Many beneficial insects including bees make their home in alfalfa fields.
Alfalfa contributes to environmental sustainability by protecting soil from erosion and reducing water run-off.
ﾠAlfalfa is used forﾠgrazing,ﾠhay, andﾠsilage.
ﾠAlfalfa has clustersﾠof small purple flowers followed by fruits spiralled in 2 to 3 turns containing 10ﾖ20 seeds.ﾠ
Alfalfa seems to have originated in south-central Asia, and was first cultivated in ancient Iran.
Alfalfa is high inﾠprotein,ﾠcalciumﾠand other minerals,ﾠvitamins in the B group,ﾠvitamin C,ﾠvitamin D,ﾠvitamin E, andﾠvitamin K.
During the early 2000s, alfalfa was the most cultivated forage legume in the world.
Close up of a flowering bean plant.
Beans are a good source of folate and fibre and significantly reduce the amount of saturated fats in oneﾒs diet.
Canada exports beans to more than 70 countries around the world.
North Americans consume more beans annually than any other type of pulse.