MANNVILLE, Alta. – Mary Koshowski looks closely at the hemp plant, picks off a seed, eats it and smiles, remembering her youth.
When Koshowski, 92, was young she always had a pocket full of roasted hemp seeds to chew on as she did her chores.
“We always carried them in our pocket and chewed it like sunflower seeds,” said Koshowski of Myrnam during an Aug. 18 hemp field day.
In the past few years, with a pile of government paperwork, hemp is making a comeback on prairie farms, but Koshowski remembers when hemp was grown on many farms. When her mother came to Canada from Ukraine, she brought hemp seeds for her Canadian garden. When Koshowski was married, she grew hemp in her own garden.
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Some seeds were roasted for snacks. The plants were used as a windbreak around the garden and for the ducks to feed on. Once a year her father would take a sack of hemp seed to a processing plant near Two Hills, Alta., to be pressed into oil.
“It was used for cooking, just like Mazola, with a different taste,” she said.
Koshowski’s daughter, Lovette Strynadka of St. Paul, Alta., said her mother is interested in hemp fibre.
“She’s been so excited about how they make thread,” said Strynadka.
Koshowski said her father used the hemp fibre wherever he needed strong thread.
“My father used it to make thread and fix children’s shoes. It was so strong.”
Hemp’s curiosity factor is high, said Jim Storch, who grew 40 acres of hemp this year, up from 15 acres last year.
“There’s a lot of Babas and Guidos who would have seen their parents grow it,” said Storch.
Margaret Greenwood of Viking, Alta., travelled to Mannville with the Quintie Women’s Institute on its annual outing to learn more about hemp.
“All of us were farmers and we’re still interested in the farming business,” said Greenwood, who toured the hemp plot and listened to Storch’s presentation on hemp production.
“We were all quite impressed with all what you can make from hemp,” she said.
While there may be curiosity from the women of the Women’s Institute and grandparents who once grew it, fewer farmers are including hemp in their plans.
About four years ago, there were 4,000 acres of hemp grown in Alberta. Last year, there were close to 3,000 acres and this year only 1,300 acres of hemp were planted.
“It has been declining,” said Storch. “It’s just the committed individuals who are willing to do the marketing. It’s a lot harder. You have to do the networking and find people who want it.”
This spring Storch pre-sold about three-quarters of his estimated seed production.
“I go where I can get the best deal.”
