Tobacco Priming in North Carolina 1990

In 1990 my daughter Kelly worked for a local tobacco farmer in North Carolina. It left lasting fond memories of a simpler time in life. I was really proud of the fact she was such a hard worker and remains that way to this day. With a masters in education she still loves working with and teaching kids from the farm.

[@Rick-wn5oh]

I'm getting on in years. I started pulling tobacco when I turned 13.I worked a tobacco farm until I was old enough to switch to cotton mills. To this day I remember going into the field and being drenched from the dew. But come 10am I was praying for more dew as the tobacco sap started building up. Always looked forward to a little rain shower. Back then we use to call the mid day meal dinner. We'd be loaded up and brought back to the house and fed like kings. Corn bread, pinto bean, collard greens, fried chicken and ice tea. $0.85 an hour with a meal included. Good money for a teenager.

[@doc7852]

Man that was some hard work. The best part was getting the soda and nabs for lunch.

[@sharonrobinson7666]

From my freshman year in High School until I graduated college, this was my summer job, fond memories, lots of fun with friends and family. Wish kids of today could get a taste of this.

[@Flyfishntn1]

So true. Lessons never forgotten and my daughter who is now in her 40s still remembers these days as some of her fondest memories.

[@Todd-kt9ff]

Mighty thankful 🥰

[@ROCKO633]

I hated working in Tobacco,..But I sure miss seeing people work the fields, I guess it was one of the times Families were families and Your neighbors were true friends. The smell of Tobacco curing diesel fuel from the tractors,..We would work sometimes on up til midnight. Thank You for posting this video and this valuable memory

[@Flyfishntn1]

ROCKO633 thank you, yes the times and hard work were bittersweet. My daughter loves telling her students how she worked in the tobacco fields.

[@codyrebelcb]

That was such a wholesome video and I don't even know a single soul in this video. Life is beautiful.

[@Budsc1]

OH God this bring back old memories!! When times were easy and hard. Love going to my grandparents farm helping out during the summer. My childhood sweet heart was there too. Which became my girlfriend later we were supposed to get married but a guy DUI ended her life in a car accident. She was native American girl who lived close by grandparents house she was up every morning 5am eating breakfast with us. Damn I miss those days!!!

[@shannon282]

My Father told me many stories of how him as a young boy & family had different jobs workiing in tobacco. They had to be up & ready & sometimes work it twice daily! They were poor but very hardworking! It was their source of income along with picking cotton! My Father now in his 70s is retired very comfortably from Dupont after working there 35 yrs.

[@markmoore8616]

The best times of my life

[@brad4110]

Man this really takes me back

[@robertcook792]

Those were the good ol days. Sure do miss it!

[@nateturbeville601]

I was born in 1990 I started working in tobacco about 12 suckereing tobacco hoeing out weeds and working at the barn looking back it was fun it was hot but it was fun we talked junk all day in them fields

[@TheMallen07]

Very cool video. All of my family worked in the tobacco fields of NC. I was a generation too late I suppose. I know it was hard work, but I would have liked to have done it at least once. My dad has told me stories of working the fields by moonlight and his uncle would have to sleep next to the curing barns at night to make sure the temp was right for curing the leaves.

[@Flyfishntn1]

Thanks

[@atlantic_love]

Hope you're still around. Working the field is PHYSICAL if you're cutting it. I've never transplanted it. I cut it twice. Hung it in the barn once, but struggled with the dizzying heights. I loved stripping the tobacco while listening to Kentucky play basketball, and it snowing out :D

[@foreverlorde]

It was hard work being in those fields! This almost looks like Nash County where I grew up..

[@rainmakerii2610]

I did this as a teen.75.00 a kiln.we had little riders and bins on our farm get to the end of the row and switch the full bins for emptys.My parents primed this way as shown.

[@304deerslayer]

Sand lugs where the absolute worse But this was same time frame that me and some baseball teammates would help coach crop his tobacco just like these folks crop it and the we would barn it. We would wear rain suits in the morning to keep from getting sick in afternoon lol

[@volsonrockytop690]

Woodsdale North Carolina before Mayo Creek became Mayo Lake! My uncle Woody Rogers had a Tobacco Farm off of Bethel Hill School Road past Bethel Hill Baptist Church 1960's to 1970's is what I remember!

[@toddruss100]

tobacco aint nothing but work, from one end to the other, my great granddaddy had abot 80 acres down in moore county many years ago, grew the best watermelons on this planet too !!! but I declare, that smell of tobacco curing & diesel fuel is in my DNA !!!,

[@garyh4458]

My first job was priming a half row of tobacco (two kids on one row). I made a whopping $1.75/hr.

[@gdaplumber]

i use to lift those racks by hand......many of late nights at the barn

[@john_mcneil]

Rack?, man try stringing up on sticks having hang them suckers in a barn on tiers. Early mornings were the worst with the wet sand lugs. Another 10 pounds added to those sticks.

[@gdaplumber]

@@john_mcneil did that as well...climbing tiers....packed that old barn tight....3 people in the barn...one passing to the other.....honestly working in tobacco..those summers solidified my work ethic...im definitely not afraid of hard work.....i learned so much....but no lie i hated that morning dew....lol...memories

[@cesareorselli4620]

Io ho fatto questo lavoro per 30 anni ho nosalgia

[@goodoleboi8845]

Gotta love that just good ole fashion down home southern work ethic and it's insane the restrictions that we nc in specific have put on keeping the heritage of this alive its american history n it's a sad thing instead of keeping it they'd restrict it

[@Andrea.7678]

Picking your tobacco that way brings the quality way down whole plant hang

[@willamsugg446]

Looks like the tips needed to wait another week or so before being harvested.

[@kylesmith9956]

Sickest I have ever been was priming tobacco!

[@kylesmith9956]

@@rondavis2791 look up Green Tobacco Sickness. Pretty much nicotine poising. I was about 9 or 10 and didn’t have long sleeves or gloves. Needless to say I learned my lesson.

[@garybarnett5026]

I know the feeling

[@TxFE]

Sadly this land has probably been developed into houses now.