What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have hot yet been discovered. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

We may not like the snowy cold spring, but it's giving Martin the opportunity to work on the new store before having to go gardening.

All the drywall is done and most of the barn wood is up. Airway Refrigeration has the compressors for the cooler and display freezer ready to go. The exterior doors have the glass installed now, making it nice and bright inside.

Martin even found the remote controls for the skylights. Now, he needs to read the 80-page manual to figure out how they work. How to learn to appreciate simplicity, an essence of intelligence.

Who could imagine there would be so much excitement when seeing the first dandelion in spring?

Well, many of us are looking forward to that first glimpse of green and yellow this year. And it will come. Soon, we hope…

The humble dandelion has suffered from every conceivable torture, only to rebound in abundance. That's a good thing because dandelion flowers are some of the first food for the bees in the spring.

Consider that dandelions are a carpet of medicine under your feet. Every part of the plant can be used for health benefits.

One of the most impressive findings about the efficacy of the dandelion comes from research at the University of Windsor. Dandelion root extract kills leukemia cells, prostate cancer cells, and chemo-resistant melanoma. It is more effective than chemotherapy and free from side effects.

On the other hand, the chemicals used to kill dandelions cause cancer, not just in humans, but pets: Studies link canine cancers to lawn chemicals. These chemicals are bad on so many levels.

Let's embrace the dandelion and enjoy its many benefits. Here are a few ways to use this wonderful gem of spring: 16 Dandelion Recipes.

We have various dandelion products in the store. Ask us about them.

New York Strip Steak- Sale $18.29/lb Reg. $19.99/lb

Boneless Chicken Breast- Sale $14.79/lb Reg. $15.999/lb (See Recipe Box)

Lamb Sausage, all variety- Sale $10.99/lb Reg. $12.49/lb

Juicing Carrots- Sale $40 for 40 lbs Reg. $70 for 40 lbs

Beets- Sale $1.99/lb Reg. $2.50/lb

Large Eggs- Sale 3 dozen for $16 Reg. $6/dozen (See Recipe Box)

Alter Eco Jasmine Rice, 454 g- Sale $6.99 each Reg. $7.99 each (See Recipe Box)

Frozen Strawberries- Sale: 3 or more pounds for $6.99/lb Reg. $3.99 (See Recipe Box)

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

Marseilles enjoys drawing cartoons of the things she sees or the conversations she hears or of just what comes into her mind. Watch for her creations in future newsletters. You'll love them!

Large Eggs- Sale 3 dozen for $16 Reg. $6/dozen

Harvest Haven Strawberry Gummies

Add 3 tbsp grass-fed beef gelatin to 1/4 cup lemon juice and stir until gelatin is dissolved.

In a saucepan, heat 2 cups Harvest Haven strawberries and puree while cooking.

Add 1/4 cup Harvest Haven honey, 1/8 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp vanilla.

Add lemon juice and gelatin mixture.

Cook an additional 2 minutes then pour into a glass pan and set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Cut into cute shapes.

Enjoy!

Our Symbol, The Dandelion

When Victor and I landscaped our acreage, the freshly seeded lawn was overflowing with dandelions. It was a beautiful yellow carpet. But, we weren't impressed.

We didn't know the value of dandelions those many years ago and set about eradicating every last one. Knowing the dangers of herbicides, we were determined to remove these weeds by hand.

Feeling overwhelmed with the apparently unconquerable job, having no one to help keep up with the "weed" that never quits, Victor prayed and heard, "These things are defeated from Above." And inexplicably, they were. You can read about our experience at "The weed weeds".

When we bought the farm a few years later, we were faced with acres of dandelions. Again, they were removed by hand with many hours of hard labour.

As we became aware of the many health benefits of the dandelion, we started harvesting and drying the roots. We heard about George Cairns, an elderly man from Illinois, who had had cancer and was given the revelation that by consuming dried dandelion root powder, he would be cleansed of his cancer. George passed away in 2011 at the age of 94 after many years of being cancer free.

Because the dandelion has been such a prominent part of our lives, it's appropriate that we identify with it and make it the symbol for our farm.

How do we at Harvest Haven identify with the dandelion? While able to provide abundant health, the dandelion is despised by many as a nuisance. We have been perceived as strange and troublesome by conventional medicine, by conventional agriculture, and by conventional religion. Yet, our calling is to do good before God and His creation, to bring genuine health at all levels to those that need and search for it.

While others spray us with 2-4Damnation, just as they do the dandelion, we will continue to return, to rise and shine, ever hoping that people will eat, instead of kill, us.

Harvest Haven's slogan is "Providing the Essentials of Life." For those who believe, Lord willing, we provide the physical, mental, and spiritual essentials – salvation for body, soul, and spirit. God has provided them for us and now it is our mission and purpose to share what He has given us with others. That is what Harvest Haven is all about.

Yes, in Jesus Christ, we are that dandelion and thankful for it!

The dandelion is much like the Lord Jesus Christ. Read about the similarities at A Symbol is Born.