Cary, NC
Recently, we've had the pleasure of having a tobacco farmer visiting the garden center, sharing some of the rich history and culture of tobacco growing in our great state. As many of you know, the introduction of tobacco into North Carolina has a long history. When settlers moved from Virginia to North Carolina around 1663, tobacco farming began to boom. The new colonists saw the opportunity in the overseas demand for tobacco and started growing tobacco in North Carolina as a way to gain entry into the European tobacco market.
Every stage of production of tobacco, from tobacco growing to final product manufacture, is located in North Carolina, and this state has been one of the centers of the US tobacco industry. North Carolina ranks first in the United States in the production of tobacco, with 2006 annual farm income of $506.2 million. Tobacco is a crop that can be grown in a wide range of soil and climate conditions, and 16 states and approximately 120 countries product it across the world.
If you would like to learn more about tobacco farming, I hope you'll join us this weekend, either Saturday or Sunday, at Garden Supply Co. when our visiting farmer will be here sharing his personal experiences and expertise. And while we're at it, how about a little contest, too?
Tobacco Growers Flower Contest
Contest Overview
- Purchase a young tobacco plant from Garden Supply Co. and grow the prettiest flower.
- Email msmith_ins@buggs.net the picture of your flower by July 31st, 2011
- Top 25 prettiest flowers will be emailed to all the tobacco buying contestants. Contestants will vote and a winner will be selected by the most votes.
- Winner receives a $300 gift card to Garden Supply Co.
(Contest courtesy of M. Smith)
Hope to see you all this weekend!