right variety for preparing your favorite recipe. Dry Beans: Dry beans are a relatively common crop in the County of Forty Mile, with a crop size equivalent to over 18,000 football fields. Dry beans are processed, marketed and exported at the Viterra Alberta Bean Division in Bow Island.
CROP TOUR
Timothy: Timothy is a type of grass commonly grown for cattle feed and is very suitable for horses. Unintentionally introduced by early settlers to North America, farmers quickly discovered this variety offered high fibre and quality nutrition for livestock; timothy is now a common choice for haying.
Sugar Beets: Did you know sugar is locally grown? It’s done through sugar beets! In September, the beets are harvested and make their way to the Lantic (formerly Rogers Sugar) plant near Taber. The sugar is extracted and crystallized before it is packaged and sent to a grocery store near you.
Canola: Adding a splash of yellow to the prairie landscape, canola is widely used for its oil in various food products. Canola is also used in livestock feeds and most recently for biodiesel. Check out healthy recipes at canolainfo.org.
Spearmint: Did you know the County of Forty Mile produces 10% of North America’s spearmint? Essential oils extracted from spearmint can be used as flavorings for chewing gum, meat products, alcoholic beverages, and in pharmaceuticals.
Wheat: Wheat is the most grown crop in the County of Forty Mile. If you can imagine that 1 acre is the same size as 16 tennis courts, wheat crops in the County would will 6.88 million tennis courts.
Corn: Corn is considered a staple food in many regions of the world. Although our Taber neighbours are well known for their corn, corn is also commonly used for livestock feed. Durum Wheat: Durum is a variety of wheat that is quite common in the County of Forty Mile. Semolina is a yellow, coarsely ground byproduct from durum wheat. Durum semolina is used commonly in your favorite pastas and breakfast cereals. Potatoes: Did you know on average Alberta potato growers produce 41 different varieties? Albertapotatoes.ca has guides to help consumers choose the
Peas: Canada is one of the world’s largest exporters of peas. Farmers often use dry peas as a rotation crop, as peas help stabilize nitrogen levels in the soils. Dill: Amazingly, half of North America’s dill is grown in the County of Forty Mile. You may immediately think of pickles when you think of dill, but dill was also traditionally used in medicine to treat colic, asthma, and ulcers. Sources: Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Canadian Grain Commission, Canola Council of Canada, EDA Agriculture Impact Assessment, Lantic Inc., Potato Growers of Alberta, Viterra Inc., Wikipedia, and World Land Trust.