Because of its hardiness and great flavour it is enjoying a comeback. Mustard: Until recently, we shipped these seeds to France to be made into Dijon. It performs similarly to — and can be used in place of — modern Hard Red Winter wheat. Red Fife was nominated to the Slow Food Ark of Taste in 2003 by Mara Jernigan and Sinclair Phillip of Slow Food Canada. 9. Meaghan Baxter. Deep red color and plump shape. It is impossible to verify where the wheat originated as grain has moved around the world for many centuries. Red Fife is a bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) variety that Dave Fife and family began to grow in 1842 at their farm in Peterborough, Ont. Description Red Fife Whole Grain Flour – 3, 10 & 50 lb bags. I had a red fife terroir tasting in mind at the onset of planning this conference. Park, along with ALL of our grains are non-GMO. Heritage varieties included Red Fife, Ladoga, Bishop, Preston, Hard Red Calcutta, Marquis and Stanley. 'Red Fife' was the first named variety of wheat developed in Canada. Red Fife wheat has more than one — a history, a legend and some delicious kernels of truth sprouting in between. Red Fife was North America’s preferred bread wheat in the 19th century, fathering many of our modern bread wheat varieties. Red Fife wheat is a landrace, meaning there is a genetic variability in the wheat that allows it to adapt to a diversity of growing conditions. Hardy and resistant to the diseases of the time, Red Fife was also very flavorful. Red Fife is one of Canada's oldest varieties of wheat; legend has it originating in Ukraine or Turkey. It is impossible to verify where the wheat originated as grain has moved around the world for many centuries. Red Fife is a heritage bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) and is a landrace, meaning there is genetic variability in the wheat, allowing it to adapt to a diversity of growing conditions.Red Fife is the name of a bread wheat variety that David Fife and family began to grow in 1842. and family began to grow in 1842 at their farm in Peterborough, Ont. Red Fife Wheat Bread. Attributes. There are no native varieties of wheat in Canada. The wheat was originally sent to Peterborough, Ontario farmer David Fife in 1840, from whom it took its name. Its offspring Marquis replaced it as the number-one wheat in the early 1900s. Its name comes from the farmer who first … Only one class of durum is grown, amber durum; however, there are several classes of common wheat, based on factors including seed hardness and colour, sowing time (autumn or spring) and the region where the varieties are grown. The family cow managed to eat all the wheat heads except for one, which Mrs Fife salvaged. Alberta’s Seven Signature Foods, One Can’t-Miss Experience. Jul 22, ... root vegetables, Red Fife Wheat, bison and, of course, world-famous Alberta beef. In addition, it is used to make be… Farmers are growing heritage wheat varieties as part of the 100 Mile Diet, 'eat local' and Slow Food movements. Plant breeders continue to use heritage wheat varieties in order to develop new varieties. Our Red Fife comes from the Back 40 Organics Ltd., a Century farm in Alberta Canada owned by Bernie and Kary Ehnes, and their children Christopher and Ashton. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Red_Fife_wheat&oldid=994185153, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 December 2020, at 14:24. Heritage wheat varieties are pre 1960 varieties that grow well without high inputs of chemicals according to Sharon Rempel. Red Fife is a wheat variety that was the baking and milling industries' standard of wheat in Canada from 1860 to 1900. David Fife was a Scotsman living in Peterborough, and his serendipitous “discovery” of what became known as Red Fife wheat is now a Canadian food legend. Highwood Crossing Foods in Canada has organic food like granola, muesli, cereal, flour, baking mixes, oil, and gluten-free flour, baking mixes for pancakes, muffins & Pizza. They farm 2400 acres certified organic since 1990. For example, varieties in the Canada Prairie Spring Red class have medium hard kernels and medium dough strength. In addition, the law allows manufactures to add a host of additives, none of which is required to be named on the ingredient label. Its name is derived from the original red colour of the wheat kernel and the name of the farmer; this was a typical procedure for naming wheat in the mid-1800s. I’ve heard the ancient and heritage grains are more digestible by humans. Red Fife contains less gluten than regular whole wheat flour and so it does not rise or spring as much, instead making a dense, chewy, nutritious and delicious bread. It is impossible to verify where the wheat originated as grain has moved around the world for many centuries. The tour’s been designated a Signature Canadian Experience, which means it’s definitely something to add to your Alberta bucket list. Meanwhile Red Fife