Burley tobacco

A late afternoon walk through Charles Church's fields in Valle Crucis was exactly what this gal needed. The Burley tobacco has been speared and wilts on wooden stakes for the next couple of days before it is tucked into the barn to air dry for a couple of months.
Not so long along it was common place to see tobacco fields such as this one all over the High Country. The staked tobacco reminds me of praying monks--or miniature teepees. For many reasons, Burley tobacco farming is no longer the cash crop it used to be and a smart part of the Appalachian cultural way of life is quickly disappearing....