DCHP-2

Red Fife Fife, Red Fyfe DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• n. — Agriculture

  a variety of wheat.

  Type: 1. Origin — Red Fife is the oldest and possibly the most famous type of wheat grown in Canada. Many articles and chefs have expounded on "its enticing qualities - the chewiness of its crumb, the way it bakes into a deep, golden colour, the flavour of its bran that offers a depth and a nuttiness" (Elton 2010:86). It was first grown in 1842 by the Ontario farmer David Fife, who reportedly received the few grains of wheat from a friend, Will Struthers, in Glasgow, who had received the wheat from Gdansk, Poland (see Canadian Encyclopedia reference and Duncan 2006: 98-99).
  From 1860 to 1900, Red Fife set Canadian wheat standards and was grown across the country. In the 1800s, nearly every Canadian wheat farmer was growing Red Fife because the wheat was discovered to be "a species that adapts to its environment, and the wheat tailored itself to the conditions of North America and did well under the pressures of climate and disease" (Elton 2010: 86). It was used to create Marquis wheat, which ripens a week earlier than Red Fife (see the 1936 and 1947 quotations) and is more resistant to pests and diseases.
  See also Gage-5, s.v. "Red Fife", which is marked "Cdn.", ITP Nelson, s.v. "Red Fife", which is described as "of Cdn. origin", and OED-3, s.v. "Red Fife", which is described as "popularized in Canada".

  See also: Marquis wheat