(Triticum durum)

Lots of dark clouds have silver linings. When a stem rust epidemic damaged much of Western Canada’s in the 1960s wheat crops, farmers did what they usually do…they innovated. Today, if there is one grain crop that Canada’s farmers are recognized for globally, it’s durum wheat.  Because of its high gluten content, durum is the basis for the finest pastas on earth, including the brands we import as well the great couscous made in the Middle East. If you go to a specialty supermarket you’ll see rows of Italian pasta and bags of couscous all of which I’d like to see labelled proudly as Product of Canada.  

Durum wheat is mainly grown in the Prairies (some Ontario farmers are planting it ).  Strongfield is one of the most popular durum wheat cultivars grown in western Canada, known for its high yield,high protein content, gluten strength and pigment concentration.  Bred by Dr. John Clarke at the Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Currently, more than 90 per cent of the durum wheat produced in Canada comes from cultivars developed  at the Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre.

Photo courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 

(Hordeum vulgare)

When we think of barley, it usually is for good Canadian beer. And while it is still predominantly used for malting and as livestock feed, barley is finding it onto more and more tables as a substitute for rice (we don’t grow it) and also because it’s just so good for us.  Try it in risottos or this great dish, Barley with Caramelized Vegetables.  It’s a serious “nutritional powerhouse,” high in vitamins E and B-complex, phenolic antioxidants and fibre, including a special soluble fibre called beta-glucan which lowers blood cholesterol, a claim approved by Health Canada.

Roseland was bred by Dr. Mario Therrien and Dr. Ana Badea at the Brandon Research Centre in Brandon, Manitoba together with Dr. Odean Lukow in Winnipeg, and is a hulless barley and itsurprisingly great for baking, especially bread.  Roseland flour (you may have to mill it yourself if you can find some Identity Preserved (IP) grain) can be combined with wheat flour (20 % by volume) and won’t affect the dough.  The bonus is that the flavour has an added nuttiness.

Photos Courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

(Rubus Idaeus)

Named after a tourist village on Vancouver Island, Chemanius raspberries follow in the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre tradition of naming their berry cultivars after First Nations communities.  Bred by Chaim Kempler of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Agassiz, British Columbia, the same researcher who released the popular Stolo strawberry, Chemanius raspberries are suited to processing and as fresh eating berries.  They are among the new wave of berries that extend the harvest with delicious fruit. Ready for harvest mid-summer, this vigorous cultivar establishes itself quickly upon planting, producing large yields.

Winter-hardy and mildly disease resistant, Chemainus raspberries have a taste that balances sweet and sour. Their consistent, attractive appearance and firm fruit allow for successful mechanical harvesting. Try them fresh on top of these Raspberry Cream Cupcakes or as a marinade for Grilled Salmon with Dijon-Raspberry Vinaigrette.

The many qualities of this cultivar have posited it as a replacement for Meeker raspberries, which is the current dominant breed.

Image courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

(Malus domestica)

In 2003,  Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada held a contest open to the public, giving them a chance to name this fabulous new apple. Of the over 11,000 votes, Ottawa’s Dauphne Biggs came up with the winning name in honour of the aurora borealis, which she thought was a suitably Canadian name for a Canadian crop.

Bred by Dr. Cheryl Hampson, Mr. Richard MacDonald, and Dr. David Lane at the the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, BC, the Aurora Golden Gala is a mid-season apple with excellent shelf life. 

These apples are available at high-end produce markets in some parts of Canada and the United States. Aurora Goldens are known for their outstanding eating quality, with crisp and juicy flesh and a sweet, fruity flavour. Similar in taste to Galas but with the ability to stay crisp longer, it’s a great apple for eating fresh as well as for dried apple chips or baking as it holds its shape well upon cooking. Careful, skilled handling is required for growing Aurora Golden Galas, which causes its higher price. However, upon tasting, you’ll realize they’re well worth the cost.  

Photo courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

(Fragaria × ananassa)

Bright red and glossy, this delicious new strawberry  cultivar was named after the Stolo First Nation residing in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, where it was first developed and grown. The name translates to “people of the river.”  

Bred by Mr. Chaim Kempler at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Agassiz, British Columbia, Stolo strawberries are a vigorous cultivar and because of their disease and pest resistance, Stolo has been used as an alternative to more commonly-grown Totem strawberries, which currently account for 26% of the strawberries planted in the Pacific Northwest.The high yields of large, firm fruits make the Stolo suitable for processing as well as for eating fresh.   They’re great for jam and preserves! 