wheat was making its way west from Ontario. Canadian wheat classes are categorized as Western Canadian and Eastern Canadian by the regions in which the varieties are grown. Renowned for being a fine milling and baking wheat, it set Canadian wheat standards for more than 40 years (1860 to 1900). S. Rempel, Demeter's Wheat: Growing Local Food and Community with Traditional Wisdom and Heritage Wheat (2008). This was the first heritage wheat put on the Ark. Thanks for contributing to The Canadian Encyclopedia. Within Canada, wheat is the most important cultivated crop (grown on an average of over 10 million hectares), though canola is increasing in significance. These requirements are not applicable to sifted grains such as spelt, emmer or red fife, but it is for modern wheat. [2], Jennifer Scott and organic farmers in the Maritimes began to grow heritage wheats in the mid-1990s. The wheat grew. I obtain the original seed from Sharon Remple. Title: Red Fife Wheat Author: Zzz Created Date: 5/1/2008 9:49:10 AM Deep red color and plump oblong shape. In 2000, 2001 and 2002, the Alberta Organic Association’s Walter Walchuk, along with Rempel, co-hosted organic heritage wheat field trials throughout Alberta. Nevertheless, most of the bread wheats in Canada owe part of their genetic lineage to Red Fife wheat. Ehnes Organics (Etzicombe Alberta) and Sharon Rempel, godmother of today’s Red Fife movement are pleased to offer you an opportunity to purchase Canada’s first ‘Boutique’ wheat – ‘Faith’ Red Fife, grown directly from the foundation Keremeos strain, the ‘mother’ of today’s Red Fife wheat strains. In 1987 Sharon Rempel planted a "Living Museum of Wheat" at The Grist Mill at Keremeos, an 1880s living history site in Keremeos, British Columbia, Canada. Its name is derived from the original red colour of the wheat kernel and the name of the farmer; this was a typical procedure for naming wheat in the mid-1800s. I have done many experiments and have found that no matter what, it makes better buns than loaves, and as a loaf you get a kind of flat focaccia type shape. Travel Alberta . My Red Fife came from an organic family farm in Southeastern Alberta, where it has been grown for the last 100 years. Hi, I would just like you to know that I grow the Red Fife wheat here in southern Alberta. Red Fife is a wheat variety that was the baking and milling industries' standard of wheat in Canada from 1860 to 1900. Named after David Fife, the seed came from Scotland in 1842 and is believed to be a relative of Halychanka Wheat (a Ukrainian Heritage wheat). It disappeared from production with the Great Depression and was re-introduced into Canada a little over a decade ago, where it has drawn a slow, steady, ardent cadre of artisan bakers. Kosher pareve. Site managers Cuyler Page and Sharon Rempel hoped to grow these old wheats so that they would eventually be recommercialized in Canada. A friend of Farmer Fife dropped his hat into the red-coloured wheat, collecting a few seeds in the hatband, which he then shipped off to Farmer Fife. Now, Alberta food entrepreneurs are producing jars of this kitchen staple here. Heirloom Red Fife wheat boasts exceptional flavor and baking properties while remaining un-altered by modern genetic modification. The foundation seed for Bernie’s Red Fife is derived from the Keremeos strain that was brought to Canada from Scotland 170 years ago. Also I grew another older wheat called Selkirk, another hard red spring wheat. From the one pound of Red Fife wheat that was originally planted in 1988 more than 500 tons (100 000 pounds, or 45 360 kilograms) were harvested in 2007. There are many artisan bakeries using Red Fife wheat in their products. I had spoken to Sharon Rempel on the phone a few times a couple of years ago to learn about her involvement in initiating the process to have Red Fife Wheat become a Slow Food Canada Presidia Product.I learned it was an arduous process, but a labour of love and a passion for Sharon who now lives on Vancouver Island. Spring wheat is planted in April to May, makes a continuous growth and is harvested in August to early September. In 1842 a friend of David’s working at the port in Glasgow sent him some grains of a hardy wheat variety. Canadian wheats are some of the finest bread wheats in the world. Their farm is certified organic by GOA and certifications for NOP/GOA, EU 834/2007, COR, and JAS. Though it's a Canadian heritage food and was the baking and milling industries' standard of wheat from 1860 to 1900, it was also the first wheat to grow well in Alberta. You will notice a more robust flavor and texture profile in all your culinary creations when you make this smart switch. [citation needed]. Red Fife is Canada's oldest wheat. I started to grow the Red Fife when she had approached me 2 years ago with the wheat. I’ve been playing around with Red Fife wheat lately, trying to come up with an everyday bread where I can get reliable results that