more.
To make the chew I reduce apple juice to a thin syrup consistency on the stove in a stainless pan. I add a couple tablespoons of dark molasses, a couple pinches of salt and couple of glugs of Buffalo Trace Bourbon. I keep stirring over the heat until I get a big tacky mess of tobacco. I keep it the freezer in Mason jars and dig it out and put it in a sandwich baggie when I want to take some with me.
Here are some pics of some nice color cured Burley, the syrup mixture and the finished chew. Good stuff.