"We don't need a law against McDonald's or a law against slaughterhouse abuse--we ask for too much salvation by legislation. All we need to do is empower individuals with the right philosophy and the right information to opt out en masse."
- Joel Salatin | Beef Martin speaks his mind about feedlot beef, which reinforces why you're buying Harvest Haven Certified. Conventional Feedlot beef is a crime. I would say that it should be illegal, but I'm not interested in more government regulations. It should be universally boycotted instead. It is perhaps the most backwards of all agricultural practices. Let me explain. Industrial poultry houses feed chemical GMO grain to crowded birds, industrial hog operations feed the same. But you see, these animals are omnivores like us. They have digestive tracts designed specifically for consuming large proportions of high energy and varied feedstuffs. Don't get me wrong, omnivores need low energy salads too, but they can't thrive on them, because they don't contain enough protein diversity to balance proper growth. We raise our birds on pasture because fresh greens are fantastic for birds, but the foundation of their diet is organic wheat and peas. Now here is the crime. Cattle don't need grain to thrive. They have special bacteria in their stomach that can break down the protein in any green thing and rebuild whatever proteins they need for proper growth. Why on earth are we denuding our topsoil with tillage to grow GMO corn so we can feed it to animals that would be much healthier and happier grazing a hillside without the stink of irresponsibly-handled manure and diesel fuel fouling up the country air? Why not let them self-harvest and self-fertilize a crop that never needs cultivation or replanting? Why does everyone stand idly by, complaining about the foul odour that blows in from these factory farms, while continuing to finance these environmental disasters with their grocery dollars? Especially when there is such a beautiful alternative. If there were ever an area for shifting financial priorities, few decisions would have as large an impact on your health, your community, and your environment as switching out your feedlot beef for grass-fed beef. And let's not blame the farmers. There are many feedlot operators who would ditch the diesel and machinery bills for walking the pasture again if folks were willing to let their wallets speak on behalf of their noses. I was supposed to write about the Harvest Haven Certified but I got carried away. I get pretty hot and bothered about the absurdity and criminality of feedlots. I'll be succinct. Look at the video, and then take a look at a feedlot. Visit a farm and use your senses. If it's ugly or it smells unbearable, it's bad farming. And bad farming is bad for everybody. I think we all know where conventional beef comes from. Need I say more? Certified Organic Don't assume that because you're buying organic ground beef at Costco that you're not getting feedlot beef. Don't think that because it says organic, that the animals aren't being fed gross amounts of grain. Or that the farm isn't polluting local watersheds. Or that the neighbors don't pinch their noses when the wind blows their way. Harvest Haven Certified Here's the Harvest Haven Certified guarantee. Whether our cows are on pasture for the growing season or in corrals for the winter, visiting our animals is a pleasure. We are chemical-free, and stink-free. We farm responsibly and beautifully.
Our grass feeds the cows, and the cows feed the grass. It's clean and simple here. | With this lovely fall weather, Solterra Landscape Ltd. is making good time on the work around the yard. Sorry to the customers having to dodge dump trucks, skid steers, and workers…a small price for the benefits to come. Martin and James continue to reconfigure the corrals for ease of movement and diminished stress of the livestock and farmer. Improvements everywhere! | We're taking orders for any special beef cuts you would like. All orders need to be in by November 23. |  Beef Rouladen | | Boneless Lamb Leg Roast- Sale $14.99/lb Reg. $16.89/lb Boneless Chicken Breast- Sale $14.79/lb Reg. $15.99/lb (See Recipe Box) Beef Stew- Sale $9.49/lb Reg. $9.99/lb (See Recipe Box) Medium Eggs- Sale 3 dozen for $14.00 Reg. $5.25/dozen Cooking Onions- Sale 3 lb for $6.49 Reg. 3 lb for $7.49 (See Recipe Box) Garlic -Sale $3.25/ 1/4 lb Reg. $3.75/ 1/4 lb (See Recipe Box) Harvest Haven Apples, 4 lb bag -Sale $7.99/ 4 lb bag Reg. $9.99/ 4 lb bag (See Recipe Box) Omega Nutrition Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, 454 g- Sale $21.99 Reg. $23.99 | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | One Pot Beef Stew 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds Harvest Haven beef stew
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 large Harvest Haven onion, diced
3 cloves Harvest Haven garlic, pressed
3 medium Harvest Haven carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup tomato sauce
3 cups Harvest Haven beef bone broth
5 medium Harvest Haven potatoes, quartered
1 cup frozen green beans (optional)
