Carrying on the family tradition of tobacco farming like their ancestors before them, Bob and Mike Ammerman never dreamed they would one day start a cigarette company.

But in the late 1990's, as big companies turned more and more to foreign tobacco, Bob and Mike saw what was happening to their friends and neighbors. The centuries-old livelihood so many farmers depended on was disappearing, and with it, an American tradition and way of life.

A lot of people called them crazy. A lot of people thought they'd never succeed. But despite competition from big global corporations and cheap foreign-grown tobacco, Bob and Mike decided to use their lifelong expertise to make a cigarette called Kentucky's Best. After all, they knew that superior whole-leaf tobacco is the foundation of any high-quality cigarette.

They acquired some second-hand machines, hired local Kentucky workers to run them, and offered Kentucky's Best at a fair price. All they hoped for was to sell enough to stay in business.

No one was prepared for what followed. As word spread, people from all over the country started calling Farmer's Tobacco of Cynthiana to ask for Kentucky's Best. By focusing on craftsmanship and the knowledge they had earned in their own tobacco fields, Bob and Mike had managed to produce the highest-quality, best-tasting American cigarette available at any price.

Visit links to FarmAid and the USDA’s community-supported agriculture website.