Red Fife Wheat National Historic Event of Canada, Lang Pioneer Village, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 44° 16.526 W 078° 10.295
17T E 725716 N 4906355
Site of the development of the strain of wheat known as Red Fife, an early maturing high quality spring wheat. Discovered in 1842, this wheat was adapted to the short growing season on the Prairies and facilitated colonization of Western Canada.
Waymark Code: WM5HAK
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 01/08/2009
Views: 15
Red Fife Wheat was designated by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to be a National Historic Event in 1931. It was first grown in the Peterborough area of Central Ontario in the 1840s. Farmer David Fife brought seeds with him from Scotland with which to experiment. Red Fife is considered a landrace which means it is genetically diverse and is adaptable to a harsh climate, albeit good soils such as in Western Canada. It is thought to be a descendant of Ukrainian strains. Disease resistant, it was popular with bakers, farmers and millers all of whom recognized its baking qualities. It turns a deep reddish hue come harvest, hence its name. This wheat has been associated with the settlement of the Canadian Prairies and the waves of new immigrants especially in the 1880s. It is a genetic parent to most current varieties of Canadian wheat.
Classification: National Historic Event
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: Lang Pioneer Village, Keene
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:As a suggestion for your visit log, please make every effort to supply a brief-to-detailed note about your experience at the Waymark. If possible also include an image that was taken when you visited the Waymark. Images can be of yourself, a personal Waymarking signature item or just one of general interest that would be of value to others. Sharing your experience helps promote Waymarking and provides a dynamic history of your adventures.