Casing ?

My Arkansas buddy Janet commented in her blog that they have had a couple of glorious 60 degree days. Heck, we get above zero and think that's glorious. Despite a strong breeze, our 30 degree temps allowed a walk to the mail box. 

As you may remember that's a small hike as the mail box is about a mile from our home. The sun actually graced us on the return trip and boy did that sunshine feel good. It's been a while since we've been warmed by the sun.

Natureman reminded me only 8 weeks of winter remain. Yippee! Then he added, today was "casing weather." I had no clue what he meant.  Do you? Apparently it's common a term here in Wisconsin- to have a week of milder winter weather and that week is called 'casing weather.'  

Why? 

Many farmers in this area used to have tobacco as a crop and this warmer week of reprieve allowed the Wisconsin farmers to finish and pack the dried tobacco. 

The tobacco had been hung and dried in a ventilated barn on lathes. (BTW we used to have a tobacco shed on the back of our barn.) 

Anyhow, the tobacco is stacked in this steam room called a 'strip' room. The wood stove heats a water reservoir whose steam makes the tobacco leaves pliable, 'coming into case',  after which they are stripped off the stalk. Then this stripped tobacco is placed on brown paper in a press and pressed into 40 # wrapped bundles. 


Understandably the South wouldn't have a problem with moisture and foggy winter days and wouldn't need casing weather like here in the End of the Rainbow Valley...

I learn something new every day. What glorious casing weather!


Case weather is a tobacco farmer's term for the warming spell in WI. winter usually mid December creating damp air and fog. During this time, the tobacco plants that were cut in the fall and hung

CCase weather is a tobacco farmer's term for the warming spell in WI. winter usually mid December creating damp air and fog. During this time, the tobacco plants that were cut in the fall and hungase weather is a tobacco farmer's term for the warming spell in WI. winter usually mid December creating damp air and fog. During this time, the tobacco plants that were cut in the fall and hung