List of Canadian heritage wheat varieties facts for kids

'Red Fife' was the very first type of wheat grown and named in Canada. Today, plant experts still use these old, "heritage" wheat types to create new and even better ones.

Farmers are choosing to grow heritage wheat varieties as part of movements like the 100 Mile Diet (eating food grown close to home) and Slow Food (enjoying food that's made with care). 'Red Fife' wheat is special because it was the first heritage wheat to celebrate something called terroir. This is a fancy word for how a plant's genes mix with the soil, weather, and other conditions where it grows. It's like the plant's unique taste of its home!

Discovering Canada's Amazing Wheat Varieties

Canada has a rich history of developing many different kinds of wheat. Each one was created for special reasons, like growing faster, resisting diseases, or making better bread. Here are some of the most important or interesting ones:

The Story of Red Fife Wheat

• Red Fife (1885): This is where it all began! The seeds were sent to a farmer named David Fife in Peterborough, Ontario. They came from a ship in Glasgow, Scotland, but originally from a place called Danzig. A friend sent him the seeds in 1842. Red Fife wheat was known for growing well and making excellent flour. It was the most popular wheat in Canada from 1860 to 1900.

Famous Wheat Varieties and Their Superpowers

Many wheat varieties were developed to have special "superpowers" like growing quickly or fighting off diseases.

• Ladoga (1888): This wheat came from Russia. It was special because it grew very early, meaning farmers could harvest it sooner. It also became a "parent" for other important wheats like Preston and Stanley.
• Hard Red Calcutta (1890): This variety came from India. It was never grown much by farmers in Canada, but it was a very important "parent" for the famous Marquis wheat.
• Marquis (1910): This is one of Canada's most famous wheats! It was created by mixing Red Fife and Hard Red Calcutta. Scientists at Agriculture Canada in Ottawa developed it. Dr. Charles Saunders picked out the best plants by even chewing the grains to test their quality!
• Prelude (1913): Developed by Agriculture Canada, this wheat was known for growing very, very early. However, it didn't produce as much grain as other types.
• Garnet (1925): This wheat was also developed by Agriculture Canada. It grew early and did well even in cool weather.
• Reward (1928): Another Agriculture Canada creation, Reward was known for growing early and having good quality.
• Thatcher (1935): Developed in the University of Minnesota in the USA, this wheat was a game-changer! It was one of the first types that could resist a serious plant disease called rust. Thatcher wheat was so good that by 1953, it made up 70% of all the wheat grown in Canada!
• Rescue (1946): Developed in Ottawa, this wheat had a special "solid stem." This solid stem helped it fight off a tiny insect called the sawfly, which can damage wheat plants.
• Selkirk (1953): This wheat, developed by Agriculture Canada, was very good at resisting a specific type of stem rust called 15B.
• Manitou (1965): Created by Agriculture Canada, Manitou had even more resistance to rust diseases, making it a strong choice for farmers.
• Neepawa (1969): Similar to Manitou, this wheat was developed by Agriculture Canada. It grew earlier and produced more grain than Thatcher.
• Glenlea (1972): Developed at the University of Manitoba, this wheat was known for having very strong gluten, which is great for making bread. It also produced more grain than Neepawa.
• Acadia (1937): This wheat was developed at the Experimental Farm in Indian Head, Saskatchewan. It was especially good for growing in Eastern Canada, like the Maritimes. It grew strongly and was excellent for all kinds of baking. In the 1950s, Acadia and Selkirk were the most popular bread wheats in the Maritimes, helping the region grow much of its own wheat.

See also

• Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association
• Alberta Wheat Pool
• Canadian Wheat Board
• Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
• Taxonomy of wheat
• Red Fife wheat
• History of agriculture in Canada