Page 8 - RealDirtENG2020
P. 8
CHAPTER 2
DID YOU KNOW?
Canola is a member of the Brassicaeae family – the same botanical family as broccoli, turnips, rutabaga, cabbage, cauli ower and mustard.
Crops and plants
Canadian farmers grow a diverse variety of crops across the country—crops that are used both here at home, and exported to countries around the world. You’ll  nd everything from pulses, grains, and oilseeds, to fruits, vegetables,  owers, and specialty crops like herbs in Canada’s  elds, orchards and greenhouses.
Anna Haupt
A Canadian oil for the world
Canola is a “Made in Canada” crop that was developed through traditional plant breeding techniques, and is now the cooking oil of choice for billions of people around the world. Its name comes from a contraction of the words Canada and
ola, meaning oil. Canola oil is prized for its heart-healthy properties, and contains the least amount of saturated fat of all common culinary oils. It is one of the most versatile and affordable oils, with many applications at home, in restaurants, and in food processing.
It is also a multi-purpose crop. Once the oil is extracted from the canola seed, a high- protein meal is produced from the remaining portion, which makes a great addition to livestock feed. It’s also used as a replacement for petroleum, to make green plastics, and an environmentally-friendly fuel called biofuel. Canada exports more than 90 per cent of its canola as seed, oil, or meal, to approximately 50 markets around the world25.
Career Pro le
Canola Farmers
Stacey Sagon
Mark and Stacey Sagon and daughters Georgia and Jayla raise beef cattle and grow canola, wheat, barley, oats and pulse crops like peas and lentils on their farm in western Saskatchewan.
They’re especially enthusiastic about growing canola. “We love the potential of the crop. It responds so well to our farming practices and its quality is amazing,” Sagon said. She added that
the crop also continues to get better. In the last ten years, genetic improvements have resulted in higher yields and greater oil content in the seeds.
Sagon feels great pride when she sees canola oil on the shelf of her local grocery store. “There are so many choices in oils and I’m proud that canola oil, which is such a healthy choice, is right there and we’re producing it on our farm.”
Photo courtesy of Debra Marshall Photography
8 The Real Dirt on Farming
Donna Rogers
Stop! Crops like canola and sun owers are beautiful when they are in bloom and they attract a lot of admirers. But it’s easy to damage the crop while walking through it, even just to take a few photos. Always get permission from the farmer before entering a  eld.


































































































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