Red Fife Wheat, Spring Wheat, Heirloom

Red Fife's agricultural impact is documented through Canadian historical records and modern grain research:

• First Cultivation (1842): The wheat was first successfully cultivated in 1842 by David and Jane Fife on their farm in Otonabee Township, Peterborough County, Ontario.
• Genetic Origin: Historical tracing and agricultural research confirm that Red Fife stems from Halychanka, a traditional landrace spring wheat originating from the Galician region of Western Ukraine.
• Agricultural Impact: Prior to its establishment, early Canadian growers lacked a spring wheat adapted to northern climate pressures and short seasons. Red Fife established the standard for northern hard red spring wheat performance and later served as a primary parent line for mid-20th-century wheat breeding across North America.
• Official Recognition: The historical site of its original cultivation in Peterborough County is marked by a national plaque erected by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Red Fife is world-renowned among craft bakers and stone-millers for its superior taste and performance.

• Flavor Profile: Unlike mild industrial flours, Red Fife produces a rich, rustic flour with a deeply nutty, earthy flavor, complemented by subtle herbal and honey-like undertones.
• Artisan Performance: A Hard Red Wheat, it boasts strong gluten structure and high natural protein content, making it an ideal choice for high-rising sourdough loaves, artisan hearth breads, and hearty rolls.
• Whole Grain Goodness: When ground as a whole grain flour, it retains a lovely reddish-gold hue and yields a moist, tender crumb with a fragrant aroma.

Red Fife is a robust, tall-growing spring wheat (reaching up to 4 feet) that stands out in garden beds with its dark red kernels and strong stalks.

Garden Bed Coverage: One packet from Firefly Farm & Mercantile is designed to perfectly seed a 20 square foot bed (roughly an 8' to 10' long by 2.5' wide garden bed).

"Red Fife is the grain that built the North American bread tradition. We love growing it because it’s a true survivor with incredible vigor in the garden. The flour it yields brings an old-fashioned depth of flavor to home-baked bread that reminds you of what real wheat is supposed to taste like."

• Sowing: Broadcast seeds evenly over a prepared 20 sq. ft. bed in early spring as soon as the ground is workable. Rake in to a depth of 1 inch and press firmed soil gently.
• Weed Suppression: Because Red Fife grows tall rapidly, it naturally shades out competing weeds once established.
• Harvesting: The heads will turn a warm reddish-gold as the crop ripens. Harvest when the kernels are hard and dry to the touch, easily resisting a thumbnail press.