How tragic that so many families today completely abdicate this opportunity to vote with their food dollar. With every bite, we are either healing or hurting our neighbors, the soil, and ultimately the world. - Joel Salatin, Folks, this ain't normal

It's been nice to have a slower work pace on the farm. Gives us time to think…and consider more projects.

With the start of a new year comes thoughts of changes and resolutions. Eat better, exercise more, volunteer somewhere, get more rest. But, how long is it before these good intentions are lost to old habits?

Martin makes excellent points in this video, Personal Responsibility Must Precede Personal Resolutions.

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Yes, it's that time of year when the cold and flu bugs start to make themselves known and sharing misery with all they meet. We have a variety of aids to help you get through those down days.

Essential Silver™ - A vitally potent, safe, medicinal, bioactive ionic silver with multiple uses.

Essential Silver™ is the Canadian leader of silver supplements with the fastest microbial kill rate. It instantly killed 99% of eight commonly found bacterial and yeast pathogens upon contact in independent laboratory testing, making it the most effective and powerful brand of silver supplements in Canada.

Kids Elderberry Cough Syrup - SURO® syrups provide fast, effective relief from colds and flu, cough, and sore throat. Approved by Health Canada, SURO® helps supercharge your immunity naturally.

SURO® syrups are a powerhouse of premium ingredients including elderberries and elderflower extract. They have zero water and are fructose-free. The children's formula is safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Great health can taste this good!

SURO® Breathe™ – Approved by Health Canada for relief of seasonal or environmental allergies, sinus and chest congestion. SURO® Breathe™ also helps asthma sufferers. It works by quickly relaxing bronchial passages, clearing mucous and opening airways. It soothes and heals inflammation and irritation.

SURO® Breathe™ is a proprietary blend of 17 different organic ingredients. It includes nettle, elderflower, eucalyptus, mullein, and plantain.

ReThink Oil of Oregano - 100% Pure, Undiluted Wild Mediterranean Oregano Oil; non-standardized, naturally high in carvacrol.

Oregano oil is used worldwide to naturally relieve signs and symptoms involving the respiratory and GI tracts, UTI's, parasites, viruses, bacterial and fungal overgrowth, oral care, and a wide range of skin conditions.

The origanum minutiflorum in ReThink Oil of Oregano is naturally high in carvacrol, so there is no need to standardize. This oil is as close to Mother Nature as it gets.

Harvest Haven Chicken Bone Broth – Let's not forget a big mug of warm chicken broth to chase away those sniffles.

Hsin Ten FIR (Far Infrared) Hot House – A proven excellent multi-purpose illness fighter for the entire family; effective, painkilling with no side effects. Very comforting. A part of the sunlight spectrum multiplied.

Harvest Haven Ground Beef – Definitely a farm favorite with so many ways to prepare it. Our ground beef has just the right amount of fat to make it tender and flavorful. And grass-fed beef supplies your Omega 3's in the fat! Who knew!

Organic Green Cabbage – At this time of year, you can swap out your lettuce salad with a different cole slaw everyday of the month. Add cabbage to most soups, steam wedges and serve with butter and vinegar, or coat with olive oil and roast until crispy.

Harvest Haven Beef Bone Broth – A great base for hot soups on cold winter days.

Bioitalia Organic Strained Tomatoes – Velvety, sweet-flavored strained Italian organic tomatoes that can be used wherever a recipe calls for tomato sauce. Another quality Bioitalia product.

Harvest Haven Beets – A great winter veggie that can be served simply or dressed up. Sweet, earthy beets add color and tastiness to your menu, along with a load of nutrition.

Harvest Haven Frozen Strawberries – Summer is just a memory, but our strawberries more than remind you with their wonderful aroma and flavor.

Field Day Organic Chocolate Cream Cookies – These rich cream cookies are made with just the good stuff like organic cocoa powder. With no high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), artificial colors or flavors, they are a sweet snack you and your family can feel good about.

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

FarmFit

You've heard of CrossFit, the famous physical fitness program. Well, we have our own version, FarmFit.

A friend, who has been involved in CrossFit for many years, got the guys working out every morning. (Getting Martin up at 6:00 AM to workout has been nothing short of a miracle. Along with him eating enough to actually put on weight, another miracle, he has become quite a cheerful person these days.)

The guys started exercising in a basement room, which has a low ceiling, carpet on cement floor, and an outlandish coral-orange paint on the walls. It was a rude awakening for the day.

For those of you who were wondering what we were going to do with our old store, it's being turned into a FarmFit exercise facility. The guys have removed all the freezers and shelves, are giving it a fresh coat of paint, and are laying down recycled rubber flooring. Now, they have lots of room to do burpees, lunges, air squats, sit ups, push ups, exercises with dumbbells, and high fives.

When our CrossFit friend would come to help with harvest, he would be stiff and sore for a few days, despite being in excellent CrossFit shape. We would tease him that farming uses a completely different set of muscles, and he needed to get into better shape before his next visit. Now, he's giving our farm boys a hard time. After a couple of workouts, Martin was stiff and hobbling around, groaning all the way. Touche!

So, we have FarmFit. Exercises first thing in the morning, and farm work during the day. These guys have the best of both worlds. Nobody to mess with.

Our exercise guru has this to say about our farm boys, "The progress made by the guys in strength and flexibility, in a short time, is exciting to witness."

James, who has beat up his body working heavy equipment for his whole life, is thankful for the results he's experiencing, "Right after the workout, during chores, I walk more upright compared to before, and feel stronger and lighter on my feet."

Another comment, "I never realized how a lack of flexibility affects your daily performance in basic tasks. I was on a downhill trajectory and didn't even realize it. Picking strawberries might actually be enjoyable this coming year."

Our friend, who has a desk job as a computer programmer, realized his need for more exercise, "I just started this kind of workout very recently, which revealed my lack of flexibility and strength, especially in my arms. I expect improvement with regular exercises."

"I have more flexibility and stamina since doing these workouts. And my back doesn't get sore, either," says another visitor.

Adding more explanation to Martin's more cheerful disposition, he says, "I just noticed last night that my hip sits straight in its socket for the first time in 20 years."

All good for the guys!

And there's good news for me, too. I've had a ROM Exercise Machine that hasn't been used for a long time, sitting in my bedroom. It's going to be moved into the FarmFit facility. No point in having a $16,000 machine just for hanging clothes on.

A new year and new beginnings for all!