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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Casey’s Highlights from the 2015 N.C. State Fair

The 2015 State Fair ended just over a week ago with attendance topping the 1 million mark. This week Casey Cardinal is offering a trip down memory lane to look back at his top five highlights from the fair. Friday Frenzy and record attendance days: The fair started with two record attendance days. Preview Day on Thursday brought in a record 50,327 people. Friday’s new promotion, Friday Frenzy, brought in 90,954 people, many who took advantage of the $5 admission for students and an unlimited ride wristband promotion. It was a great kickoff to 11 days of strong attendance. Opening…

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Mock Tobacco Auction on Friday allows fairgoers to ‘follow sale’

The new tobacco pavilion in Heritage Circle will hosts its first mock tobacco auction Friday at 2 p.m. The auction has been held in the Expo Center for the past several years. The new venue will allow even more fairgoers to experience a throwback to N.C.’s past. “Tobacco is an important part of North Carolina’s heritage and agricultural economy,” said Pat Short, Heritage Circle superintendent. “It’s an industry that is well represented in Heritage Circle with the tobacco tying competition, curing in a traditional stick tobacco barn and the mock auction.” Tobacco auctions were common all over North Carolina until…

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