When Son Van Dang bought land south of Brisbane, the cucumber farmer thought it would be an investment property.
Instead it became part of a multimillion-dollar cannabis operation run by a crime syndicate.
Dang was "lent on" by dangerous individuals before his two properties were taken over and used for cannabis production, Brisbane District Court was told.
In October 2018 police searched Dang's New Beith and Marsden properties as part of an investigation into cannabis production and trafficking in southeast Queensland.
At New Beith, 638 cannabis plants weighing 130.5kg with an estimated value of more than $650,000 were seized.
At Marsden, there were 551 plants at 186.2kg worth more than $940,000.
An extensive and complex cannabis production system was uncovered, the court heard.
The two properties were among six overall targeted during the police investigation which seized a total of 2416 plants estimated to be worth more than $3 million, with 14 people charged.
Defence barrister Tony Kimmins said Dang was approached after buying the New Beith land in March 2015 as an investment property.
The Marsden property was purchased in September 2017.
Mr Kimmins said Dang - who has no criminal history - was offered more than market rent for "others" to take over the properties.
"You have a situation of a person who was obviously identified by those involved in this scheme because of not being in trouble with the police and they have basically lent on him to rent the premises and he has kept away," he said.
"Obviously he turned a blind eye to what was happening."
Mr Kimmins said Dang was unaware of the size or value of the cannabis operation on his properties.
Dang did not wish to co-operate with police in a bid to reduce his sentence, he said.
"He knows it could be the difference between jail and no jail," Judge Paul Smith asked.
Mr Kimmins replied: "He has family and he has chosen that he will take the punishment".
Judge Smith noted Dang's decision.
"It would be dangerous for you to engage in such discussions," he said.
"I don't punish you for that of course. These are dangerous individuals involved in this production and one can understand that.
"But I can't give you the consideration one might get if you had undergone such a statement."
The court heard Dang had a troubled upbringing in Vietnam before coming to Australia at 18, spending his first year in the country learning English while working in a food store.
Since 2007 he has been a successful cucumber farmer working up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week with his partner the only other employee.
Dang, 53, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to two counts of permitting use of place for producing a dangerous drug.
He was sentenced to two years in jail, suspended after serving three months.
