Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: Sean Kelly on April 26, 2007, 07:23:26 am
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I know tobacco is bad for your health and I'm not a smoker, but every now and then I do enjoy a good pipe to end the day. Thought it might be fun to try and grow some organic tobacco without the additives that the big tobacco companies put in it.
I believe that tobacco requires warm weather and lots of sun, which we dont get much of here in the Seattle area. But I still wanted to see if anyone has tried to grow it here. Are there any laws against growing your own tobacco? Would I have to pay tobacco taxes on it if I grew it myself?
Sean
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Sean, tobacco is a cousin to the plant Nicotianna. Nicotianna grows like wildfire in our PNW. It self seeds like there is nothing on this earth and my gardens are full of nicotianna, I grow it for the flowers that open in the evening, providing incredibly beautiful night fragrance that permeates my night air where I live.
I do not think that there are any laws against growing tobacco. Finding the seed may be another difficult thing. Saltspring Island Seeds had a tobacco seed for sale that I purchased last year. It did not germinate for whatever the reason, I lay fault with myself and not taking proper care.
You could google tobacco seed. You could grow it. I know that. YOu should. It evidently has a very beautiful and fragrant flower that arises from the plant too, so I hear. Good luck, best of this beautiful day, good health. Cindi
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Good information Cindi! I've seen seed companies advertise tobacco seeds in Countryside magazine, which is where I got the idea of doing this in the first place. I think I'll give it a try this season. I'll just plant a little bit to give it a try.
Thanks!
Sean
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Hear where I live at pot grows wild lol. I think its funny that it does. Why it dose is long long time ageo in the 40s n 50 and past then people use to have it all the time well after all the year of the birds eating the seeds and pooping the seeds out it will kind of grow where ever it landed at lol. I have a 1941 farmall a that im trying to get runing and thay say that thay was the best tractor to use in the tobacco fields.
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If you get it to grow I want to see that video when you first light up!!!! It will make you sick as a dog. I have a friend that is a tobacco grower, he says just working the fields will make you sick for the first season.
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bluegrass. Eeeew. That sounds horrible. Guess I wouldn't want to be employed to work in a nicotine field!!!! Imagine that eh? Best of a beautiful and wonderful day. Good health. Cindi
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Hear where I live at pot grows wild lol. I think its funny that it does. Why it dose is long long time ageo in the 40s n 50 and past then people use to have it all the time well after all the year of the birds eating the seeds and pooping the seeds out it will kind of grow where ever it landed at lol. I have a 1941 farmall a that im trying to get runing and thay say that thay was the best tractor to use in the tobacco fields.
Wasn't long ago that is was patriotic to grow hemp ("pot") ~> HEMP FOR VICTORY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkroOQT-84Q)
Nicotine is a potent neurotoxin... scared of that stuff.
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Used to be a large hemp farm out towards Paris Ky.... I noticed a large field one day with what looked like alot of pot in it while on route. I said something about it and was told it was a hemp farm years ago and it is still growing there.
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Guess I wouldn't want to be employed to work in a nicotine field!!!! Imagine that eh?
This area is tobacco country. It is very labor intense and has to be planted, cultivated, and harvested by hand. They use migrant workers here to do the work....It is really sad that they get stuck with the worst jobs. The money is good for the growers, I don't know of any other farming practice that will pay $30,000 per 10 acres grown. Grains only pay about 65.00 an acre....dairy farming doesn't pay worth a shat....been there, done that.
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bluegrass. Wow. Now that is some pretty good returns for farmers surely. I didn't realize that it was so labour intensive, pretty incredible. Have a wonderful day, beautiful day. Cindi
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They grow tobacco in Lancaster county Pennsylvania and state of Conneticut and they get cold w/ snow etc. They just grow tobacco for cigars is all. You can get very sick if you pick a lot of tobacco w/o gloves on b/c of the very high nicotine resin on the plants leaves. Particularly if you dont smoke regularly.
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sean, let me know if you find a good source of plants or seed. i do smoke and don't mind toxing my neurons at all :-).
my dad used to bring hemp rope home when the navy surveyed it. great stuff. don't think you can even find it anymore.
They use migrant workers here to do the work....It is really sad that they get stuck with the worst jobs.
life is about choices, isn't it? they might not feel as "stuck here as they do at home.
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I grew some tobacco here years ago...the hard part was getting the leaves dried just right. I smoke cigars and enjoy a pipe now and then. Careful which variety you grow, some tobacco will get you high. Very high. apparently there is a native variety which is the traditional peace pipe variety, more akin to a drug. Lyceum is a good website for medicinal plants.
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Kathyp,
I think it's too late to start growing tobacco, so I gave up on the idea. Maybe next year. I really didn't look into it much, it was just more an idea that crossed my mind that sounded kinda fun.
BEE C,
It's good to hear you were able to grow tobacco in BC. We have pretty much the same climate. I don't know anything about the different varietys of tobacco. Which one would be good for just a casual pipe smoker?
Sean Kelly
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Is their an age law on growing tobacco? Cause I know its illegal to BUY tabacco under 18.
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some tobacco will get you high. Very high.
we wouldn't want that!! :evil:
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Now this brings on another aspect of tobacco. I wonder if the night scented planted called "Nicotianna" could be dried and smoked. It is a cousin to the real tobacco plant. Ha!!! Now that is a thought, maybe it is the species that could make ya high!!!!!