 Photo courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

(Solanum tuberosum)

The Potato Research Centre at Fredericton, New Brunswick recently celebrated its 100th birthday.  The Tenace, a relatively new potato variety having been released in 2010,  came from this breeding programme.  Dr. Richard Tarn takes the kudos for this great new introduction. It’s a late season potato with a lovely russet skin and creamy flesh.  

New Brunswick is full-on potato country — it is, after all, the home of McCain Foods and this cultivar is excellent for French fry processing.  The good news is that it’s also an excellent baker.  Scrub it, wrap it in foil and toss it on the barbecue…only a little butter needed to finish it perfectly.   I’d even be tempted to try it in an Island Potato Salad! 

Image courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

(Solanum tuberosum)

This white-skinned potato was selected at the Vauxhall Research Substation of the Lethbridge Research Centre, Alberta for its yield, adaptation, tuber type and culinary and processing qualities, and was subsequently released in 2012.  The stake in the ground beside this particular hill is labelled with the number that the researcher used in his trials.  

Bred by Dr.Benoit Bizimungu of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Alta Strong potatoes are equally suited to the fresh market and for French fry processing- especially ideal considering 45% of Canada’s potatoes sold for the fresh market and 55% for processing.

Alta Strong’s are highly adaptive, producing outstanding yields of attractive and uniform oblong tubers.

Photo courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

(Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne)

This is a very early season berry, producing lots of high quality strawberries.  The bonus is that these strong plants grow vigorously and send out many runners.  It has twice as many berries as other June-bearing varieties.  Plants of ‘Wendy’ are vigorous, resembling ‘Evangeline’  (another Nova Scotia strawberry) in habit, and they produce ample runners to establish matted rows. 

The Wendy strawberry (now sometimes seen as AC Wendy)  were commercially introduced in Canada in 2006 by the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre in Kentville, Nova Scotia and Dr. Andrew Jamieson.

Photo Courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

(Solanum tuberosum)

With yellow skin and light yellow flesh that’s resistant to discolouration upon cooking, Rochdale Gold-Dorée potatoes are ideal for boiling and baking.   Try them in our Island Potato Salad.  

Bred by Dr. Richard Tarn at the Potato Research Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick and released in 2005, Rochdale Gold-Dorée are a mid-season cultivar with medium specific gravity.

Rochdale Gold-Dorée are known for their uniform, round shape and with good virus resistance. They’re predominantly sold for use in the fresh market so you’ll likely find them at farmers markets across Atlantic Canada. 

Photo Courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

(Solanum tuberosum)

Dr. Richard Tarn worked at the Potato Research Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick for 40 years and is largely responsibile  or the diversity within Canada’s potatoes that make them world class. 

Potatoes originated in the Andes Mountains of South Africa some 8000 years ago, and Dr Tarn set out in the 60s to quite literally examine the roots of the indigenous potatoes. By introducing these traits to Canadian varieties, Tarn and colleague Dr Henry Dejong were able to increase the genetic diversity, thereby improving not only potato quality but adaptability- a trait especially important in the face of climate change. 

He released the Tarnick potato in 2010, just before his retirement.  It is a medium-yielding variety with mid- to late- maturity, good storage capability and high specific gravity. Their round, smooth shape and white flesh have resulted in Tarnick’s main use being for potato chips. They are also great for boiling and baking.  

Photo Courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 

This has to be one of the prettiest apples I’ve ever seen and it’s absolutely brand new.

The fully trade-marked Salish apple was announced and launched in October, 2012 by  The Honourable Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. He revealed the name of the newest apple on the market today at the annual University of British Columbia (UBC) Apple Festival .  “When you taste the Salish apple(…) you are sampling the sweet rewards of many years of research and investments in innovation that will pay off for the farmers that grow this tasty achievement.”

Previously only known as SPA493, the Salish apple was developed and tested by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists, in partnership with the Okanagan Plant Improvement Corporation (PICO). Like all AAFC varieties, this new apple was developed using traditional cross-pollination methods. It originated from a cross between ‘Splendour’ and ‘Gala’ cultivars made in 1981 at AAFC’s Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre (PARC) in Summerland, British Columbia.

The Salish is named for the Canadian Interior language of Thompson, Okanagan-Colville, and Shuswap. AAFC researchers at the Pacific Agri-Food Centre (PARC) in Summerland led the Salish’s development and worked closely with the Okanagan Plant Improvement Corporation (PICO) to test it with growers.

