History:
Six generations of the Brown family have been farming in and around Windsor, Connecticut since the mid 1800’s. Over the years, the Brown family has grown a variety of crops including potatoes, strawberries, various vegetables and CT Valley Shade Tobacco which has been sold internationally.
James M. Brown, purchased the original home farm near the old Poquonock Town Hall in 1871. Prior to that, in the 1850’s, he had manufactured cigars, and with the purchase of the farm he also engaged in tobacco growing. His business was so successful that he employed three or four carriages to peddle his cigars all over Connecticut. He raised anywhere from 15 to 20 acres of outdoor tobacco, which was a very large undertaking in those days.
In 1938, Hubble F Brown, 3rd generation, grew his first crop of shade leaf tobacco. Although his first crop was lost in the Hurricane of ’38, the Brown family continued to grow shade tobacco for fine cigar wrappers until 2012.
Since 1978, Brown’s Harvest has welcomed families and groups from area schools, clubs and businesses to enjoy the seasonal offerings out at the Farm. If you’d like to bring your own group to schedule an outing, please contact us.
Today, we raise Broadleaf Tobacco for wrappers on fine cigars, along with Asparagus, new acres of Strawberries and Blueberries as well as vegetables and pumpkins on over 175 acres.
