To commemorate Canadian lieutenant John McCrae’s 150th birthday and the 107th anniversary of In Flanders Fields, Justin Carrow unpacks the poppy made famous by McCrae’s poem.
It is a symbol of remembrance and respect to war veterans in Canada. Another claim to fame of another red poppy is its role in the production of opium and its derivatives including morphine and heroin.
The ability to produce opium has made the poppy, or P. Somniferum a crux of history.
Read more here about an investigation into the opium and field poppy as well as poppyseed production in the November-December 2022 issue of Small Farm Canada.