Anyone ever work on a tobacco plantation before? Share your stories.
rad1964
Posts: 190 ✭✭
It is true. I have worked a tobacco plantation.
It all began back in 1978, I was 14 years old and I had exhausted all my whiney child/teen infused verbal debates at the parental units for them to buy me a motorcycle.
It is then they told me, "we will never, ever, buy you a motorcycle. You will have to buy one for yourself.
A switch clicked ON in my head and I decided I would do just that! So I found a local ad wanting young folks to pick tobacco. So I told my parents I wanted this summer job, and they supported my efforts. So in the morning I would get dropped off 15 miles from my home in Connecticut and wait with other local teens for the bus. On the bus we went from Willimantic to East Windsor and were dropped off.
We arrived to see dozens of other buses all loaded with local youths from other towns. It was then I knew this was going to be a rollarcoaster of an adventure.
We unloaded, after a long ride of older teen harrassment and a "straw boss" was there explaining rules and what we were to do and what we were to be paid at the end of the day, which was decided upon how many baskets/rows of tobacco you picked and gathered.
That first week I made $160. It was tremendously hard work, but as a 14 year old, I knew it was my path to a motorcycle.
In the beggining, you would be on your butt dragging your butt down this isle of tobacco that was so long you couldn't see the light of day until half way down. They expected you to do this this rain or shine. If and when there was an arguement, which were many with all that young testoterone, and the one bad thing, one member of your group was made into a "straw boss" and those bastards, most of em, would torture you to no end, if they didn't like you. So consequently there were a lot of fights and you learned quickly that if you broke just one mature tobacco plant you could be fined, an amount of money depending on the maturity of the plant/per plant. I remember hearing a mature was worth $220. A weeks worth of pay if you picked fast.
One rainy day, I just did not want to work. It was pouring, not just sprinkling, there was no extra gear, except for your baseball cap and the basic issue rain garment which, if you had to be on your butt, did not help at all.
So they told me to stay on the bus until 4pm when they'd bus me home. Being an ownry youth, I tried to hitch hike home. I made it to Willimantic about the same time the bus arrived. Doh! Plus I was soaked anyways.
I did end up earning a motorcycle on my own. And I still drive one today!
If I had the chance to to go back in time and re do it, I think I would find a different job! 
Comments
Tobacco Horn Worm was just one of the very odd, very large (with TEETH) scary item a 14 yr-old could almost sit on touch/grab by accident. Man, to this day I still shudder...
We didn't have rain gear either!
My dad raised tobacco until I was about 6 or 7 years old. I remember the tobacco barns and the smell, riding a tobacco sled pulled by a pony and "sword fighting with older kids using tobacco sticks" ...
But I'm smirking!
i just posted in the Tobacco Barn thread my experience with harvesting tobacco.
we should hang out some time.
Semi-tropical, I wish...I live in Ohio man, the only thing semi tropical here is the weed!
And hellyeah kuzi, unfortunately my wonderful days (bullshit) in Tiffin are over and I'm going to college back down south this year, but I'm down for Kuzipallooza!
I also got some pictures while out in the fields today, so if I can hunt down my phone cable I'll post them.
"Long ashes my friends."