Thursday, 2 April 2015

A to Z Blogging Challenge: B is for Barley (and other grain crops)

This month I’m taking part in the A-Z Blogging Challenge, the annual event where hundreds of bloggers write 26 blogs—one for each letter of the alphabet—and post them each day of April, except Sundays. This year, I’m blogging about: THINGS THAT GROW IN ALBERTA. (Spoiler alert: C is for Canola!) Don’t forget to check back daily and leave a comment on my blog, Facebook page, Twitter, Tumblr or via email at chase.superman.duffy@gmail.com. I’ll randomly pick a few winners who will receive a SIGNED copy of one of the Chase “Superman Duffy” comics.


Barley, wheat, oats, rye, triticale, wild rice—these are ALL members of the grass family grown for their edible starchy seeds. Wait…why would anyone want starchy seeds, you ask? Good question!

Well, they’re perfect for making some of my favourite  food products—like breakfast cereals, or oats for oatmeal, wheat for pasta, and rye for flour. But did you know that only a small percentage of grain crops are used to make byproducts?

Large quantities of barley, corn and rye—especially in Alberta—are grown for livestock feed. Yep, those cartoon images of pigs eating barley aren’t actually a joke.

According to my grandpa, most grain crops do well in Alberta, because they’re resilient against the elements, like a cold snap, or drought.

Uh…speaking of drought, how would you like to WIN a copy of Transpiration? Mermaids, dinosaurs, sea creatures—oh my! Comment below or on any of my social media links to qualify for the daily draw.

Gotta Jet! “C” ya tomorrow.

— Chase Superman Duffy

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12 comments:

  1. Thomas Charles MacInnes2 April 2015 at 10:14

    I "barley" knew how to respond to such an informative post. But I liked it. I am Canadian, too! I know how important barley is in our country so thanks for posting in such a proud way. :) Good luck throughout the rest of the Challenge! Go, Canada! Go!

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    1. Chase "Superman" Duffy2 April 2015 at 14:45

      Good one, Tom! Glad you enjoyed the post. Wait until tomorrow—another really Canadian crop :-)

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  2. Stuart Lloyd2 April 2015 at 12:29

    Loved reading your post on barley in Alberta. My knowledge of Alberta is limited to Albertasaurus, so I need to learn more about it.

    Stuart

    www.lloydofgamebooks.com

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    1. Chase "Superman" Duffy2 April 2015 at 14:46

      Thanks, Stuart. Fun fact: An Albertasaurus makes an appearance in the Superman Duffy book, TRANSPIRATION. Are you a dinosaur fan?

      Delete
  3. Stephen Tremp2 April 2015 at 17:32

    I do like beef and barley soup. I still buy it at the deli. Great stuff when you're feeling ill.

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  4. SENCO Cat Herder2 April 2015 at 23:58

    As a teacher, I think this is a brilliant way to get children learning about crops and how farmers grow them. I am learning too as English crops are quite different - I certainly don't think we grow alfalfa!! Will be entering your draw as would be super to share a new book with my kids :)
    Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace

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    1. Chase "Superman" Duffy3 April 2015 at 09:46

      Hi! Thank you so much! Where are you located? I'm excited you came to the blog. Can you please email your name/address to chase.superman.duffy@gmail.com?

      Delete
  5. Writer, blogger, poet, singer3 April 2015 at 08:01

    Hey Chase, this is a great way to teach kids about agriculture. I'm going to keep checking into your blog to get some literature and help my nephews at home study up for their exams. :)

    Please do stop by my website when you can - http://shrutisuresh.com

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    1. Chase "Superman" Duffy3 April 2015 at 09:47

      Thanks so much! I'll definitely stop by your blog.

      Delete
  6. Unknown3 April 2015 at 08:22

    cool indeed! i love learning about what grows where and why, it makes my own home of Missouri so very interesting

    http://smhasty.blogspot.com/2015/04/c-chris-carter.html

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    1. Chase "Superman" Duffy3 April 2015 at 09:47

      Thanks for stopping by, Stephanie. What's the main crop where you live?

      Delete

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