No, My Husband Does not Grow Marijuana

While this hasn't happened since I started writing the blog, it has happened several times since Luke has started the business. I have been asked this same question by so many different people: by other teachers, by students, by friends, and random people. You see, there is this persistent stereotype about organic farmers, a stereotype that says organic farming is somehow related to the marijuana industry. I believe this stereotype only exists in the Midwest, as organic food is not nearly as common here as it is in other places like the coasts. Even in Madison, where organic farming is pretty common, I was still asked this question. So, what is the question then? It is always something about marijuana, that because Luke grows organically that he then automatically grows weed. Here are some examples:

You see, I get so many crazy responses when I say Luke is a produce farmer who grows organically. Some people respond with "that's interesting, can you even make a living doing that?" Others will comment how organic growing is overrated. Others, ask about marijuana.  It always varies a little, but always the same old thing. I can't count on two hands how many times I've had people ask me. My first encounter was in Madison, of all places, where I was student teaching. A teacher asked what my fiance was going to do when he graduated, and when I said "Luke is an organic farmer," the woman responded with "I can't believe you are so open about growing pot." I was shocked of course, quickly saying that we do not grow that, and that her stereotype was rude and offensive. This of course was my first experience with such a comment, little did I know that I would receive so many more. The next occurrence also happened in Madison, with my students. Luke and I had been in a newspaper article - a front page picture on the "Life and Style" section, with a title that read "Grow your own herbs." Well, my students took the meaning of herbs to a whole new level, which I pegged off as high-schooler immaturity, but I realized how many adults think like this.

One of my favorite examples happened in the teacher workroom last year, when several teachers asked me what my husband does for a living. I told them that Luke was an organic produce farmer. One math teacher that I didn't know very well asked "Now, when your husband started the farm, did the FBI have to come out and investigate to make sure you weren't growing marijuana?" I couldn't believe it - it was so absurd. Yes, 22 elite FBI officials came out and tore the place apart, destroying all the tomatoes and nearly tearing down the house. Give me a break lady. I really hold to hold back my sarcasm when I responded, though I did give a slight snort of "you are nuts lady."

Luke and I have a "grow room." Now before your imagination goes running, let me tell you what we grow in there: wheat grass, sunflower sprouts, pea shoots, and some specialty sprouts. We call it a grow room because it is temperature controlled and humidity controlled - it was specifically designed to be able to keep up a certain temperature and a certain humidity - ideal sprouting conditions. Not ideal marijuana conditions. I guess we shouldn't call it a grow room, not that we do that much, sometimes sprout room, sometimes I refer to it as the room in our overall scary basement. I have however used two slips of the word "grow room" since we have been married. One was to my students when we were doing a lab about salinization and I was talking about proper conditions for germination and growing sprouts. They knew my husband was a produce farmer, but when I mentioned our "grow room" I literally saw jaws drop. I quickly explained what it really was, and made sure to avoid using that term in the future.
A second time occurred at the market, when a woman asked how we grow the sprouts, and if she could grow them by setting them on a porch. I told her that sprouts require very specific conditions, and that we have a grow room where we can maintain appropriate growing conditions. She responded by saying that it is illegal to have a grow room, and once again, I had to quickly back track and explain that it is not a marijuana room. Come on people, if we had a marijuana room, those 22 nasty FBI officials probably would have found it. Alright, I may look at it to sarcastically, but can't people just hear that you live on an organic farm and think you are growing good food for people to enjoy?
Dare to dream I suppose, dare to dream :)