The problem
Tobacco growers in Cheatham Co., TN are highly skilled in growing cigar wrapper types of dark fire-cured tobacco.  However, many of these growers are small growers and often isolated from some of our larger tobacco educational events held in cities like Clarksville TN and Springfield TN.  Mr. Ronnie Barron, former agricultural agent in Cheatham Co., recognized this problem where Cheatham Co. growers may not be getting to as many educations events as growers in Robertson and Montgomery Co. TN.  Mr. Barron has gone far above and beyond what most county agents would do to better serve tobacco growers in his county, and I have had the privilege to also help serve these growers as Mr. Barron asked me to participate in 3 annual events that he and I coordinated every year for the last 21 years.  Mr. Barron retired this year after over 30 years of service to the University of Tennessee.

 The educational program response
Mr. Barron and I have conducted one on-farm research trial each year for the past 21 years in areas of dark-fired tobacco variety testing for potential as cigar wrapper varieties, fungicide testing for control of foliar diseases that may affect leaf quality, and most recently the effect of lower leaf removal and fungicide use on cigar wrapper leaf production.  In addition, we have held an annual 'Tobacco Patch Breakfast Tour' to highlight the research that was conducted in the on-farm research trial during the field season each fall in October.  Approximately 20 tobacco growers have attended the Tobacco Patch Breakfast Tour each year.  Lastly, Mr. Barron and I have conducted a winter tobacco production meeting in January each year to not only discuss final data collected from the previous year's on-farm research trial, but also discuss all other research results and production recommendations.  30 to 40 growers would attend the annual tobacco production meeting each January.  Mr. Barron made these three educational events an integral part of his annual work plan for county extension efforts.  I was honored to help him in conducting these events for these tobacco growers.

The participants/target audience
Tobacco growers in Cheatham Co., TN.

Other partners (if applicable)
Mr. Ronnie Barron, agricultural extension agent and county director, Cheatham Co., University of Tennessee

Program impact or participant response
Participants in the Tobacco Patch Breakfast Tour in October each year and the annual Tobacco Producers meeting in January each year over the last 21 years have received education on the results of local on-farm research and the latest production recommendations for dark-fired tobacco.