Tobacco Culture: Farming Kentucky's Burley Belt

TOBACCO CULTURE describes the process of raising a crop of burley from the perspective and experience of the farmers, and documents both present and historical developments in tobacco farming at a time when a way of life stands poised for dramatic change. Here is a remarkable and fascinating portrait of the "heart of the burley belt" in central Kentucky. 40 photos.

Whereas most crops drive farmers apart as they compete for the best prices, the price controls on tobacco bring growers together. The result is a culture unlike any other in America, one often forgotten or overlooked as federal and state governments fight over the spoils of the tobacco settlement.

Tobacco Culture describes the process of raising a crop of burley from the perspective and experience of the farmers themselves. It documents both present practices and historical developments in tobacco farming at the very moment a way of life stands poised for dramatic change.

Combining cultural anthropology and oral history, John van Willigen and Susan Eastwood have created a remarkable portrait of the "heart of the burley belt" in Central Kentucky.