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Murray
Time & Temp
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by Aaron
W. Hughey
Western Dark Fired Tobacco was established in 1931 as a cooperative owned
by tobacco growers in the region.
Will Ed Clark, who has been the manager of Western Dark Fired Tobacco
for 22 years, has seen a lot happen during his tenure with the cooperative.
“The Tobacco Association administers the price support program for
dark tobacco producers,” Clark explains. “If you include everyone
involved in the industry, there are probably around 500 farmers and producers
in this area alone.”
“Tobacco isn’t just about cigarettes,” Clark explains.
“The moist snuff market is continuing to grow, and dark fired tobacco
is what is used in that product.”
Even though it’s actually a different variety than other kinds of
tobacco, what gives dark fired tobacco its name is actually the way it
is processed. Burley tobacco, for example, is hung in an open barn and
allowed to dry.
Dark fired, on the other hand, is stored in an airtight facility and cured
in a way that the heat is all held inside. It is ‘fired’ several
times over a four to six week period.
“One of the biggest changes I’ve seen over the years is the
size of the tobacco farms,” Clark continues. “There used to
be many farms consisting of one to two acres.”
“But we’re seeing less and less of the smaller growers these
days,” Clark adds. “There are more and more farms in the 10
to 40 acre range.”
Even though he has much to oversee, Clark only has two employees to help
him with his daily duties and responsibilities.
“It’s just me and the two ladies,” Clark says. “But
we do just fine.”
“The tobacco industry is constantly changing,” Clark adds. “There
are quite a few young people in the business.”
Clark is also optimistic about the future.
“There are a lot of exciting things happening in the industry right
now,” Clark confides. “In the future, I think there will continue
to be opportunities for good careers.”
“I think we’ll be growing dark fired tobacco for quite some
time,” Clark concludes.
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