Beauty in Crops

I've a bit of writer's block these past few weeks.  I can't think of a thing to write, especially about farming.  Maybe it's because I'm at school and not actually farming right now.  Whatever the reason, my writer's block lifted this morning as I was inspired by the beauty of, well, studying.  Let me explain that.  I was studying for a crop identification quiz I have this afternoon.  The various crops we need to be able to identify are geown in pots in the college greenhouse.  I had some time on my hands and went down to the greenhouse to check on my project crop (that's a crop I planted for the same class) and to study a bit.  I was pleasantly surprised to find many of the crops flowering.  After enjoying the beauty for a while, I thought I'd share some of it with my friends.

This is the flower and leaves of a Desi Chickpea plant.

This is the flower and leaves of a Field Bean plant.

These are the flowers and buds of a Borage plant.  Borage is used for essential oils.

This is a picture of a Borage plant with Corn and Sunflowers in the background.

This is a picture of the flowers of Coriander.  Coriander is a spice.

This a Tame Buckwheat plant.  It is related to Wild Buckwheat, the number one annual weed in Alberta in agricultural settings.  

This is a picture of Oats.  The head is just coming out.  The head is circled and the arrow is pointing the part of the leaf where the head is coming through.

These are the leaves of an Argentine Canola plant.  They are identifiable because the leaves clasp the stem and are glabrous (no hairs), with a blueish tinge. 

This is the flowers and buds of a Brown Mustard plant.

This is Foxtail Millet.  It is related to Green Foxtail, a weed my dad and I encountered in our barley crop this summer.

The arrow is pointing the the heads of Annual Canarygrass, also called Canary Seed.  The seeds are commly used in birdseed, but research is being done to see if it would be feasible to use them in human food, as an alternative to such grains as wheat.

This is Safflower.  The oil from the seeds is used for cooking and in cosmetics.

This is the buds and leaves of one of my Quinoa plants.  It is a crop I need to know how to identify, but it is also my project crop for the class.  I affectionately refer to quinoa as "hippy food" when I'm talking about it to my dad and our older neighbours.  Quinoa is closely related to Lamb's Quarters, a weed I take great pleasure in pulling from the garden each year.

I hope you've been able to enjoy the beauty of these crops with me.  As you can see, food is not just beautiful when it is artfully displayed on a plate.  It is also beautiful as it develops.