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, the auctioneer calls the price of each stack. Buyers gesture if they are interested in buying the bundle at the given price.
