First-generation farmer wins Commissioner’s Award in 2021 Heritage Tobacco Competition

From a tobacco-tying competition, barn curing, a heritage tobacco harvest competition and a mock tobacco auction, the legacy of tobacco and its contributions to the state of North Carolina and the agricultural industry is on full display at Heritage Circle at the N.C. State Fair. The Heritage Tobacco Harvest Competition was started in 2015 to recognize individuals growing tobacco. Entries and winners are on view in the Tobacco Pavilion in Heritage Circle. Growers from North Carolina submit silver-dollar-sized hand ties of flue-cured tobacco to compete in different stalk position classes. Brent Leggett, a first-generation farmer from Nashville, was awarded the…

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Tobacco auction at the Expo

Tobacco is a large part of the agricultural heritage of North Carolina and you can see it across the fairgrounds. Throughout the Fair, a dedicated staff stokes the fire at the Heritage Circle tobacco barn, and you may remember Merrie Go Round trying her hand at tobacco tying earlier this week. Yesterday, retired tobacco buyers, warehousemen and auctioneers re-enacted a live tobacco auction in the Expo Center. The event demonstrated how tobacco was traded for more than 150 years in North Carolina. During auction, tobacco is laid on the ground. As the group of buyers and warehousemen move down the line,…

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