“Us boys were more alert than the men and could more easily pass between the rows of plants without breaking the leaves.”

“The shade, I have sewn. It is fun but you have to be fast and careful.”

“Tobacco is a pretty interesting plant. It takes more time to prepare but within the same breath it is always a challenge to sell because they are so picky with it, the quality of the leaf, the size of a leaf, once nature takes course you can never tell how it is going to grow. You can’t always get that perfection that they wanted.”

“I started working in tobacco when I was old enough to drive the tractor out in the field. Instead of hiring a babysitter it was easier for my parents to keep watch on us.”

“I began to work in the fields as soon as I was big enough to know the plant from the weeds.”

“We’re unsure what to do about climate change, where to spend more money. Do we stop planting near the river because of flooding? A lot of older farmers are also climate change deniers.”

“It is like a family. I love it. I don’t want to go somewhere else. I went to college but look where I ended up in tobacco because I love the outside. I love being outside.”

“Working in the Connecticut River Valley under an H2A visa is a great opportunity. It provides for my family, and I learn a lot from the people here. Back in the Dominican Republic, my family owns a tobacco farm just like this one [in the Pioneer Valley], so I have been with tobacco all my life. Last year we had this big problem with the [blue] mold, everyone was freaking out! Back home when this happens we spray all the leaves with water and alcohol, so I showed them how to do that here. Everyone was so happy when it worked! … When I am here [in the Pioneer Valley], we have workers from Haiti working the farms back home. You see, there are always great opportunities in tobacco. Everyone is trying to climb the ladder!”