In the mid-1990s, Bob Ammerman and his son Mike were carrying on the tradition of Bob's grandparents - raising crops on the banks of the South Fork of the Licking River in Northeastern Kentucky. They saw that, as the big corporations turned more and more to cheap foreign tobacco and "reconstituted tobacco" (tobacco dust and stems made into a paste, dried into sheets and shredded) many family farms were watching their centuries-old source of livelihood disappear - and with it, an American tradition and way of life.
So Bob and Mike decided to invest in some second-hand machines and hired local folk to operate them. They began to make Kentucky's Best® cigarettes from the best whole-leaf tobacco and to offer them for sale at a fair price. They turned to world-class tobacco expert Happy Wiglesworth to create the blends of top-quality Flue-cured, Burley and Oriental tobaccos that make the company's products so darn good.
At first, some people thought they were nuts. How could a couple of Kentucky farm boys compete with giant corporations? But as word spread, orders began pouring in from all over the country. By focusing on craftsmanship and knowledge gained from generations of tobacco growers, Bob and Mike - with help from Mr. Wiglesworth - had produced the best-tasting, highest-quality American cigarettes available anywhere at any price. And by the way - since there aren't any big-city high-rises full of beancounters in suits, Farmer's Tobacco products cost a lot less than the big corporate brands!
Today, the company continues to make a product so pure Kentucky's Best brand tobacco products are approved for use in Native American rituals. And the company continues to lead a small group of American tobacco growers who are dedicated to doing it the old-fashioned way - and that means the RIGHT way - to give you the smooth, rich, natural flavor and satisfaction you're looking for.