I also like. Red Fife wheat, most likely a cross between Ukrainian and Scottish hard red wheat varieties, was first grown in central Ontario in the 1840s. Red Fife wheat is characterized by 3 little awns at the top of the wheat head but is otherwise awnless. It was developed in 1842 by Scottish immigrant David Fife, whose experiments to develop a strain of wheat with disease resistance that would provide consistent yields resulted in this variety. Red Fife wheat was gradually replaced, as "new and improved" varieties of wheat resistant to new fungal diseases and pests came onto the market. Signing up enhances your TCE experience with the ability to save items to your personal reading list, and access the interactive map. Red Fife may be the most intriguing wheat variety. You can add red fife flour to your cupboards to elevate your baked goods and other dishes to a whole new level. It was a natural fit for the harsh Canadian climate and is able to grow robust wheat year after year. Seven historic wheat varieties - Red Fife (1842), Ladoga (1880), Preston (1880), Stanley (1880), Hard Red Calcutta (1880), Marquis (1890) and Thatcher (1930) - were grown and became a "Living Museum of Wheat." It is Alberta’s wheat! In 1988 Sharon Rempel, chief interpreter of The Grist Mill historic site at Keremeos, BC, decided to bring together the varieties of wheat that might have been milled there. 7) Red Fife Wheat - You'll find it at farmers' markets--it's loved in various textured and sourdough loaves. Red Fife Wheat Flour 9.00 4lb. Red Fife Organic Wheat Red Fife is a Canadian heritage wheat originally brought over from Scotland in 1842. It is the oldest variety of wheat in Canada and it was the most popular type of wheat grown in Canada in 1860s, but has nearly disappeared by 2019.[1]. What we know for sure is that One Degree’s Red Fife, grown by farmer Bernie Ehnes in southern Alberta, is derived from the Keremeos strain that was brought to Canada from Scotland 170 years ago. In fact, Red Fife wheat is the genetic parent to almost all other Canadian wheats that are grown in the prairies in modern times. This was the beginning of Red Fife wheat in Canada. We have many customers with wheat digestion issues that happily report back to us that this older variety does not bother them, which is very interesting. The wheat was originally sent to Peterborough, Ontario farmer David Fife in 1840, from whom it took its name. It can be hard or soft, white or red and be planted in winter or spring. I like Red Fife because it has a great flavor and it’s a heritage wheat. bringing their wheat grains with them from Ukraine and developing the “Red Fife Wheat” that is grown throughout Alberta, ‑‑ contributing to Alberta’s rich cultural heritage through the arts, including choral and instrumental music, folkloric and performing dance, fine art, fibre art, literature, architecture, libraries, museums and archival collections and cuisine, and Red Fife is a bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) variety that Dave Fife and family began to grow in 1842 at their farm in Peterborough, Ont. Wheat has several uses, including flour for baked goods and pasta, and feed for livestock. The wheat was originally sent to Peterborough, Ontario farmer David Fife in 1840, from whom it took its name. The unique properties of Red Fife and its adaptation to the Canadian climate has made it the genetic parent to virtually all Canadian wheats grown in the prairies today. A phenomenal heirloom wheat variety that was once the standard bread wheat across North America. Excellent gluten development and rising power for leavened baked goods. 8. One legend states that a load of wheat grown in Ukraine was on a ship in the Glasgow harbour. Red Fife wheat has a particularly important significance to the Peterborough area. Park Wheat is an heirloom variety that was naturally crossed between Red Fife, Red Calcutta and a few other old varieties here in Alberta. In 1999, Onoway, Alberta farmer Kerry Smith began growing Red Fife and other historic varieties. Although Red Fife wheat is not a significant part of the Canadian agriculture industry and is not exported, farmers coast to coast throughout Canada are now growing it, mostly organically. From 1900 to 1988 Red Fife was grown in plant breeders' seed collections. Sharon has worked with the Heritage Wheat Project since 1998 and with heritage wheats like Red Fife since 1987. According to Wikipedia, it originated in Turkey and then made its way to Ukraine, where it was grown by Mennonites. Our team will be reviewing your submission and get back to you with any further questions. In fact, Red Fife wheat is the newest taste sensation in the Canadian artisan bread world, described by bakers as "full of aroma and golden reddish colour crust.". Red Fife wheat: The first wheat to grow well in Alberta; it sustained our pioneers and we continue to enjoy it in toothsome loaves of sourdough bread.