A to Z Challenge: Q is for Quinoa

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. 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 WIN a SIGNED copy of one of the Chase “Superman Duffy” comics.

Have you ever noticed that certain foods find their way into the “health” spotlight for a period of time? Like kale, for instance, which seems to be in everything from steamers to smoothies. It’s everywhere!

I’m starting to feel that way about quinoa. My mom adds it to her Greek salads, and sometimes we use it in place of rice. Even though I don’t mind it (it’s better cold than hot, in my opinion), I’m always a bit hesitant when a new food emerges as a “super” food.

I asked my grandpa whether he could grow quinoa and he said that while there are some farms in Alberta that have had some success growing it, our growing conditions aren’t quite right for it to become a main crop, like wheat or barley, or something.

Which is too bad, really, because an alternative cash crop for farmers would allow for more growing options. That’s the focus of the soon-to-be released Chase Superman Duffy book, Cloud 9—alternative crops to help adapt to our ever-changing climate.

Quinoa may not grow in Alberta very well, but other crops do—like canola of course. To find out the origins of this truly Canadian crop, and learn more about the Chase Superman Duffy series, comment below or on any of my social media links above for a chance to win a copy of the book that started it all, Fields of Home.

Back tomorrow with the letter R. (Can you believe there’s only 9 days left of the challenge?! How many blogs have you read?)

Gotta Jet!

— Chase Superman Duffy