How many of you were raised in the tobacco fields?

[98now]

For some reason, this popped into my mind earlier. Some of you may feel the same strong, personal connection to tobacco that I do. I was raised on a farm in Upper East Tennessee. We grew two acres of burley until the government bought us out. After that, I worked for some of my neighbors until they got bought out. Like probably all of us here, I also come from a long line of tobacco users. I guess I got the bug both ways. I bet I’m not the only one here.

 

[ziv]

I grew up in a tobacco free family. Some of my friends smoked cigarettes, I have had a few, but never got addicted to them.
My grandfather smoked cigarettes, but there was a lot of pressure from the rest of the family forcing him to quit - which he did eventually. But he lived in a different city, and I didn't get to be around him much anyway.

I kinda envy those of you guys who grew up around pipe smokers - all these memories that people share how Captain Black smell brings their childhood memories back. At the same time, I don't want my kids to start smoking because of me, so I'm trying to be discreet with my pipe smoking. Haha.

 

[Streeper541]

I wasn't raised there, but I'd pass through the North Carolina fields on the way to my grandparents house every other summer. It was the most glorious smell and always a memorable part of the trip.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Me

 

[cynyr]

My mother went into labor with me after a day of working the family field. (She's 92 now and still mows her own grass!) Growing up, we all would ride the school bus and look at other crops and how they were doing.

I haven't seen a tobacco patch in my home county in years. The little guy done got squoze out.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yep, for a few years, I would ride on that board tied across the back of the tractor, putting the sticks into the ground. Then latter on we would crawl around in the barn hanging hands.

 

[Snook]

I bet those were some good times.

I grew up on the other side of the country (Wyoming and Idaho), so never saw a tobacco field and was never around anyone who smoked. Just had a pretty standard suburban upbringing.
My grandparents on my dad's side smoked cigarettes for many years but had quit before I came along - or before I started forming memories. I can't quite remember. Both of them passed from emphysema, though. My dad understandably doesn't like that I smoke a pipe, and so I don't do it around him. My mom, on the other hand, doesn't mind because it reminds her of her grandpa who was a pipe smoker. I remember a few times talking with her out on the patio while I smoked. Nice memories.

It would have been cool to grow up on a tobacco farm, though. Or any farm, really. I'm a bit envious!

 

[anotherbob]

Very few of us I would venture. My dad worked on several farms when he was way too young to do that. Also only had a few cigarette smokers in the family most of whom quit including myself. (and anyone who says it's the same thing to smoke a pipe or cigarettes hasn't quit smoking cigarettes and taken up any other form of tobacco).

 

[AreBee]

My great-grandfather grew tobacco on his farm in Simsbury, CT. This is his permit from 1930 to cure tobacco on premise. My family moved to CT in 1965 and lived in the same farmhouse. Three of my siblings worked summers in the tobacco fields while they lived there. They all said the work was hard but they had amazing stories.