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Household Finances

What is the Biggest Selling Crop Grown in US

17 years ago

I saw it on CNN and MSNBC. It was mariuanna (can't spell) It beat out corn and wheat together.

Mostly grown in National Forests.

I'm still in shock. Can't think of anything else to say.

oakleif

Comments (14)

Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
17 years ago
I wonder what the criteria was for calling it the best selling crop.

My guess is that it might be the most profitable if the 'farmer' doesn't get caught. Imagine what the street value would be for a bushel of maryjane as opposed to corn.

I'm not shocked, though I might have been had I actually heard the reports.

Both large and small plantings are found often within a 100 mile radius of me. Occasionally (I think) the street value is a million dollars or more. A farmer would have to raise a far greater amount of corn or beans to be worth that amount of money.

Sue
western_pa_luann
17 years ago
Take the report with a grain of salt...

It was written by California marijuana policy researcher Jon Gettman who wants potlegalized nationwide....
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I don't even know where to begin because the PJIC-itis set in so bad this year that I am STILL trying to pot stuff up. LOL With all of the stuff out there, I would say my biggest success was trying a goldflame honeysuckle for the first time, and not only having it bloom all summer with each segment of new growth (there is a bloom out there right now), but having it actually ATTRACT a hummingbird. And we're talking about up on the 18th floor. I haven't seen the hummer in weeks though and I was never quick enough to get the camera out to get a pic of it, but for that week or so when it apparently found my spot was just unbelieveable. I still haven't recovered and have all sorts of plans for next year for any hummers who are interested. I have already grown natural attractants for years out there (weigelas, etc), mainly because I liked those plants. But the honeysuckle hit pay dirt!! Here's what the blooms look like: The parts of the vine that had grown to the ceiling and bloomed are what the hummer apparently spotted from who knows where. LOL The other pat on the back success was getting my Sarah Bernhardt peony bought last year, to bloom this year in a container. Of course, as we container gardeners are often told - it's "impossible" and other nonsense. But my little plant (that had 3 buds last year that never opened while still in the original pot) sprouted this spring and produced 5 big blooms after living in its new home: A closeup of the first flower: I didn't have a peony hoop when I needed it. LOL But I have one now for next year. As for disasters, I would say bugs and powdery mildew. Usually I get swamped by aphids but was ready for them early on with some ladybugs that one of my sisters ordered and gave some to me. But aside from not seeing any early aphids this year (nor did I see ants this year - even on my peonies), it was the whiteflies on my tomato plants (first time in my life) and the spider mites on them and on my beautyberry (been there done that with mites but this year was the worst I've ever seen), and of late, mealey bugs - on one hoya and on a gardenia (ARRRGGGG!!). Yeah, I would say the bugs were disasterous this year. Interesting that the spiders were more numerous and I have 2 biggies at each end of the balcony who have spun enormous webs between shrubs and the balcony ceiling and they are cleaning up on the "food gathering" (literally...lol). And with the PM - gosh, the poor honeysuckle, my peony, and crape myrtle bore the brunt by late summer. The whole peony is now frosty white and the honeysuckle had pretty much defoliated, but is putting out new leaves continually and with those new vinelettes come a flower! I sprayed all sorts of different PM remedies on all of them but just couldn't keep up with it because of the bizarre weather this year. I mean, the temps were very mild as opposed to frying as they can usually get, but the humidity and lack of breezes every once in awhile just made it perfect for PM. Well, back to planning in what to pot the recent acquisitions and figuring out where to put them. LOL
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Comments (16)
To each his/her own, but beware of false logic..... Small potatoes are not necessarily "more likely produced by weaker, less fit plants more likely to have been infected with viruses and other potato diseases," as proposed by mike_marietta above. Small potatoes are the ones formed last and have not had time to grow large by the time the potatoes are dug and harvested. It's just like with so many other vegetables/fruits; the ones formed close to harvest, won't be as large/ripe/mature as the ones formed earlier. The old timers I grew up around knew their potatoes and how to grow them. They had grown potatoes for generations. They chose the smaller (1 to 1.5-inch dia) potatoes for seed, and I guess the reason was that the smaller ones have more eyes and, therefore, produced higher yields. And perhaps they believed that the small potatoes were less likely to be diseased due to their young age. Sometimes with store/market-bought potatoes, the largest potatoes have diseased parts, whereas the smaller potatoes from the same harvest/bin don't have diseased parts. On the issue of storing potatoes in the ground, I'd be concerned about mice and other vermin eating and fouling the potatoes with excrement. On the issue of wrapping seed potatoes, it sounds like a very good idea.
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Normally, the blemished fruits are the only ones we get to eat, as all the nice looking ones go to market. The only thing about selling blemished produce at discounts is that people MAY start preferring and or expecting it - just because it is cheaper, leaving you with your unsold picture-perfect produce to take back home. Personally, I would not offer anything except your best produce the first year. Establish yourself, and get to know your market. If you have a client specifically ask about damaged / blemished goods, that's another story. We have restaurants requesting all of our blemished tomatoes for sauce making, so that may be an option. The chicken idea is good too - they like almost everything! Some food banks may be picky about the produce - there is one by us that only wants the good looking stuff, while another will take pretty much anything. Good Luck!
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Stefan - I grow some of my produce in containers, but for different reasons than yours. My property is small (just over an acre) and the garden only takes up a tiny corner of that. Full sun is at a premium because the house and land is deep in the forest. So I have to rotate crops into the best light to finish them off (I start in the shade and move them as they grow). By using large plastic boxes (used to mix concrete in) I can grow quite a lot of greens and they are easy to drag around on the lawn. Another bonus is that I can really control the soil that I grow in - which makes the lettuce taste better. And it pretty much stops the vole (rodent) damage.
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joyfulguy
17 years ago
Figues can't lie, they say.