(Arachis hypogaea)

When tobacco fell out of favour in the 1990s, new crops were researched to be grown in the well-drained, rich and sandy soils of Haldimand and Norfolk Counties in Ontario.  The climate turned out to be ideal for peanuts (among other field crops like garlic, melons,ginseng & shallots). Because these plants are highly susceptible to frost, the long Southern Ontario growing season was perfect. Harvesting takes place in late September-early October.

Technically a legume, peanuts are a crop native to South America. There are four strains of the peanut plant; Valencia, Spanish, Virginia and Runner. However, only the first two are able to be grown in Ontario. OAC Garroy, OAC Ruby and OAC Tango are the Valencia varieties licensed for growth in Ontario. The OAC Garroy variety, a sweet, red-skinned nut,  is the most commonly one grown in Ontario and contains up to four peanuts per shell – a bonus for consumers.  They are absolutely delicious! 

The University of Guelph’s Department of Plant Agriculture’s peanut-breeding program has produced some unique-looking peanuts — with skins of white to pale green and red, and nuts striped black, red and white.

This research was led by Professors Jack Tanner and Tom Michaels with Gary Ablett and Bob Roy working in the field (hence the name Garroy).  It was sponsored mainly by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.   Today the research has continued under the guidance of Peter White in AAFC’s soon-to-be-closed Delhi Station.    

Photo taken at the Simcoe Research Station by the author. 

(Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier)

Bred to improve the firmness, color uniformity, and disease resistance of Cavendish strawberries, Laurels are a large and flavourful short-day variety, ready for harvest midseason.

This strawberry cross is new to Canada, having  just been introduced this year by the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Center of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada after being tested in Atlantic Canada since 1999 under the very watchful eye of Dr. Andrew Jamieson whose stated goal is to “Develop High Quality, Disease Resistant Raspberry and Strawberry Cultivars for Canada.”

Laurel plants are extremely resistant to red stele root rot disease. They grow vigorously with medium-sized yields and produce many runners, establishing matted rows.

Photo Courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

(Solanum tuberosum)

Released in 1980, Shepody potatoes continue to be one of the most popular potatoes in all of North America for French fries.

Bred by Dr. Don Young, Dr. Richard Tarn and Mr. Eric Davies at the Potato Research Centre in Fredericton, Shepody potatoes were developed to meet the growing demand within the French fry industry in the 1960s.

They are widely grown in eastern Canada and in the northern potato areas of the U.S. The high yields of uniformly- sized tubers with high specific gravity, and high levels of disease resistance are just some of the reasons behind this cultivar’s success. In addition, Shepodies require 10-20% less nitrogen than other potatoes, making its cost savings an added plus to farmers.

In order to be a successful “French frying” potato, it is necessary that the tuber retain its texture upon frying. Bred to meet this requirement as well as the ability to reach full maturity in Canada’s short growing season, Shepody’s are the second-most popular potato in Canada.

Shepody was recognized as Outstanding Cultivar of the Year by the Canadian Horticultural Council in 1991 due to its significant contribution to the Canadian economy, the agricultural sector, and to consumers.

Photo Courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

(Malus domestica)

The Reinette Russet apple is a mutation of Reine des Reinettes, discovered at the Fruit and Ornamental Plant Breeding Unit of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) located in Angers, France. It was subsequently released in collaboration with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Centre in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec. 

This cold-hardy apple is typically of medium size, although the size and shape are known to vary significantly. It bears a brownish-yellow, russeted skin and greenish-white, firm flesh. The Reinette Russet apple holds commercial potential for use in sweet and hard ciders because of its complex flavours, possibly as a replacement for the Golden Russet apple in Eastern Canada.

Perhaps because controlled atmosphere storage is not recommended – the Reinette Russet has a tendency to develop watercore – pressing should begin shortly after harvest, in the first or second week of October.

With files from Charlie Embree’s 100 Apples and 100 Pears: A Collection of Characteristics for 100 Apples and 100 Pears.

(Malus domestica)

The Orangutang is a Granny Smith, made in 1985 by Dr. A. D. Crowe of AAFC-AFHRC in Kentville, NS, and named/certified by Dr. Charlie Embree in 2011. Its distinct orange colour, tangy taste and large size make this apple suited to niche markets.

Although the Orangutang is known to be susceptible to scab it is a  heavy producing, vigorous tree, the  Not ready for harvest until late October, the Orangutang apple is suited to northeastern growing regions, with potential for central and western regions.  It very well could be the next Canadian apple star!

With files from Charlie Embree’s 100 Apples and 100 Pears: A Collection of Characteristics for 100 Apples and 100 Pears.

