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July 5, 2017

The growth of the exploiters' revolution on this continent has been accompanied by the growth of the idea that work is beneath human dignity, particularly any form of hand work. We have made it our overriding ambition to escape work, and as a consequence have debased work until it is only fit to escape from.

~ Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture.

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Last week, Martin experienced exactly what Wendell Berry is referring to and had these thoughts about it.

I had someone on my weeding crew ask me the other day if there was such a thing as a non-toxic chemical for killing weeds. Reflecting on it, I thought about the irony. If there were such a thing, she would be out of job.

When as a culture did we forget to give thanks for employment? Do people really think there is an easier life awaiting them when chemicals and machinery perform their manual work for them? Don't they realize that they'll be laid off rather than promoted?

So, I asked her if she found weeding to be unpleasant. She thought about it and told me that she actually likes it. It's just what the quote above is expressing. We've been so programmed to escape manual labour, that we forget to ask ourselves what we're escaping to.

Are we happier? Are we healthier? Are we fulfilled? Is anybody satisfied?

"A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment?" Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

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Harvest Haven Strawberries

This is the last week for good picking…

(See Recipe Box)

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Downtown Lethbridge Farmers' Market

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We're at the Downtown Farmers' Market located in Festival Square, 3rd Avenue and 6th Street South today, Wednesday, July 5 from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
We have LOTS of Harvest Haven strawberries!

Harvest Haven mixed lettuces and herbs are available for your favorite salads.
Mans' Organics are back…beefsteak and cherry tomatoes, colored peppers, and mini cukes.

See you there!

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Closed Wednesdays for the Summer

Because we'll be at the Downtown Farmers' Market every Wednesday from July 5 to September 6, the store will be closed those days. Catch us at the Market on Wednesdays.

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Taking Orders for Fresh Organic BC Fruit

Organic BC Cherries and Blueberries will soon be here. Peaches, Nectarines, and Pears to follow.

We can order cases for you, but won't know the prices until the list comes from our supplier. Let us know what you would like and we can get the price to you when it is available.

Basket-of-blueberries
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On Sale...

Ground Beef- Sale 3 or more pounds $6.99/lb Reg. $7.49/lb (See Recipe Box)

Beef Breakfast Sausage - Sale $9.25/lb Reg $10.99/lb

Lamb Shoulder Steak- Sale $9.29/lb Reg. $10.89/lb

Chicken Drumsticks-Sale $5.99/lb Reg. $6.99/lb

Mans Organic Beefsteak Tomatoes- Sale $3.99/lb Reg. $4.69/lb (See Recipe Box)

Mans English Cucumbers- Sale $3.49 each Reg. $4.29 each (See Recipe Box)

Mapleton's Organic Ice Cream, all flavours- Sale $7.99 each Reg. $8.99 each

Let's Do... Organic Sugar Cones- Sale $7.99/box bag Reg. $8.99/box

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The Recipe Box

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

hamburger

Harvest Haven Hamburgers

1 lb Harvest Haven ground beef
1 Harvest Haven egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 clove Harvest Haven garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix all together just until well blended.
Shape into patties.
Barbecue on hot grill 5 minutes on one side. Turn and grill 4 minutes longer.
Brush with Easy Barbecue Sauce.

Makes 5 or 6 patties.

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Paleo-BBQ-Sauce-1b

Easy Barbecue Sauce


2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp prepared mustard
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup water
4 Tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients, simmer 15 minutes.

Cool and store in fridge.

***
middle-eastern-style-cucumber-tomato-and-onion-salad

Middle Eastern Tomato Salad

1 cup finely diced Long English cucumber
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely diced tomato
1 cup finely diced sweet onion
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup finely chopped mint, or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Place diced cucumber into a colander and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt or as needed; allow to drain for about 15 minutes.

Toss drained cucumber with tomato, sweet onion, parsley, and mint.

Drizzle salad with olive oil and fresh lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper.

Serve immediately.

***
Strawberry-Shortcake-Cupcakes-3-683x1024

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Yellow cupcakes, whipped vanilla buttercream and fresh strawberries make these strawberry shortcake cupcakes a fun variation of the summertime treat.

