Hemp once a big part of Wisconsin agriculture

Most people today don’t realize that hemp was once a major crop in southern Wisconsin, especially during World Wars I and II. In 1908, researchers in the University of Wisconsin’s agronomy department grew the first hemp in the state. Interested in learning about hemp as a source of fiber, they planted 6 acres of cannabis plants on the grounds of Mendota Hospital (at the time the hospital was named the Wisconsin Hospital for the Insane, and the hemp acreage became known as “the asylum farm”). The results were so promising that the university planted more experimental plots in 1909, 1910 and 1911 at Mendota, Waupun and Viroqua. The researchers discovered that not only was hemp an excellent source of fiber, it also killed any weeds that shared its plot of soil. At the Waupun site, hemp was planted in a field infested with quack grass. The hemp flourished — the quack grass died.

Observing the success of the university’s experiments with hemp, nearby farmers began planting the crop, and by 1915, Wisconsin farmers were growing 400 acres of hemp. By 1917, hemp acreage in Wisconsin soared to 7,000 acres.