PAXTON - The Ford County Sheriff's Department is asking for the public's help in finding whoever planted marijuana plants recently discovered on a farmer's land near Piper City.

An area farmer called sheriff's police on Sept. 15 to report the plants growing on his property near 2000 North Road in the Piper City area. Someone checking the farmer's property for a place to hunt whitetail deer discovered the illegal crop earlier that day.

Sheriff's deputies who investigated found 15 marijuana plants growing in two different spots by a creek bank and a wooded area. The plants were cultivated, fertilized and the area around them was well-maintained.

The plants ranged from 4 to 9 feet tall and had a street value exceeding $10,000, police said.

The sheriff's department continues to investigate.

Anyone knowing who was responsible for the crop or any other marijuana production was asked to call Ford County Crime Stoppers at (217) 784-4173.