Heritage Wheat Project
2012 news. Grain Chain is set up to connect farmers growing heritage wheat with consumers who want the grain. Holly Peterson will be growing out varieties of heritage wheat in Tompkins Saskatchewan. This site will also be participating in the Crop Climate Project of The Garden Institute of B.C.
The Heritage Wheat Project supports variety and farmer idenfication of wheat and recognizes that 'terroir' will determine the quality of grain produced in a field year to year. Red Fife is the first 'variety' identified wheat being sold in Canada coast to coast.
Community Food Security starts with varieties of seed adapted to a local bioregion.The Heritage Wheat Project has been working to develop community-based on farm organic seed breeding We connect farmers with heritage seeds and organic plant breeding services. Food security starts with community seed banks.
We work with landraces and heritage varieties (such as Red Fife wheat) that are suited to bioregional growing. We support organic farming practices. We teach communities about building seed banks.
The Heritage Wheat Project has been active in research and has been Canada's primary heritage wheat conservancy and information source since 1998.
The project has helped introduce Red Fife and other heritage varieties of wheat into the organic food movement and into local food systems in Canada and globally. The project coordinator has been Sharon Rempel, an organic researcher dedicated to local food production.
We have conducted 'on farm' wheat field trials since 1998. We hosted Canada's first 'Bread and Wheat' Festival in Victoria in and continue to provide advice and resources to people interested in heritage wheat.
The project has run since 1998 mainly with the financial support of October Hill Foundation and Mrs. G. Bauta.
This concept of building community around seed collections might be new in Canada but is centuries old in other parts of the world. Not only are traditional seeds valued but also the ways the seeds are planted, saved and used by people.
The history of the Heritage Wheat Project is as follows:
From 1988 to 1997 Rempel offered heritage wheat to interested people through Canada's Heritage Seed Program. Dan Jason (Salt Spring Seeds) and Jim Ternier (Prairie Garden Seeds) have offered heritage wheat since the late 1980s.
In 1998 funding became available to do project work and The Garden Institute of Alberta was set up to administer the funding. In 1998 Onoway Alberta farmer Kerry Smith and Rempel set up a field quarantine station on his farm so old varieties of wheat from the USDA collection at Pullman WA could be field trialed in Alberta.
In 1998, Jennifer Scott and Dr. David Patriquin launched the Maritimes Heritage Wheat Project with the help of Rempel, October Hill Foundation and the Heritage Wheat Project. They found that Acadia wheat not only thrived in their bioregion but also was tolerated by people who could not tolerate modern bread wheats in bread.
In 2000 and 2001 Rempel and the Heritage Wheat Project worked with Walter Walchuk and other members of the Alberta Organic Association. They conducted field trials of modern and heritage wheats, including Red Fife on organic farms. Not only did this allow them to bulk up seed but to observe how the varieties did in modern organic growing conditions.
In 2003 Red Fife heritage wheat was nominated to the Canadian Slow Food Ark of Taste thanks to the efforts of chef Mara Jernigan and Sinclair Philip on Vancouver Island. In a few months, a community of people dedicated to introducing Red Fife back to the world has formed. It includes artisan bakers, chefs, organic farmers and people who love a good loaf of real bread with a variety and farmer preserved identity.
Wheat has been a commodity taken for granted as part of life in Canada. Modern wheats are hybrids and flours are often enriched with additives to give flavour and nutrition. Modern breads made with fast acting yeast can be a factor for the growing numbers of digestive problems people have with grain and bread.
Taste is not considered a criteria used in judging wheat in Canada yet Slow Food people recognize taste is of great value to chefs and farmers and consumers
RED FIFE WHEAT: The return of Red Fife heritage wheat to the Canadian food system through the Heritage Wheat Program in the 1990s and Slow Food Canada. Read a history of Canada's oldest wheat and it's reintroduction as Canada's first variety preserved wheat variety.
BREAD AND WHEAT: Canada's first Bread and Wheat Festival held in Victoria in 2007 linked heritage wheat, local food security, local wheat, artisan bakers and consumers. Folk singer Phil Vernon wrote a great song called 'Red Fife Wheat' especially for the event! Order Phil's c.d today!