Tobacco Worksite Visit:
Shade Tobacco

Tobacco Worksite Facts: Shade tobacco is grown primarily in the Connecticut River valley. Grown on just 1,000 acres under white mesh canopies that protect the plant’s delicate leaf, shade tobacco is the state’s fifth largest agricultural commodity by volume. It is grown from May to September, and workers work 18 hours a day, seven days a week. Although the detailed description provided here pertains to shade tobacco (grown in the Northeast), many of the health conditions affecting these workers also affect workers handling other varieties of tobacco.