Alvin has been farming in Western North Carolina since around 1950 so he brings plenty of experience to us. March of 1999, Alvin started 200,000 tobacco plants in his 30' X 96' hydroponic greenhouse and has since added another 30' X 96' greenhouse and plans to start an additional 200,000 in March of 2000. For those unfamiliar with hydroponic growing, it is a growing plants in styrofoam trays which are floated in water. Periodically, all 200,000 plants are removed from the greenhouse, trimmed so they are the same height, then returned to the greenhouse for further growth. These plants are trimmed to allow the smaller plants to catch up with the larger plants with the goal to have all 200,000 plants around the same size when they are set in the ground. Alvin started our 1999 tobacco plants in his greenhouse and he helped us set the plants in our field.

Around 60 days after the tobacco is planted in the field, you must top and sucker the tobacco until it is harvested and hung to dry. Since we are growing organically, we topped and suckered each plant using a knife. Alvin who currently farms conventionally, must top his plants manually but uses a manufactured chemical, which is sprayed on the tobacco plant, will prevent suckering. Suckers are new shoots on plant that if left to grow will consume the energy, which you normally want to go to the main leaves.