OK, small curing barn designs...

[O.S.O.K.]

Anybody use a small curing barn or structure? I'm talking about something that would be able to handle an acre's worth or more of production, so 2000 - 4000 lbs. of hung leaf. This would be in central Mississippi, so warm and semi-humid environment. Anybody have plans for one or can steer me to a book or a web site?

From what I see, they basically have a pole rack system or use cables to hang the leaf from. Looks like you want the leaf to have good air all around to allow even drying.

I'm curious about ventilation requirements, design, etc.

 

[BigBonner]

I own 6 of them they are not small ones . My smallest will hold 2.5 acres and my largest will hold 12 acres .Here is the inside of one.

 

[O.S.O.K.]

Ah OK. I can't see the design but there's a lot of leaf there!

Do you have racks with poles to hold the leaf?

Thanks for the pic!

 

[BigBonner]

For Burley curing we use tobacco sticks , see picture .We spear 6 stalks to each stick to wilt in the field . If you notice the bottom rails , The tobacco has been taken down . There is five rais deep and four rail accross . When we hang the tobacco it is brought in on a flatbed wagon with 250 to 325 sticks per load . One man stand straddled on the bottom rails two more men stradle rails above him . Tobacco is handed from the wagon to the bottom man and he passes it on up to the top .The tobacco is shingled from top of the barn to the bottom .The stalks on each stick are scattered on the stick after placing on the rails

The rails lay on crossties .I will take some better pictures tomorrow if I can remember to .

Notice my sons hand how black form tobacco gum they are . When I strip from 8 in the morning to lunch my hands will be caked with tobacco gum . Eating lunch , Forget what lunch is supposed to taste like because everything will taste like tobacco . I Lick my lips they taste like tobacco .

 

[FmGrowit]

This is a shot from inside the corn crib I use.




This is a basic design of a corn crib similar to what I use.


The crib I use is 40' long 16' high and 7' wide. A lot of my tobacco is primed, so it takes up less room than stalk cured. There is not enough room in the crib for an acre of tobacco. Two of these or double the size (less building material than two) would be enough room for an acre of primed leaf. Not sure how much room is needed for an acre of stalk cured.