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Agriculture is the backbone of the N.C. State Fair, playing a prominent role in the displays, competitions, and attractions each year. Although agriculture can be found on nearly every area of the grounds, Heritage Circle is well-known for showcasing the history and tradition of crops in our state, including tobacco. From the Tobacco Stringing Competition and curing barn to the Mock Tobacco Auction, tobacco not only plays a major role in our state’s agriculture industry, but also in everyone’s favorite fall tradition.
In 2005, when N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler was elected, tobacco was scarce at the N.C. State Fair, which was something he immediately sought to change. “As tobacco farmers in Guildford County for over thirty years, Commissioner Troxler and I worked together on several occasions,” said Pat Short, Superintendent of Heritage Circle at the N.C. State Fair. “Following his election in 2005, he called me to come and work at the Oxford Tobacco Research Station managing their tobacco operation. Shortly after I took the position, we began working on reestablishing the presence of tobacco at the N.C. State Fair.” That same year, the tobacco barn in Heritage Circle was rebuilt and filled with tobacco from the Oxford Tobacco Research Station, a tradition that continues to this day. Then in 2006, the Tobacco Stringing Competition and the Mock Tobacco Auction began. “There is a big disconnect between the public and agriculture today,” Pat said. “It’s important for people to see and understand the heritage of tobacco, and other crops, in our state, which is why we take a lot of pride in it every year.” From the farm to the fair, Pat and his team work hard all year long to make sure fairgoers experience tobacco in a variety of ways in Heritage Circle.
The Oxford Tobacco Research Station plays a major role in helping get tobacco to the N.C. State Fair. The tobacco supervisor at the research station, Carl Watson, grows anywhere from 15 to 30 acres of tobacco annually, which is used both for trial research with N.C. State University as well as general crop for the N.C. State Fair and contracted buyers, like Universal Leaf. “Most tobacco at the station is used for trail varieties and research,” Pat said. “The tobacco used in the Stringing Contest, which also fills the curing barn, at the fair comes from their five to six acres of general crop. Crews, including research station staff and neighbors from Granville Equipment, get up at 5 a.m. on the first Friday of the fair to harvest the tobacco and bring it to the fairgrounds.” Typically, tobacco arrives in Heritage Circle between 10 and 11 a.m. on that first Friday of the N.C. State Fair. As soon as it arrives, people begin stringing sticks of tobacco to fill the curing barn. “The Tobacco Stringing Competition doesn’t start until 2 p.m. that day, but we always need more sticks to fill the curing barn than what is produced during the competition,” Pat said. “We have many volunteers who help us each year, including NCDA&CS staff, members of the NC Tobacco Growers Association and the staff at Duke Homestead, as well as anyone attending the fair who knows how or would like to learn how to string tobacco.” Whether you catch the morning crew or the competition crowd, all you have to do is ask for someone to teach you how to string tobacco if you would like to be a part of keeping the heritage alive during the fair.
Starting at 2 p.m. on the first Friday of the fair, the Tobacco Stringing Competition brings a different energy to the fairgrounds as teams line up to see who can string the best stick of tobacco. “Each team contains a stringer and two handers, all holding equal importance when it comes to stringing good tobacco,” Pat said. “Interested teams sign up the morning of the competition at the tobacco barn in Heritage Circle and get ready for their shining moment that afternoon.” Although at first glance it may seem like the stringer is the most important person on the team, Pat says that the handers are equally as important to ensuring good quality and uniformity of the stick. “Quality is the leading factor when it comes to the Tobacco Stringing Competition because it’s the number one thing our judges are looking for,” Pat said. “Not only does the stringer have to ensure a tight, neat line of tobacco on the stick, but the handers have to ensure the heads are neat and the butts are even on the bundles of tobacco they hand the stringer.” Each bundle contains three to four leaves, depending on size, which the stringer then uses to fill up their stick of tobacco, which is timed by an official timer. “Timing is not the top thing our judges look for, but it is important,” Pat said. “My grandpa always told me that a good stringer could average a stick a minute.” Three judges score each team throughout the competition, ultimately determining the first, second and third place winners who take home a cash prize and bragging rights. “Quality is the most important thing for our judges because it’s always been the most important thing to the farmers,” Pat said. “If the tobacco doesn’t stay on the stick in the curing barn, it can catch on fire, destroying both the crop and the barn.” Once each team has finished stringing their stick of tobacco, volunteers take each one to the curing barn to process over the next seven days.
