Tobacco tying tradition continues in Langton
Chris Abbott
Editor
Three teams participated in the Langton Fair tobacco tying competition this year on Sept. 16.
The team of Mary DeCloet-Demaiter, with leaf handlers Agnes MacLeod and Darlene Demaiter, won the event, tying two sticks in a time of 1 minute, 33 seconds. Second and third place went to Annie VanLouwe, Janet Barrett and Margaret Andries, with VanLouwe (second 1:37 minutes) and Barrett (third) switching the tying duties as they combined to form two different teams.
“Congratulations to everybody, great job,” said Linda Vandendriessche, MC of the tobacco tying event for many years. “Lots of fun here.
If there’s anybody out there that would like to try tying for fun, just to learn how it’s done, you are welcome to come up and they’ll teach you.”
The six ladies who competed this year all have a ‘lifetime’ of experience.
Barrett, celebrating her 83rd birthday on the day of the fair, said “I’ve tied all of my life.”
“For at least 10-15 years,” she laughed, recalling tobacco harvests on their Glen Myer farm. “Started (tying) as a young child, 12 years old. Our parents owned the farm.”
“When your dad said ‘you’re tying,’ you tied,” laughed VanLouwe, who would be celebrating her 90th birthday two weeks after the fair.
“Did we have a choice?” VanLouwe asked, tying since she was 11. “We had to do it. None of it was easy.”
“No,” Barrett shook her head.
It was hard work, but it was good money for harvesting gangs.
“The tyer always got more (per day) than the leaf handler…” said VanLouwe.
“They got a dollar more,” Barrett nodded. “At that time, $1 was a lot.”
“I think the primers got $6 or $7 a day for priming,” said VanLouwe.
“Primers got $11,” said Barrett.
“Not when we started,” said VanLouwe.
“I tied for $7 at the neighbours,” said Barrett. At their home farms, of course, it was a bit less.
“We didn’t get paid,” Barrett laughed.
“We just did it,” VanLouwe smiled. “But we got room and board!”
Barrett and VanLouwe have both been competing at the Langton Fair for at least 10 years.
“A long time,” VanLouwe nodded.
“Janet had a lot of bad luck today,” she noted.
“String knotted up,” said Barrett. “And I fell, the (stand) wasn’t steady.”
Over the last decade, they have seen tying teams ‘retire’. Anita Geysens was a perennial champion, and the one year, Barrett remembers, they were only one second apart. Some tobacco tyers/handlers have passed away.
“We lost two of them (in the past year),” said Barrett.
“Just a little while ago, Gerard (Demaiter – August 2026),” said VanLouwe. “In 10 years (the tobacco tying contest) won’t be here.”
It seems inevitable – hand tobacco tying ended in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
It’s a skill that has not been taught on farms since the introduction of the automatic tying machines with conveyor belts.
It’s worth watching, especially anyone living in the tobacco belt.
“We still have fun doing it, sure we do,” said VanLouwe. “I had fun today!”
“It is fun to do,” nodded Barrett.
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