What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~Author Unknown | Looks like winter! And it looks like it's here for awhile, leaving us with just the pleasant memories of summer. In this country, there's lots of variety, and a season for everyone with no need to get bored. | Martin's excited about getting more work done on the wood-fired oven now that outdoor work has come to a snowy end. Come by Sunday and Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 to 6:00 to catch up on what's happening and to get your groceries. | We posted our egg essay and sale on the Harvest Haven Facebook page and received the following comment, which gave Martin the opportunity to explain more about our operation: BG: "We have laying hens that have full access to 4.5 acres. We have no roosters and they are not afraid to roam. You don't need a rooster unless to fertilize the egg. $6 a dozen is expensive." Martin replied: BG you say: "We have laying hens that have full access to 4.5 acres. We have no roosters and they are not afraid to roam. You don't need a rooster unless to fertilize the egg. $6 a dozen is expensive." Barbara, I have to confess that comments like yours make me angry. You really have no idea what you're talking about and you also have no consideration for me as a farmer and business owner. Have you factored in the cost of raising and feeding pullets for twenty weeks before they lay their first egg? Have you considered the cost of maintenance on infrastructure? What about paying someone to collect and wash/grade all the eggs? Did you know that by law we have to be a government inspected facility to sell eggs? Did you know I have to renew that license every year? Do you know how difficult and expensive it is for a small farmer to meet the ridiculous demands that the gov't puts in place to keep small farmers out of the marketplace? Do you know how much 100% organic feed costs? Do you know how much extra care we give our birds, over and above anyone's requirements? I don't believe you do. Yet you still feel free to tell everyone publicly that we are gouging our customers? Did you know that despite having to survive as little fish in the Big-Agriculture pond, our price for our organic eggs is still better than Save-on and Superstore? Anybody can run some hens on their acreage and collect next to free eggs, and that's wonderful, but can you do the same with 300 hens? Can you expand your model into a full-time business and still provide "cheap" eggs to a large volume of consumers who depend on your product year-round? I think it goes without saying that hens will still roam without roosters, Barbara, but nothing can rival the security they have when the roosters are nearby. That's why we said, "Hens are MORE HESITANT to run around the yard without roosters." You're not being fair to us. It seems to me, you're just a know-it-all who really doesn't know enough. What's worse, you don't hesitate to trash your neighbor, even when they are hard-working farmers who are providing excellent healthy food for their community at a downright honest price. Our hens are currently producing very productively, and we have to sell all the eggs before the unrealistic expiry date the CFIA forces on small egg operations. To resolve this problem, we are putting them on sale and paying for a FB ad to get the word out (advertising is another cost my egg sales have to cover by the way). Barbara, why do you feel the need to sabotage our efforts? What about loving your neighbor as yourself? These are the prices at Superstore and Save-On posted below. Their prices are higher, and all of our customers will testify that our eggs are better. | Ingrid Benson commented: I tried the two brands above when your hens were molting and your production low. They are more expensive, often have cracks, and leaks (which, by the way makes them even more expensive!), and I certainly don't have the same peace of mind feeding them to my children. So, I would keep the dozens I could buy from you for them, and eat the others myself. I know I can trust your eggs, and the work that goes into bringing them to us. Thank you for producing them! We appreciate the support others gave us on this Facebook thread. Diane M Greene: My daughter and I went out to Harvest Haven to pick strawberries in the summer: delicious juicy strawberries that had amazing flavour!
We are from the farm and very impressed!! This gentleman from Harvest Haven took the time to explain his farming methods; electric fence, etc.
If you can "eek" a living being a small farmer: Congratulations! It is a lot of hard work.
Check out food prices in Britain and other countries and you will see Canadian farmers are not gouging!