The curing barn, also known as the tobacco barn, showcases how tobacco was originally cured across our state. “We use a wood furnace, which works just like a wood stove inside a home,” Pat said. “The tobacco is brought in on Friday after the Stringing Competition and cures for seven days before it’s finished.” Much like a wood stove, the smoke is contained in the flue pipe and then exists outside the barn in the open air, allowing the tobacco to keep its sweet aroma. That is where the name flue-cured tobacco comes from. “We have a recipe for curing the tobacco at the fairgrounds that has been used by farmers since the mid-1800’s,” Pat said. “This style of curing was discovered by a farmer in Caswell County.” Once all the tobacco sticks have been loaded in the curing barn, the temperature is set between 80 and 90 degrees for three days. “Keeping the tobacco at a lower temperature in the beginning helps the leaves wilt without drying out,” Pat said. “Over the first three days, the tobacco leaves will turn a yellow color, signaling our crew to raise the temperature.” Over the next two days, the temperature is gradually increased from 120 degrees to 140 degrees to fully dry the tobacco leaves. “On day five, we raise the temperature in the barn one final time to 165 degrees to dry out the stems,” Pat said. “If you don’t dry the stems, the entire tobacco crop will go bad once you bring it out of the barn, so this step in the process is vitally important.” Although fairgoers can’t physically enter the barn during the curing process, they can see the thermostat on the wall and watch the tobacco through the barn window each day of the fair. If you have any questions about the process or tobacco in general, ask one of the volunteers staffed at the barn. “We love educating fairgoers about the importance of tobacco in our state, as well as the traditional ways that it was grown and raised here,” Pat said. “It’s been the backbone of farms across our state for many years and continues to be vital to our agriculture industry today. In fact, a farmer once told me that out of 30 farmers selling at the farmers market, 28 of those farmers bought their equipment with tobacco money. So, tobacco is actually paying for the vegetables as well.” All tobacco cured in the tobacco barn during the fair is returned to the Oxford Tobacco Research Station to fulfill buyer contracts for companies like Universal Leaf.
On the second Friday of the N.C. State Fair, crews from the Oxford Tobacco Research Station make a second trip to the fairgrounds to bring the tobacco that will be used in the Mock Tobacco Auction. “N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler had the Tobacco Pavilion in Heritage Circle built specifically for the Mock Tobacco Auction, which in the early years was held in many other locations across the fairgrounds,” Pat said. “Featuring several auctioneers and buyers, the auction showcases how tobacco was actually sold in years past.” Last year, the Mock Tobacco Auction hosted five auctioneers and fifteen buyers. Auctioneers are found through community networks and are often individuals who have been doing this for many years, including at full-scale auctions back in the day. “When you hear the auctioneers begin to call out numbers, it’s like listening to a whole other language,” Pat said. “Not only is he/she calling out the price of each stack of tobacco, but also the names of the buyers, the type of tobacco and a variety of other information that both the buyers and the ticket marker have to understand. It’s a unique process that’s fun to watch for all ages.” During the Mock Tobacco Auction, N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler also awards the Best Tobacco Leaf/Bundle to a local tobacco grower. “Growers submit bundles of tobacco at the start of the fair, which are voted on by judges in the industry,” Pat said. “From the winning bundles, Commissioner Troxler chooses one to receive his award, which always means a lot to the growers who work so hard on their crop each year.” All tobacco bundle categories and winners can be seen on display inside the glass case in the Tobacco Pavilion all eleven days of the N.C. State Fair. This year, the Mock Tobacco Auction is taking place on Friday, Oct. 23rd, at 2 p.m., so mark your calendars to attend!
In addition to all the tobacco events and the curing barn in Heritage Circle, the Bowles House offers tobacco merch, like t-shirts, each year to help you showcase your N.C. Tobacco pride. They also have photos around the building that tell the story of tobacco in our state. “It’s really powerful to walk around that building and see the impact tobacco has had on this state for many years,” Pat said. “By spotlighting tobacco during the fair, we hope to show people not only how important this crop is to our state’s history, but how vital it continues to be today for farmers across our state. In fact, tobacco is still one of our most profitable row crops. If we can get people to understand that importance and appreciate the hard work of our tobacco farmers, then we’ve done our job.” We appreciate all that Pat and his team do at the N.C. State Fair each year to educate the community on tobacco in North Carolina. Stop by Heritage Circle during the fair this year, taking place Oct. 15-25th, to experience the legacy for yourself and learn why tobacco is still one of our state’s most important crops!