But - liars can figger.

Have no idea regarding the validity of the claim ...

... but we can believe everything that we see on TV ...

... read in the paper ...

... can't we?

ole joyful
carealot
17 years ago
Now if only someone could figure out how to use it for fuel to run our cars. hmmmm gosh I wonder if the smoke in the air would make people a little more mellow or maybe that would be a bit to dangerous. ok never mind I'm babbling now. Sorry! lol
oakleif
Original Author
17 years ago
carealot, Patent that idea. We can send the fuel everywhere war breaks out. LOL
oakleif
housenewbie
17 years ago
Actually, hemp can be used as fuel, same as any other plant--turn it to ethanol. Like corn. And it has the added advantage of not making foods more expensive because of increased demand.

It's also a better source of paper pulp than trees. Grows quicker, more renewable.

I wish they'd give up already and admit they've lost the 'war on drugs' worse than iraq. Around here the biggest crop isn't MJ, it's meth. Tiny towns w/ populations in the low hundreds have a few meth busts every year. And yet, it doesn't go away. And the rest of us can't buy a freaking cold pill because they're used for meth production. And yet, it doesn't go away. Because the dealers are smarter than the govt, and find another ingredient.

Just legalize it, sell it at CVS, and tax it like cigarettes. The deficit would be gone in a year. Or, people would lose interest because it's no longer 'forbidden.'
joyfulguy
17 years ago
But ...

... but ...

... then the growers'd want a heavy duty government subsidy!

Have a great week, everyone.

ole joyful
steve_o
17 years ago
I wish they'd give up already and admit they've lost the 'war on drugs' worse than iraq. Around here the biggest crop isn't MJ, it's meth. Tiny towns w/ populations in the low hundreds have a few meth busts every year. And yet, it doesn't go away. And the rest of us can't buy a freaking cold pill because they're used for meth production. And yet, it doesn't go away.

Hear, hear!! To me, that "war" and useless programs like D.A.R.E. are poster children for zero-based-budgeting the entire government. It's just money spent stupidly, with no consideration as to the return on the investment. It probably sounds quite cold of me to say that, but every single one of us balances cost versus benefit all day, every day. Why we cannot apply that kind of judgement to the "war" on drugs or the wisdom of subsidizing tobacco farmers and then paying for the long-term care of tobacco users just completely escapes me. Unfortunately, anyone in elected office who raises such questions probably will hear carefully-edited bites of those trenchant questions come the next election; soundbites that will make him/her sound like they're against apple pie and puppies. :-(
chelone
17 years ago
Add me to the chorus, too! I'm nearly 50, and like many of you I've had too much experience to buy into the notion of a "war" on drugs. For heaven's sake, let's move on and deal honestly with the issue.

The meth. issue is just starting to become problematic in my state; there was a pretty big bust a month/so ago. Insulated as we have been (relatively) I was unaware of how sweeping the problem is in the mid-west. AND how expensive a problem it is in the penal system... evidently, meth. destroys teeth and the costs to taxpayers who fund the medical/DENTAL care in correctional facilities has increased exponentially in the past few years.

And we're still flipping out about grass?! Why am I even surprised?
kimba00
17 years ago
Just think if there were no drug laws, prostitution legalized as well as gambling, the mobsters would be unemployed!
chelone
17 years ago
And your point would be?
bentruler
17 years ago
You want to end drug use, stop trying to block drugs. You need to make people want to stop using drugs.

There's a simple solution: posion the drug supply.
oakleif
Original Author
17 years ago
I thought prostitution and gambling were legalized. But i'm just an old country girl and all i know is most tv stars today appear to be prostitutes and gambleing is also featured on tv a lot, even news,lotteries powerball etc.
Yes, down in town i hear of meth labs. For all the good laws seem to do they may as well be legalized.

Had to go to sherrifs office to complain abt a bad neighbor. There was a notice on the wall offering $2500 for info for indicting marijuana growers. I told my DD "we could make a fortune hikeing around our mts." She replied " We would'nt live to report the first grower."
vickie
housenewbie
17 years ago
But ...
... but ...

... then the growers'd want a heavy duty government subsidy!

Ha!!! Too true.

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