fresh parsley for garnish Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a large Dutch Oven pot over medium-high heat and warm the olive oil in it. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add to the hot pot, just so the beef covers the bottom of the pot (Don't overcrowd as this will prevent the browning process. Brown the beef in batches if necessary.). Brown the beef pieces on each side just until they're beautifully caramelized, sprinkling the flour over the beef as it browns, about 1 teaspoon at a time. Remove the beef from the pot to a plate after it has browned (don't worry about cooking it through at this point!) and add the thyme, smoked paprika, onions, garlic, carrots and celery to the pot. Stir the vegetables around to catch all the drippings left in the pot from the meat and add the beef back into the pot after the onions are almost translucent. Add the red wine, the Worcestershire Sauce, and the tomato paste. Give everything a good stir and let the liquid cook down (it's important to let the wine cook off for a good 4-5 minutes before adding the other liquid). Once the wine liquid has reduced for several minutes and it has thickened, add the tomato sauce, the beef bone broth and the potatoes. Give everything a good stir, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Make sure the potatoes are nicely nestled into the liquid and add the lid to the pot. Place the pot in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 3 to 3 and a half hours. Every hour or so, lift the lid of the pot and give everything a quick stir. If you'd like to add the frozen green beans, stir them in during the last 30 minutes of cooking so they don't get soggy. You'll know the stew is done after the allotted time has passed and the beef pieces fall apart when you touch them with a fork. Serve in deep bowls with a piece of crusty bread for dipping, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley for garnish (if desired). | Apple Thyme Chicken 1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 boneless skinless Harvest Haven chicken breasts, cut in half
2 medium Harvest Haven apples, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon Harvest Haven honey
1/2 teaspoon salt SAUCE:
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup apple juice For marinade, in a bowl, mix first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine chicken and 3/4 cup marinade; refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours. Reserve remaining marinade; cover and refrigerate. Toss apples in reserved marinade; remove apples with a slotted spoon. Stir honey into remaining apple marinade. Place apples on an oiled grill rack over medium heat; grill, uncovered, until tender, 4-6 minutes, turning and brushing frequently with honey mixture. Drain chicken, discarding chicken marinade. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Grill, covered, over medium heat until a thermometer reads 165°, 5-7 minutes per side; brush frequently with remaining honey mixture during the last 4 minutes. In a saucepan, mix sauce ingredients until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes; stir in apples. Serve with chicken. | Apple Caramel Cheesecake Bars 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Harvest Haven eggs, lightly beaten
3 medium Harvest Haven apples, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon STREUSEL:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
1/3 cup caramel Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a well-greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Spread over crust.
In a small bowl, toss apples with cinnamon, and remaining sugar; spoon over cream cheese layer. In another bowl, mix flour, brown sugar and oats; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apple layer. Bake 25-30 minutes or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel; cool in pan on a wire rack 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cut into bars. | Luxury Living for "Layed" Off Layers | As Victor and I were driving down Highway 3 the other day, we passed one of those mega luxury motorhomes. Possibly a retired couple heading south to enjoy the comforts of a warmer climate. "Would you want to go travelling again?" Victor asked me. In unison, we said, "No thank you!" We trailered for a few years before we "bought the farm." I remember waking up in the mornings, wondering where we were and what side of the bed the sun was rising on. We enjoy our comfy home and not having to travel anymore. Arriving at the farm, Konstantijn could hardly wait to show me Rosette's kittens, which were in the lambing barn. K has had to become a Kitten Karegiver because Rosette abandoned her litter again. This time, her offspring were old enough to survive with some human intervention. While Konstantijn is describing the kittens, their names and funny antics, there's a flock of hens walking around us and scratching in the straw. | "Oh, those are just our retired laying hens. They get to roam wherever they want. They don't lay much anymore so are allowed to peck around the barn and corrals for bugs and grain," K matter-of-factly explains. "That's nice. Sounds like the good life." At dinner, the subject of the retired free-rangers came up. Martin emphatically announces, "They are NOT going back into the hen house with the layers when the cold comes. There will be too much chaos."
James sadly interjects, "They'll die in their little shelter in the winter. I can't have that. I have a plan." I was too gobsmacked by what was being proposed for these hens to catch all the details James was proposing for their luxury living. However, I did hear Martin piping in, "James is going to use that huge pipe he got from his former sewer and water business to house them." "Yes, that's right," James interjects. "We'll dig the pipe into one of those compost piles where it's nice and warm. It can get to 150 degrees in there."
"What?" I exclaim. "You'll have roast chicken!" "Oh, we didn't tell you about the AC for their unit, did we?" Martin burst out laughing. The luxury living unit for the "layed" off layers doesn't compare to the mega motorhome we saw on the highway, but how do we know if these retirees won't enjoy their fancy digs every bit as much? Wings and wheels have NOT cornered the market of southern climes according to Martin and James. | |