(Malus domestica)

The Masanova apple is medium sized, juicy and crisp.  It is an Empire-cross made in 1974 by one of Canada’s most prolific fruit breeders, Dr. D.A. Crowe of the AAFC-AFHRC in Kentville, NS.  The Masanova was named and certified in 2006  by another one of Canada’s brilliant scientists,  Dr. C. G. Embree.   This lovely mild-flavoured apple has soft, ivory coloured flesh with red and green striping.  It is slow to brown once cut, making it ideal for being served in prepared foods like salads, and, likely best of all, is well suited to being grown organically.

As with Empire apples, Masonovas are ready for harvest early- to mid- October. They are resistant to scab, moderately cold-hardy and can be stored in temperatures of 3-4ºC for three to four months.

With files from Charlie Embree’s 100 Apples and 100 Pears: A Collection of Characteristics for 100 Apples and 100 Pears.

Every now and then an OpEd piece comes across my desk that is worth re-posting.  This one, written by Ottawa lawyer, Ron Doering, reminded me of a situation that I found myself in a few years ago at a culinary conference in Vancouver.  Like the farming community that Doering speaks to in this article, I was deeply disappointed when the then-well-known communicator stated flatly that he believed that B.C. would be the 51st state of the union.

In his article entitled More American Protectionsim – Not COOL, Doering, who is also the Past President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, makes some strong observations on the Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) and how it is affecting our agriculturalists across Canada. He notes that it has caused Canadian cattle shipments to the U.S. to be reduced by 50 per cent within a year and export of slaughter hogs to be cut by 58 per cent  during that time frame.   He raises a flag for farmers and ranchers that September 30th is the deadline for comments. 

Here, with his permission, is the article.

***

Canadian farmers and meat processors were shocked to learn on May 23, 2013 that the long awaited U.S. response to the World Trade Organization (WTO) requirement that it discontinue discriminatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for cattle and hogs was to publish a new set of rules that will actually make the situation for Canadians much worse. The new rule is no more trade compliant than its predecessor. This slap in the face to its largest trading partner isyet another example of a longstanding pattern of trade protectionism by the country that lectures the rest of the world on the need for a rules-based free trade system.

From the outset, the original COOL rules put in place in 2008 had a dramatic negative impact on Canadian swine and beef cattle producers. Canadian cattle shipments to the U.S. were reduced by 50 per cent within a year, and export of slaughter hogs was cut by 58 per cent. Canada took the case to the WTO, arguing that the U.S. COOL regime violated Article 2.1 of the Technical Bar- riers to Trade Agreement (TBT) in that the provisions were a disguised barrier to trade being “arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries.” When Canada won the case, the U.S. appealed and the Appellate Body again confirmed that the U.S. COOL regime “reflects discrimination in violation of Article 2.1 of the TBT Agreement.” But COOL stayed in place pending the new rules that have now turned out to be a bitter betrayal.

The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) has said it was appalled by the U.S. response, making a “very bad situation of the last four years much worse.” The CPC estimates that the labeling rules cost Canada about $1 billion annually in beef and pork exports. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) has said that the new rules will more than double regulatory costs, meaning that there will be even fewer Canadian cattle exported to the U.S.

Left with no alternative but to proceed to trigger the steps that allow it to take retaliatory action, on June 8 Canada announced for comment a long list of products on which it threatens to impose a 100-per-cent surtax. The list includes U.S. cattle, pigs, beef, pork, pasta, some fruits and vegetables, milled rice, cereals, bread, frozen orange juice, meat from spent hens, chocolate and maple syrup. It also includes some non-food items such as office furniture and mattresses. Once Canada finalizes the list, it will seek the approval of the WTO to proceed, a process that is still likely to take until the end of 2014. Unwilling to wait, the CPC and CCA and six other Canadian and American trade associations have sued the U.S. government, arguing that COOL is unconstitutional.

Canadian officials have taken a very strategic approach in developing the list of products for possible retaliation. By identifying what states may be vulnerable in the 2014 mid-term elections, and what products these states export to Canada, the list is designed to punish those states if they persist in supporting COOL. This is Canada’s only real leverage to try to force the U.S. to live up to its international trade obligations.

The Canadian government will have to be very careful how it winnows the list of products subject to retaliation. Some sectors will benefit by the reduction of competition from U.S. exporters, but other companies and whole sectors could be severely harmed if they have to pay a prohibitive new price for imported products that they may use, for example, as ingredients in further processing.

We cannot support one industry at the expense of another. It is incumbent on those companies and sectors that may be adversely affected to put their case to the government in the strongest terms before Sept. 30, the deadline for comments.

