Picture perfect

Correction - Please note, the photo below was incorrectly identified as wheat.  The photo is of a barley plant.  A correction notice will be printed in the Summer 2006 issue.

Photograph by Karen Brantnall

Against the grain

Calgarian Karen Brantnall was on a road trip through Pincher Creek last July when she captured this winning photograph of a shaft of wheat in a beautiful green wheat field. "It was one of those clear blue summer days and all of the colours around us seemed particularly vibrant," recalls Brantnall. As a city girl, she finds herself fascinated when she sees fruit ripening on the vine or the grains in a shaft of wheat. "To me there is a unique beauty in seeing something in its most natural state," she says.

All about wheat

Wheat is one of Alberta's most important crops and is our second largest agri-food export, valued at about $1.1 billion each year. Spring wheat is planted in May to June and harvested between August and October. Wheat is the main ingredient in most breads, pastas, cookies, cakes and muffins. It is also used to make beer, whiskey and vodka and can be found in a variety of products such as paper, adhesives, furniture, plastic bags, fuels, insulation, hair conditioners and liquid laundry detergents, to name a few.

Send us your photos

Send us your best photo and win $750! We are looking for photos that capture the spirit of Alberta's agriculture and food industry - from fields of wheat and farmers' markets to food preparation and fine dining. Photographs will be judged based on technical quality, creativity, composition and overall impact; one winning entry will be selected per issue.

E-mail your entries or questions to tpowell-surtees@albertaventure.com or mail them to Tamara Powell-Surtees, Venture Publishing, 201-10350 124 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5N 3V9. Click here for full contest details.