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Farmers have been growing canola for almost 40 years. Each canola plant grows anywhere from 3 to 6 feet tall and produces yellow flowers which, in turn, produce seed pods. These pods are about one-fifth the size of pea pods and contain about 20 tiny, round brownish-black seeds. Each canola seed is approximately 40 percent oil. The seeds are crushed to obtain canola oil for human consumption and the remainder is processed into canola meal, which is used as a high protein livestock feed.

While Canada is the largest single country producer of canola, it is also grown in the United States, Europe and Australia. European Union member countries combined grow more canola than Canada. China's rapeseed acreage exceeds that of Canadian canola.

Canola is grown primarily in regions of Western Canada and North Dakota. Light production occurs in southern Ontario and the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest of the U.S.