No, This Is Not One Of Our Crops

This grows wild in our pasture.

Despite Harland’s best attempts to kill it all off every year, some of it comes back. Hemp (marywanna) was a crop farmers were encouraged to grow during WWII to replace hemp supplies previously obtained from Japan. It was used to make military uniforms, canvas and rope back then. The US government even put out a film called Hemp for Victory.  Today it is illegal to grow hemp as a crop of course, but it still pops up here and there in pastures and fields.

And as a hair adornment for me on the day we worked the cattle.

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Suzanne

Cattle, corn, wheat, beans, mud, snow, ice, and drought. Plenty of fresh air and quiet. Our life is sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes joyous, but never boring.

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19 Responses

  1. Glenda says:

    I can hear Harland saying, “Are you really going to put that photo on your blog? Oh well, I’ll bail you out honey.” LOL

  2. Oh my gosh!!!! You are too much! I can’t believe people used to grow that stuff for a living…wow! That’s pretty amazing. Geeze, I learn so much from you! Before I even started to read the post,I was like…wait a minute and I was counting the leaves. I was like “is that marijuana!? NO it can’t be”. Too funny!

    • Suzanne says:

      Hi Bonnie,
      Actually, it is still grown and harvested for the hemp in other countries. And even though I’ve seen the stuff around in fields since I was a kid, I still do a leaf count too and am surprised to see it every time. 🙂

  3. Lynn says:

    That amuses me to no end!

  4. Jen says:

    We see it growing occasionally in ditches while driving on gravel roads. I about fell out of the car the first time I saw it growing wild! 🙂

  5. Jay Simons says:

    Whatever, hippies.

  6. Not knowing diddly about hemp, I went looking for info and found this site for Perdue University. Interesting.

    http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html

  7. Tina says:

    OMG!So that is why everyone is so happy and content back there! Don’t worry Suzanne I’ll bail you out too. Have a great weekend everyone!

  8. trisha harris says:

    First time I ever saw this stuff. Thanks, Suzanne, I bet Harland had to tell you what it was.

    Just think, you could weave some of those wildflowers that are so beautiful, put them on your head and return to 1965 in a heartbeat.

    I love this blog! Always something interesting.

  9. Edith says:

    Hemp is an extraordinary fiber. Cotton fiber is not as strong.. Makes you wonder why it’s illegal? The male plant is not mary-wannna but plain old Hemp. The female flower head is where the drug is.

  10. Glyndalyn says:

    Ha! Great photo.

  11. Dianna says:

    I never knew that about hemp! This is a cute photo of you two.

  12. Doe of Mi. says:

    I learn something new everyday!

  13. Carola says:

    Reminds me of my high school days, as it grew wild in SD too. Always fun to go hunting the mary-jane… 😀

  14. Teresa says:

    We see a lot of it around here too. We call it Iowa Ditchweed. I don’t have much around here anymore–I think the goats have eaten it. That must be why I have mellow goats!

  15. Peggy says:

    Ha ha! That is too crazy! I had no idea that was grown during WW11. I be there are lots of pot heads that would love to get their hands on that. You are so funny!

  16. Tracey says:

    found your blog via another! Funny, my dad was just telling me how it was also used as a “chinking” material for log cabins and boats. The fibers, dipped in tar, were made into something that kept boats from leaking and cabins sealed from the outside weather…called oakum. We then thought it would be great if we actually could grow the crop and sell. We had a big laugh out of the insanity of that ever happening here in America!

    • Suzanne says:

      It’s too bad about it really. Hemp is actually a pretty strong and versatile fiber.
      Thanks for visiting Tracey.

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