Connecticut’s agricultural traditions have endured over hundreds of years, and survived through the continuing threat of manufacturing and various other industries. Shade grown tobacco is one of the most prominent crops in Connecticut. The specialized tobacco leaves are used as cigar wrappers for filler tobacco that is primarily grown in. Latin America. Fields covered with gauze or cheesecloth to protect the plants from direct sunlight are a common sight throughout the Connecticut River Valley. Although there are important colonial roots to the tobacco industry in Connecticut, large scale harvesting did not begin until the 19th century. Since that time Connecticut has expanded the industry to the point that the state is first in New England for tobacco acreage and production.