Thank you Canadian Farm Families!! Michael Marcotte: Sounds very reasonable to me, that's what I pay at Save-On, how or where do I buy your eggs? Jennifer Vec: Mike, Harvest Haven has really good eggs amongst other great organic products, definitely worth the trip to their store, just a couple minute drive past Evergreen Golf Centre. Harvest Haven eggs are still on sale: Large Eggs- Sale $16 for 3 dozen Reg. $6.00/dozen | The squash and pumpkins in our store are there for more than decoration. Although there are so many different and beautiful varieties, it's hard to think of them as food. They keep well, so if you can't decide which variety to get, take one of each. About Squash is an interesting article "about squash" – a little history, the various types, and how to grow them. "All forms of squash (and there are many that, for one reason or another, are not commonly grown in our area), arose in the Americas, primarily in the areas that are now Mexico and Central America. C. maxima have been in cultivation for more than 4,000 years. This great expanse of time, coupled with the plant's luxurious tendency to cross pollinate and take on new forms, allowed indigenous Americans to cultivate or create as they traveled a spectrum of forms prior to European contact in 1492. Indeed, the English word, squash, is descended from the Narragansett word askutasquash. This was a dialect of the Massachusett speaking people, whose language is now included in the greater family of Algonquin." All Varieties - Sale $1.50/lb Reg. $1.75/lb | Fresh beef will be available December 1 and 22. If there are specific cuts you would like, let us know as soon as possible, so they can be added to the cutting instructions. Harvest Haven beef is raised on premium organic pasture during the summer and the best certified organic green hay in the winter months. Because they come in from pasture filled out and ready for slaughter, they are given only a minimum of grain. They receive absolutely no vaccinations, growth hormones, or anti-biotics. Healthy living conditions mean healthy critters. | Sirloin Tip Roast- Sale $10.49/lb Reg. $13.49/lb Whole Chicken- Sale $4.79/lb Reg. $5.29/lb Lamb Shanks- Sale $7.99/lb Reg. $8.89/lb (See Recipe Box) Large Eggs- Sale $16 for 3 dozen Reg. $6.00/dozen Squash and Pumpkins, all varieties- Sale $1.50/lb Reg. $1.75/lb (See Recipe Box) White Onions- Sale $2.49/lb Reg. $2.99/lb (See Recipe Box) Frozen Strawberries- Sale $6.99/lb with 5 or more pounds Reg. $8.49/lb Dried Peas, 400 g- Sale $2.99 Reg. $3.99 (See Recipe Box) | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Baked Split Pea Soup 1 cup dried split peas or lentils
Water
2 Harvest Haven lamb shanks
1 Harvest Haven carrot, diced
1 Harvest Haven onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon thyme
˝ bay leaf, crumbled fine Soak peas overnight in cold water; drain and reserve water. (Or cover peas with water, bring to a boil, cover, and let sit 2 hours.) If using lentils, do not soak. Combine all ingredients in a large casserole or bean pot. Add a total of 8 cups water, including pea-soaking water. Cover and bake in a 300 F oven for 3 to 4 hours.
Remove meat from lamb shank and cut in cubes.
Serves 6. | Creamy Onion Salad One of the best creamy good extras to serve with dinner. 1/3 cup raw cane sugar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 ˝ tsp salt
4 Harvest Haven White Spanish onion, sliced thin
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp celery seed Put sugar, water, vinegar, and salt into bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Slice onions. Add to vinegar mixture. Let stand for three hours or overnight. Combine mayonnaise with celery seed. Drain onions well. Stir in mayonnaise. Serve.
| Creamy Squash Bars For the Crust
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cups unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans For the Filling
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup Harvest Haven squash puree
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large Harvest Haven egg plus 1 large egg white
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon all-spice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
9 roasted pecan halves for topping Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8-inch square pan with butter or shortening. Line with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and oats. Add cold butter and quickly but thoroughly break the butter up into the dry ingredients. When broken down, some butter pieces will be the size of small peas, others will be the size of oat flakes. Add the chopped pecans and toss to thoroughly combine. Remove about 1 1/2 (to 2 cup) of the mixture from the bowl and place in a small bowl in the refrigerator. This will be our crumble topping. Dump the remaining crust mixture into the prepared pan. Using your fingers, evenly press the crust into the bottom of the pans. Try to make sure that the crust has an even thickness across the pan. Place the pressed crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling. To prepare the filling place cream cheese in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat cream cheese on medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth and pliable. This will help the cream cheese be less chunky when combined with the squash. Add squash and sugar to the softened cream cheese and beat on medium speed. Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, ensuring that the squash and cream cheese are thoroughly combined. If the cream cheese looks chunky, switch to the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until most of the cream cheese lumps are incorporated. On medium speed add the egg and egg white. Beat to combine (about 1 minute). Add the spices, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat to combine. Remove the pressed crust and loose crumb from the refrigerator. Pour the creamy squash filling over the pressed crust. Sprinkle generously with crumb topping and top with pecan halves. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing. | It's nice to see all this snow after such a dry summer and all the fires around us. Martin and James were prepared, having brought in the beef herd from the far pasture and gathering all the layers into their cozy coup. Both undertakings not without their trials. The layers enjoyed their big run and weren't keen on going into a smaller area. James had to be persistent and herd them to where it would be warmer despite their shenanigans of trying to fly back past him. And Martin…I'm not sure about his ability to count. He calls to say we have one more beef animal for finish this fall. He had seen that steer in the herd and thought it was a beauty for being a yearling. Well, it wasn't a yearling and after some head scratching, Martin figured out what happened. In the spring, we decided to put another animal into finish and forgot to make a mental note of our change in numbers. All's good and we won't hold it against Martin for forgetting. After all, he has a lot on his mind most days. The only task left to do now is strawing the strawberries for those life-changing sweet berries next summer. Lots of snow fell, burying the plants before the temperatures dropped – just perfect. Now, the guys need to head out and cover the whole field with straw. If you haven't seen it yet, here's a video of their previous strawing adventures: Straw Your Strawberries. We're not the only ones happy with the snow. Harriett LOVES it! She dives into the snow drifts like some little polar bear, barks at the snowflakes as she tries to catch them, and "shreds" the cleared roads on her belly like some snowboarder. Harriett is so much fun and such a pleasure to have. Now, just to get the cats to see it that way. Harriett and Violet | |
