Grain
Red Fife
A tier
Red Fife is a nineteenth-century Canadian hard red spring landrace associated with David Fife of Ontario, who selected a superior red-kernelled line from seed of European origin. It became the backbone of early Canadian and northern U.S. spring wheat and is a direct parent of Marquis. Today Red Fife is prized by heritage and artisan bakers for complex nutty-sweet flavour, reddish bran, and sturdy but not industrial-style gluten. Stone-ground wholemeal and sifted flours yield characterful loaves, pancakes, and pastry when milled fresh.
Also known as: Red Fife heritage
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History
David Fife of Otonabee, Ontario, selected a productive red spring line from a mixed seed sample.
Red Fife spread across Ontario and into expanding Prairie settlement as a reliable bread wheat.
Northern U.S. growers adopted Red Fife-type spring wheat for milling markets.
Marquis, bred from Red Fife × Hard Red Calcutta, began to supersede Red Fife on commercial acreage.
Heritage seed savers and organic farmers revived Red Fife for flavour-led baking.
Canadian artisan mills marketed Red Fife flour as a flagship heritage wheat.