Exciting New Fiddleheads Research with The University of Guelph

We are thrilled to share new research founded by the University of Guelph! ForageGirl has donated hundreds of fiddlehead crowns from our farm to support the groundbreaking research of Rosemary Brockett, a talented Master’s student in Environmental Sciences. Rosemary has dedicated her research to indoor fiddlehead production in the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility, and we couldn’t be more excited to share some of her findings and objectives with you.

From left to right: Michael Dixon, Retired Professor / Director, Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility, University of Guelph. Nina Secord, VP Quality Assurance, Norcliff Inc, ForageGirl Fiddleheads. Rosemary Brockett, MSc Candidate, Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility, University of Guelph. Brittany Maranger, President Norcliff Inc, ForageGirl Fiddleheads. Thomas Graham, Assistant Professor/PhytoGro Research Chair in Controlled Environment Systems, University of Guelph. Photo is in the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility, University of Guelph standing in front of donated ferns.

Why Fiddleheads deserve a spot at our table

By Rosemary Brocket, MSc Candidate at University of Guelph in the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF)

Did you know that fiddleheads are the baby leaves or fronds of the common ostrich fern? These ferns grow in moist, shaded environments and have numerous reasons to be included in our daily diets:

1. Diversity: Our modern food diet choices come from just 150 plants, but there are 20,000 known edible plant species we could be eating! Adding fiddleheads to our meals brings more variety to our plates.
2. Nutrition: Fiddleheads contain 3x more fatty acids than spinach and 2x more antioxidants than blueberries. In fact, fiddleheads have the most complete fatty acid profiles of any edible green plant and one of the only vegetables containing omega-3 fatty acids, which we typically get from fish.
3. Medicinal Value: Some studies have identified potential anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-influenza effects in fiddleheads.

Growing Fiddleheads: Research Insights

Fiddleheads have a long growth cycle, and Rosemary Brockett’s research is revealing fascinating insights into optimal growing conditions:

1. Temperature: 9°C is required to break dormancy, while 21°C is ideal for growth.
2. Shade: Ferns grow best in shaded environments.
3. Cold Regime: Rosemary’s objective is to identify the optimal cold regime that meets the dormancy requirements in the shortest optimal time while still supporting healthy growth. Her research found that 9 weeks at 1°C was the healthiest dormancy period for the ferns.
4. Light: past research shows ferns prefer 22% ambient daylight. Rosemary’s objective is to determine the best light intensity and how spectrum such as green, red, or blue light, impacts fern growth.

Our collaboration with the University of Guelph and Rosemary Brockett is helping us better understand fiddlehead cultivation and ultimately improve our products for you, our valued customers.