Red Fife Hard Red Spring Wheat - Farm: Migrash

Please read this post about wheat classifications to learn more about what distinguishes a hard wheat from a soft wheat and a spring wheat from a winter wheat, etc.

Red Fife is a landrace hard red winter wheat that can also be grown as a hard red spring wheat. This is defined as facultative, and according to Restoring Heritage Grains by Eli Rogosa, most landrace grains are facultative. Glen Roberts, the founder of Anson Mills, defines landraces as “..... pre-industrial domesticated plants or animals that are distinct and maintained agriculturally in contrast to modern cultivars/breeds that are distinct and maintained by scientific breeding with modern farming methods.” Red Fife is one of thousands of landrace grains that used to be grown throughout the world before the green revolution. Red Fife was one of the most popular bread wheats grown in what is now North America so it only makes sense that it is making a resurgence. Red Fife, along with Turkey Red, Red May, and Vermont Read 1898, are wheats that were successful for bakers and farmers before the green revolution that are still currently available. And hopefully more will continue to be grown and tested.

The Red Fife that BGM sources is grown as a winter wheat and comes from Migrash Farm in Randallstown, Maryland. Ian is an amazing farmer and seedsman who develops seed stock as well as growing, cleaning, and milling at scale. We are lucky to be working with him.

Red fife is a great bread wheat but can also be used in other baked goods where a bold flavor is wanted, such as pie dough and scones.