A Georgia Girl in Germany

Every year, in late spring, German fields come alive with vibrant yellow rapeseed fields. This plant is a bright yellow flowering member of the mustard or cabbage family along with 3,000 other species. “Canola” is a trademark for a hybrid variety of rape initially bred in Canada. Close relatives of this crop have been cultivated for food since the earliest recordings of man.



Rapeseed has been important to Europe since the 13th century as a source of food and oil for fuel. Germany is the fourth top producer of rapeseed in the world with 5.3 million metric tons produced in 2007. In Europe, rapeseed is primarily cultivated for animal feed and is a leading option for Europeans to avoid importation of genetically modified organism products.



That said, I simply enjoy the bright yellow fields dotting the landscape. The crops have already been harvested for the year, so I only have these photos to remind me of their beauty.