After what I experienced in the years I was president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and in the decade since acting for Canadian agriculture and food companies, I am no longer surprised, but still deeply disappointed, by the level of American trade protectionism against Canada.

For other OpEd articles by Ron, head to Gowlings Knowledge Centre

Getting inside a potato, at least metaphorically, requires analysis, a bit like a botanical chess game. Weather, bugs, regulations, soil, genetics — they all play a role. Breeding the next earthy star, the next “Yukon Gold”, requires patience and creativity on the part of the breeder.  And it has to taste terrific!

This is why Vanessa Currie, the energetic potato-point-person at the University of Guelph, connects with her spud-network across the continent to assemble as many different varieties as she can  (in August 2013 there were 138) then plants and nurtures them before luring industry to the University of Guelph Research Station near Elora, Ontario — and to her table.   She often serves this fabulous homemade Island Potato Salad to her guests.

Potato Research Field Day is an opportunity for growers and processors to gather in a field filled with potato plants and piles of newly dug tubers to learn, slice open and talk about what’s next on the horizon for new, most un-named varieties while using older ones as what she calls ‘markers’. Shepody is a Canadian French fry standard developed in New Brunswick; Atlantic is an old potato chip standard and then there’s the awesome table potato, Yukon Gold.  These are the varieties against which others are judged.

With project lead Dr. Al Sullivan, Currie’s work as a “variety prospector” continues to advance The University of Guelph’s already established potato breeding legacy. It was at that university that the legendary Yukon Gold was created by the late Dr. Gary Johnston in 1966.  This spud is so famous for its quality that its name is emblazoned on menus around the world.  When he passed away it fell to Currie and several of her colleagues to maintain and honour his work. Even though Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has deleted them from their array of active cultivars, the U of G team still grows them with great care and respect for the work of their once-colleague and teacher. 

Originally Johnston’s Ruby Gold (pictured at left) had some success in the Prairies but because of the expense of maintaining virus-free seed stock, it will never likely be grown widely again. The “G” denotes that  G654-2 and G8136-8 are two other Johnston-inspired Guelph cultivars. The first two numbers are the year they were selected, the next number is the number of crosses that Dr. Johnston made and the final number indicates which of those crosses this potato is.  In the first case, it’s the second selection of 4 crosses made in 1965, while the next one is the selection of 36 crosses he made in 1981. This sort of numbering system appears in a variety of styles all across crop breeding .

The gene bank for potatoes is at the AAFC station in Fredericton, New Brunswick.  So when, in the field, there’s a numbered variety beginning with “F”, the work was done at that location.  F06053 (below) is a long, skinny, almost beet-red cultivar that’s being investigated for its antioxidant qualities.  Although some of that data is pending, it’s being offered for experimental growing across Canada via the Accelerated Release programme. F08099 is said to have some potential for anti-oxidant status as well but since this is the first year in the U of G fields, as Currie says, “the jury’s still out” but I love its heritage – it’s the progeny of Huckleberry and Adirondack Blue.

Like Fredericton, New Brunswick, Carberry in Manitoba and Vauxhall in Alberta are honoured with varieties beginning  with “CV”.  With growing conditions that vary across the nation, this sort of cross-Canada development is very important. Testing them in central Ontario provides even more information for potential growers.  CV96044-3 is the most interesting of the ones in the Elora field since it is being developed to have a low glycemic index and, as such, will be great for those who carbs are a problem.  This is one of the attractive potatoes we’ll likely see more of in the future.

Finally,  Dakota Pearl is an example of how the collaboration between ag and industry help farmers respond to industry.  This ‘field chipper’ is a dual purpose spud. You can boil or roast it but companies like Frito Lay most often use it to make chips harvesting them in early July and August when other potatoes aren’t quite ready.

 For more information on the University of Guelph’s Potato Research click here.

(Pyrus communis)

This medium sized fruit is annually productive with an attractive, smooth yellow skin and red blush. Its white flesh has a crisp, mild flavour.

A Bartlett Cross made in 1972 by Dr. H. A. Quamme at the Harrow and Vineland Stations, Harrow Crisp pears were introduced by Dr. David Hunter at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Greenhouse & Processing Crops Research Centre in Harrow in 2002.

Ready early September, Harrow Crisp has excellent resistance to fireblight. It is sensitive to being extended storage and late picking, making this pear ideal for canning and processing.

With files from Charlie Embree’s 100 Apples and 100 Pears: A Collection of Characteristics for 100 Apples and 100 Pears.

Photo courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.