Canola Farms in the Snake River Area

This past Memorial Day weekend the promise of great trout fishing in the Snake River led us across Washington state into Idaho and entertained us all with beautiful sites along the way. As the buildings and cars faded from view, the land opened up. The air got a bit fresher. The atmosphere a little quieter and colors more pronounced. But nothing stood out more than the glowing, yellow canola fields.

When I hear “canola” I immediately think of the oil we cook with but come to find out there are many more reasons for growing this beautiful crop besides impressing us travelers. So, I did some research!

Did you know, canola oil can also be processed to be used as biodiesel fuel? And, because of its high protein content, it can also be used in feed rations for beef cattle, poultry and fish.

Also very interesting, canola can be grown with or without irrigation. This is huge in dryland farming regions where water is scarce or regulated.

Because of the pest resistant properties of canola, it is a good candidate for crop rotation to prevent pest infestation in other crops. There is Winter canola and Spring canola so based on the growing season of the other crops, Winter or Spring canola can be used. Talk about a team player

Research into the canola crop broadens my knowledge of the co-existing and symbiotic relationship between crops and when I pass through again for some July 4th fishing I won’t only be taking in the beautiful fields but understand how they touch many different aspects of our lives.

My role as Director of Integration and Customer Experience at Pollen Systems includes presenting the data we collect from fields all over the world. As I travel across state lines marveling at the enormity of agriculture, I think about the amazing opportunities there are to provide data to our farmers to keep these helpful and sustaining canola fields flourishing as well as astounding us travelers with their beauty.