Old Kentucky tobacco barn

/ Roadtirementvintage

We spotted this old tobacco barn from the I-275 interstate in Kentucky. These barns are used to hang tobacco plants after they are cut at their base. Burley tobacco plants can grow to a height of six feet. The barn’s missing siding boards and roof vents enable the large leaves to dry before they are baled and sold. Beyond the barn is the Ohio River.

17 thoughts on “Old Kentucky tobacco barn”

    • Oh yes it a lot of work. When we were raising it you had to handle the crop over 15 times from setting the plants to unloading at the auction barn. I always got the top tier in the barns when it was hanging time too. We were were in the business you still filled the baskets, it was before the bailing presses.

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      • I never had to climb in the barn to hang, but handed it off of the wagon. We put ours on the baskets too. The last few years mom and dad did it, they had to press it in bales. It was hard work, but I miss those days.

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      • We leased our base out before the bale presses came in. (We got out of farming and ranching quite a while ago. Sometimes I miss it, mostly don’t!) We had an old gentleman who worked for us, and my could he load a basket. He’d lace in the lower grade leaves so you’d never see them at the sale barn. Like you said, what a lot of work it was, yet good money.

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