Perhaps not the widest known fact, tobacco farming has a long history in the Connecticut River Valley. When the first settlers came to the valley in the 1630s, tobacco was already being grown by the native population. By 1700, tobacco was being exported via the Connecticut River to European ports. The use of Connecticut tobacco as a cigar wrapper leaf began in the 1820’s. Area farmers grew tobacco for the two outside layers of cigars, the binder and the wrapper. At its height, there was greater than 15,000 acres of tobacco being cultivated in the Connecticut River Valley. Currently, the amount of tobacco being grown in the valley is just over a steady 2,000 acres.
The tobacco farming industry is still active up and down the Connecticut River Valley, although it is shrinking. This is due to lower demand for the plant and increased use of land for housing and commercial needs. On this farm in South Windsor, an old industry continues.
