By Corbett Phipps
Back in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, nearly every farm in Adams County had a tobacco base. It was government and burley tobacco co-op regulated and administered by the local ASC/FSA office.
You could only grow the amount determined by your base. In the late 60’s or early 70’s the acreage base was converted to a poundage allotment.
At one time, burley tobacco brought nearly nine million dollars into Adams County. Eventually the government and co-op regulations were stopped and the major tobacco companies began contracting directly with individual farmers. The government had a buy-out program where many farmers sold their quota and stopped growing tobacco.
Soon the tobacco companies stopped contracting with small farmers and the demand for tobacco slowed down until today there may only be one or two farms in the county growing tobacco, one growing 120 acres and the other around 100 acres. Many older farmers still put 25-50 tobacco plants in their garden for old times sake.
In the old days much of the tobacco was pegged in (set with a wooden peg when the soil was wet). When mechanical transplants became more available, the tobacco was all set in dry conditions with tractor-mounted setters.
The tobacco crops in the past bought each year’s Christmas gifts, helped to make the farm payments and bought many young men and women their first car or truck or paid for a year or two of college.