For the cupcakes
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 Harvest Haven eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 and ¾ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk, room temperature

For the Buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3 and ½ cups powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

For the Strawberry filling
3-4 cups finely diced Harvest Haven strawberries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 cupcakes pans with 24 cupcake papers. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on high for 2-3 minutes or until light colored and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Alternately add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the milk in three parts, stirring just until combined and scraping down the sides as necessary.

Spoon the batter into the lined cupcakes pan, dividing between all 24. Bake for 20-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the buttercream, beat the softened butter in a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes until light in color and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla and enough of the heavy cream or milk to make a spreadable consistency. Beat the frosting on high for 3-4 minutes or until very fluffy.

Make the strawberry filling by sprinkling the granulated sugar over the finely diced strawberries. Let sit for 15 minutes until the strawberries release their juices.

To assemble the cupcakes, spread a small amount of frosting on the top of each cooled cupcake, like a mini crumb coat. This will keep the strawberry juices from soaking into the cupcake. Then pipe a circle of buttercream around the outside of each cupcake. Fill the center with a tablespoon or two of the strawberry filling. It is best if the cupcakes are filled with strawberries just a few hours or right before eating them.

***

Down on the Farm

Farmers and Death

Life on the farm isn't always about lovely lettuces and cute kittens. We do have those but there is a reality at the other end of the spectrum, where things are rough and you experience blood, sweat and tears. That's what happened to Martin and Jeannie this past week.

Some readers may find this story disturbing, but it's the reality of life down on the farm. Martin relates his experience:

I've got a more serious tale to tell today. It started when a customer said to me, "I could never be a farmer because I love animals and I could never kill them." She wasn't opposed to eating animals. She just "loved animals too much to kill them herself." She told me that she figured farmers got used to killing animals.

Don't misunderstand, this customer was being very polite and didn't mean any offense, and none was taken, but her expression affected me and the impact of that effect was coincidentally magnified that very evening.

It was about 9:45 PM and getting dark. I heard barking as I headed to the house for bedtime tea, but thought nothing of it. As I collapsed on my sofa, I saw my sheep running frantically. Now I knew what was happening. I bolted out the door, grabbing the first weapon I saw which happened to be a corn broom.

Folks often abandon their unwanted dogs in the country because they "love animals too much to kill them." Stray dogs roam the countryside and will ravage livestock, be it cattle, sheep or poultry, just for the pleasure of the kill.

I got to the scene of the crime in time to see a large black dog had one of my lambs by the neck. I was face to face with a wild and hungry stray dog who was out for the kill. Beating the predator off with my broom, it fled with a stinging memory.

Meanwhile, Jeannie was busy rounding up the scattered sheep to make sure the flock was okay when she found a wounded lamb laying on its side at the far end of the pasture. It was alive, laying there, and not bleeding too heavily. I thought it might be okay but it wasn't able to move.

By this time, my good neighbor, who heard the commotion, hurried over to see if everything was okay. He helped me carefully carry the victim out of the pasture to the main barn so I could examine it more closely under light.

Searching through its thick wool, I found the wound; it was a small puncture straight to the spinal cord. I knew this was the end for this lamb. Even though it didn't seem to be in too much pain, it was paralyzed on one whole side of the body. There was only one thing left to do and I did it.

You can try and figure the cost of raising food and getting it to the table, but who pays for tragedies? Who considers that the farmer is in the constant business of both saving and taking life?

Farmers are bound to the light and dark realities. We taste them every day. Sometimes it's sweet and sometimes it's bitter, but we don't grow numb. Responsible farmers don't "just get used to it." We grow callouses but we don't grow calloused. Unfactored into the price you pay for the food we provide is the incalculable cost of dealing with death for you, the consumer.

One can only raise nourished and nourishing animals properly if they love them and take care of their needs. But the end comes eventually, and sometimes prematurely as in this tragic circumstance. The same farmer who loved his animals enough to provide for them must take their lives and give them to you. In the end, it's our lives we're giving you.

Think about it.

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