Nature provides the food you eat, so slow down and take a bite. Savour it for its singular simplicity. – Diana Beresford-Kroeger

I'm sure many of you have heard my strawberry speech before, so I'll make this short.

Conventional
Don't buy conventional strawberries. They're horrid. They taste like soured cardboard and are saturated in an unprecedented and unregulated concoction of harmful chemicals. They're a lab experiment gone really bad.

Certified Organic
Don't buy conventionally grown certified organic strawberries, either. They're grown in fields of plastic weed barriers that suffocate the soil and heat up the roots for maximum production and minimal flavour. They're picked under-ripe. Fruit that's picked under-ripe has never reached peak sugar content. Fruit that doesn't reach maximum sugar content is seldom targeted by fungus or pests. Plants that don't have to respond to stress don't create polyphenols (i.e. antioxidants) to defend themselves.

In other words, the organic strawberries you thought were loaded with antioxidants are just the empty shell of what they should be. They're not just void of flavour, they're void of nourishment potential, as well. The organic strawberry might not be toxic, but you're definitely not getting what you're paying for.

Harvest Haven Certified
Harvest Haven certified strawberries are the real thing. Grown in an actual field of straw. They're picked when ripe. The roots of the plants are cool and well oxygenated while remaining consistently moist. This maximizes both the flavour and the nutrient density of the fruit. Our frozen berries are amazing and carry the healing goodness of the summer sun into the winter when you need it most.

In short, my sales pitch is simple, and call it elitist or egotistical if you must, but my recommendation is to eat only Harvest Haven strawberries. And eat as many as you can! As soon as possible, or better still, even sooner!

Martin

It's summertime and the livin' isn't necessarily easy on the farm, unlike that old song sung by Ella Fitzgerald – Summertime (1968).

The hay's getting cut, cured, and baled; the cattle and sheep need moving to new pastures regularly; the turkeys are growing and require tending; and the new berm hen house is being dug.

The berm building project is quite interesting. The hole James has dug in the ground looks like a large swimming pool and almost was when he hit the main water line. There was a geyser and James had to run like crazy to shut down the water system. Thankfully, they had pipe to repair the damage.

Maybe they should have just filled the "pool" and taken time to relax. But, relaxing for those guys is harder than the work.

The strawberries are finally turning red! They're a little later this year, probably because of the cold spring.

PLEASE NOTE: We are NO longer doing U-pick!

We'll do the picking for you.

Let us know what you want for berries and when, but do it now. The season is short, and we need to schedule our picking.

Reply to this email or phone: 403-329-9157.

We have many Harvest Haven certified and certified organic products in our new store, all of which we have tried and most of them we use regularly.

In each issue of the Happenings, we'll pick a few favorites, give a brief description, and suggest recipes for them, which you'll find in The Recipe Box below.

Keeping with the summertime strawberry theme, here are some of our favorites.

Fresh Harvest Haven Strawberries – What can be said about the sweetest berries around? You'll love the Strawberry Crostini recipe, especially with fresh from the oven Harvest Haven Sourdough Bread.

Harvest Haven Sourdough Bread – At the Harvest Haven Hearth, Heaven meets Earth. Country Loaves, made with simple ingredients and baked in a wood-fired oven, are wonderfully delicious and nourishing.

Bioitalia Balsamic Glaze – This is a new product we wanted to try, and we weren't disappointed. We love it! Balsamic glaze is a luscious condiment for drizzling over savory or sweet dishes, like grilled meats, fish, poultry, or sandwiches. It's especially tasty on fresh strawberries.

Slivered Almonds – Almonds have become very popular recently, but do you know why it's important to buy organic almonds? All almonds grown in California must be pasteurized using steam, steam-vacuuming technology, blanching, dry-roasting, oil roasting or propylene oxide. Propylene oxide (PPO) is banned in organic because it is a super-toxic chemical used in foams in furniture and car seats, waterproof clothing, and aircraft de-icers. Besides that, during the growing of conventional almonds, they are sprayed with toxic chemicals, such as cancer-causing glyphosate. Go organic!

Great Lakes Gelatin – Gelatin is good for more than just making salads and desserts. Great Lakes Gelatin comes from grass-fed beef, making it an excellent source of amino acids. Some health benefits of gelatin are providing protein, aiding digestion, easing joint pain, helping control blood sugar, maintaining healthy bones, and improving sleep quality. Strawberry Gummies are an enjoyable treat filled with goodness.

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

Strawberry Gummies

Add 3 tbsp Great Lakes beef gelatin to 1/4 cup lemon juice. Stir until gelatin is dissolved.

In a saucepan heat 2 cups Harvest Haven strawberries and puree while cooking. Add 1/8 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp vanilla. Add 1/4 cup Harvest Haven honey. Then add the lemon juice and gelatin mixture. Cook an additional 2 minutes.

Pour mixture into a glass pan. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Cut into cute shapes and enjoy!

Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, and 2 tbsp Harvest Haven honey. Whisk and then add 2 tsp poppy seeds. Set aside.

Slice 2 cups of Harvest Haven strawberries. Add to a large bowl with 4 oz fresh spinach. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup sliced almonds. Add poppy seed dressing. Toss the salad and enjoy!

For the next couple of weeks, most of our energies will be focused on strawberries. However, there is more happening than that.

Victor continues getting his music produced and Jonathan is working on more videos for it, even though he is in Bali, Indonesia. (Apparently, there's a coworking place right next door to where he's staying. He always takes his work with him.)

Here's Victor's most recent music video.

This song expresses the anguish he was going through in 1972 before the Lord Jesus Christ made Himself known to him.