Last year I attempted to grow tobacco. I got the seed from Saltspring Island Seed. I wanted to grow it for the flowers that apparently are breathtaking, if I recall they are yellow. I sowed the seed and it probably got lost in the weeding somewhere, or the slugs ate the seedlings, bummer!!!!! Well, maybe it got covered up, maybe it may be uncovered in my weeding escapades and germinate this year. We'll see.
Nicotianna grows rapidly, so quickly as a matter of fact, one can almost see it growing. I wonder if tobacco has this same rapid growth. Have a wonderful day, great life, great health. Cindi
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I hate having my post be the last on a page right before the 2nd page gets started!
Does any one know if theirs an age limit on growing tobacco?
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Cindi, I think you're talking about Nicotiana sylvestris (http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Tobacco/N_Species/N_sylvestris.html) (tobaccos are all nicotianas) or N. alata, both are wonderfully night-scented. Nicotiana tabacum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotiana) is what is grown to smoke. This page says N. sylvestris may be a parent of N. tabacum, so it might be smokable, but I wouldn't try it.
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No age limit.... It has to be cured properly before it can be smoked....has alot to do with the climate which is why it is only grown in a few areas like Kentucky and North Carolina.....if you have been to both states during harvest time you would notice that they harvest and hang it differently for the same reasons.
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Cody, awe, I feel bad for ya. :roll: I know what you mean about being the last post on a page, sorry you didn't get an answer to your question and had to ask again. I am grateful that someone did reply to your post. It does make me wonder why it is illegal to buy tobacco, but not illegal to grow it. Weird eh? Have a wonderful day, great life, great health. Cindi
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LOL, its ok Cindi
I would think Sun Curing tobacco or the method used on the link I'm providing would be cheaper than Flu Curing. Plus giving it a little bit more distinctive flavor and its own unique taste.
http://www.boldweb.com/greenweb/nicoinfo.htm#nicocure
Time to find a friend who will let me grow my own tobacco, cause I hate the cooperate tobacco with all the added grossness, I just love puffin on Cyanide, and Embalming Fluid! :-X It would be cheaper that way too :-D
Good day!
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Just a couple of plants will keep you in tobacco for a very long time.....The seedlings are going in the ground right now around here....I don't know where you would find any in your area though?
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Internet! :-D
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Cody,
I'm not an anti smoking patrol,but while you are still young,do the math on just what smokes cost per year and what else you could do with that money.It's not just the tobacco companies taking your money but uncle sam makes more on tobacco than I think phillip morris does! Thats reason enough for me not to do it!
I hate the idea of government profiting from nicotine addiction.Thats all it is.They are not concerned with your health or they would outlaw it instead of raping smokers with taxes.
Besides,being a smoker could cut your dating prospects in half! ;)
Any how,it would still be fun to grow.They grow it around here and dry it hanging it upside down in sheds with many openings for air circulation.These plants get pretty big.
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Well thats why I grow my own tobacco, so I don't have to pay the overpriced taxes and things of the sorts.
Their was a Cigarette out here that was organic (as much as a cigarette could be), and didn't have any state taxes on it, but the new govaner banned it cause he couldn't tax it.
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there is a commercial organic cigarette...American Spirit I think it is. I'm sure it's much more expensive than marlboros.
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Sean, About 10 years ago I did some research into growing my own tobacco. I bought some seeds and a book online and gave it a shot. I did not make out well because I kept forgetting to water the plants or left them outside during a storm. So I can not tell you that much about growing them. Other then water them and keep them safe :)
In my research I found some of these facts. (remember this info is about 10 years old)
In 1933 the US government included the “tobacco program†in the Agriculture Adjustment Act. The program limited the amount of tobacco that could be grown in the US. All farmers growing tobacco at the time were given quotas that they could either fill or they could rent there quota to bigger growers. The program also allowed for regular citizens to grow there own tobacco for personal use. The amount a citizen can grow was set at 1/10 an acre per year. In 1/10 acre you can grow 400-500 plants. A mature plant will yield about 5 oz. or cured tobacco. So if you planted the maximum amount of plants and they all produced 5 oz you would end up with 156 pounds of tobacco. A pound of cured tobacco can make up to 400 cigarettes so you would be able to grow enough to make 62,400 cigarettes or 312 cartons.
It takes one pound of tobacco to make 400 cigarettes Commercial cigarette makers us 1 3/4 pounds of tobacco to make 1000 cigarettes. So you can see that there is about 3/4 pound of additives and fillers used in commercial cigarettes. Check this link to see a list of additives added http://www.tobaccoseed.co.uk/additives.htm
I would have to say that if you were going to smoke/use tobacco in any way it would be much safer to grow your own, that way you know that there are no crazy additives added.
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Greg, wow, some very interesting information that you researched. Do you smoke? Were you wanting to grow it to turn the buck? Curiosity never got this cat. Have a wonderful day, best of life. Cindi
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Hi Cindy, I smoke very occasionally, My wife smokes so once in a while I will have one with her. I do chew snuff. I used to smoke cigars a lot. I have cut back a lot on tobacco use just so I am not using it to excessively. I wanted to grow tobacco just for the fun of it and to see if I could make cigars and snuff. After doing some research on the additives that cigarette companies use I wanted to grow it to be safer in using tobacco.
I was thinking about planting some of those plants you had posted about a while ago. what were they called? The marijuana substitute plant.
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I wonder if Bees go after tobacco flowers? Tobacco honey? Doesn't sound to appealing does it.
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No, doesn't sound appealing, but it will give you a great buzz.... :-D :roll: