Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle ... a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dream. – Barbara Winkler

Spring Has Sprung

All of a sudden it seems like we have babies everywhere. Martin's layer chicks have hatched and are growing nicely. Our first calf was born on a warm sunny day. And we had eleven lambs in three days. More to go, of course. Babies are the focus of the farm right now.

Jeannie and Konstantijn are busy sorting through seed packages and planting dreams of stunning flowers and scrumptious vegetables.

Surprising Facts About Sheep

With all the little lambs coming, let's talk about sheep. They are incredibly interesting creatures and not at all as dumb as stereotypically described. They do have special quirks that can make them annoying, though.

• This is amazing. Within minutes of being born, lambs can stand and walk.

• Sheep have rectangular pupils, which allow them to have a 270-to-320-degree field of vision. This makes it difficult to sneak up on them because they can see almost everything around them.

• Besides using their noses for smelling, they have scent glands in front of their eyes and on their feet giving them an excellent sense of smell.

• Sheep have great memories and are capable of learning and remembering how to navigate complex mazes. We've seen this on the farm when they are brought into the corral from pasture and need to find their way through the farmyard.

• Konstantijn will attest to the fact that sheep are emotionally complex animals. She is very familiar with each member of the flock and knows their dispositions and moods. Studies have found that sheep can be pessimists and optimists.

• Sheep are very picky eaters and prefer only the best vegetation and hay, and will boisterously let you know if things are not to their liking. Their upper lip is divided in half allowing them to select the leaves and vegetation they like.

• Sheep are highly social and smart. They form strong bonds with one another, especially between mother and lambs, and other members of the flock. Studies have revealed they are able to recognize and distinguish between different emotional expressions, such as pictures of sheep with calm expressions, startled expressions, and fearful expressions. This is a very important skill for sheep to have, as learning how other sheep are feeling is the basis for forming social relationships. They are even able to recognize human faces!

Martin had a curious event with one of our older ewes which shows how intelligent and sensitive they are. She was about to lamb, so Martin was in the barn watching her. Her lambs weren't coming but should have been. As Martin was standing there, the ewe came up to him and with her body language, indicated she wanted him to help her. He quickly went into action and found that the first lamb was a breech and unable to come out. He intervened and was able to successfully pull all the lambs out.

For more fascinating details regarding sheep, check out 10 surprising facts about sheep! You can also chat with Konstantijn. She'll gladly fill you in on her experiences and she has not a few.

Convenience without Compromise

TAHRRAH!!

We have two new Harvest Haven Potato products – Oven Fries and Cubed Hash Browns.

Last fall was the year of the potato. So, we've been finding various ways to process our delicious bounty and provide convenience without compromise to our customers. Oven Fries and Cubed Hash Browns are the first two to hit the store freezer.

Fresh potatoes are cut into fries or cubes, blanched in lightly salted Berkey-filtered water, dried, and flash frozen.

Now, you have the convenience of a prepared Harvest Haven potato without having to compromise on quality and flavor.

Harvest Haven Frozen Oven Fries – A delicious new Harvest Haven product that gives you convenience without compromise. Simply spread frozen fries on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast in 425° F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until done the way you like them. Easy peasy!

Harvest Haven Beef Bacon – Yes, it's back in stock! This healthy alternative to conventional bacon is made from Harvest Haven pastured beef. The brisket is simply brined and smoked without nasty preservatives.
It's great served with pancakes or cornbread for breakfast, in a BLT for lunch, or diced into a casserole.

Organic Zucchini – We love zucchini for the many ways it can be served – whipped into butter, made into noodles, grated for baking, sliced for pickles, baked in lasagna, steamed, roasted, and stir-fried. (The way that stuff grows, talk about "necessity being the mother of invention…innovation, resourcefulness, desperation…!")

L'Ancetre Organic Greek Feta Cheese, 150 g – A Greek Feta made with 100% sheep's milk and packed in a vacuum sealed package without brine, giving it a bold flavour that isn't too salty.

Directly imported from Greece, this Feta PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) complies with the highest standards of manufacturing as per the Greek tradition. GMO free and organic, its flavour will transport you to the Mediterranean coast. It's a tasty addition to salads, pasta, and even hamburgers!

Organic Lemons – Lots of love for lemons! Lemons with their distinct, pleasant taste and smell are used in many foods and drinks to enhance the flavor of that dish or drink. Besides being an important ingredient in many recipes, lemons also provide several health benefits, like most real foods.

Organic Cane Sugar, 800 g - Organic cane sugar is unrefined sugar minus the cancer-causing and environmentally damaging pesticides present in conventionally-grown sugarcane.

Compared to white sugar, organic cane sugar has the full-bodied taste of sugarcane and is much less processed, retaining a lot of the nutrients present in cane juice.

It is the best substitute for conventional white sugar in any recipe.

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

Let the Rodeo Begin!

There's a debate going on in Alberta about making the rodeo the provincial sport.

Every rancher and farmer raising livestock know there's no debate about the rodeo being more than a sport. It's pretty much a daily occurrence when you have critters.

Just ask Martin.

If wrestling cows and sheep was a paid attraction at Harvest Haven, we'd be rolling in dough instead of corral dust and straw.

"Night," our first cow to calve this year, had copious amounts of milk in her udder because she's part dairy. This enlarged her teats, making them too big for her newborn calf to suck, which meant Martin had to milk her out a couple of times a day. Here comes the first event at the Harvest Haven rodeo.

Night was fairly gentle because she had been raised in the dairy herd. However, she was never trained to go into the stall to be milked. Round one was to secure her in a stall so Martin could milk her without getting his head kicked off. She wasn't going there. Round One went to the cow.

Round Two – the guys coaxed her into the headgate using oats. She loves oats. Going in cautiously, she finally was held in place by the headgate and ate her oats. Martin quickly milked her enough so the calf could get his mouth around her teats.

But, that manoeuvre only worked a couple more times. Night didn't like oats that much and was not going back in there.

Round Two went to the cow.

Round Three – the calf was growing stronger and more determined to get his belly full, so was taking more milk, making Night's teats more manageable for him. However, he still wasn't doing enough.

Looking at the situation and wondering what to do with a stubborn cow, Martin saw a simple solution. Night was standing next to a fence where a corral gate could be opened squeezing her next to the fence. She didn't have to go anywhere unfamiliar and could get her oats delivered right in front of her.

Martin quickly gave her some oats, swung the gate against her body, squeezing her in place. She was held gently, but firmly and he was able to milk her without getting kicked. Only one problem – he was behind her, under her tail. And you know what that means. Oh, shit! She did.

Anyway, Round Three goes to the farmer who needs a shower, now.

The sheep are considerably smaller than cows and much easier to handle. But it can still be a rodeo with winners and losers.

There are cameras set up all over the sheep corral and lambing barn, so we can watch the ewes as the start lambing.

A first-time ewe started lambing the other evening while we were watching her on Jeannie's phone. Martin told Konstantijn to get her coveralls on and head over there. He would join her shortly.

One lamb was born onto the fluffy clean straw and the second was on its way. The young ewe wasn't sure what was happening and what she should be doing. It was all new to her. While she was sniffing the lamb in the straw, it tried to get up, startling her and causing her to jump back. It was kind of funny to watch the poor girl.

Konstantijn came on the scene and was standing back, watching and waiting.
The second lamb was born, and Jeannie's phone died. No more video of the barn adventure.

About 20 to 30 minutes later, K came to the house. She had a strange smile on her face and a quizzical look.

Martin jumped up and apologized to her for not getting out sooner. She reassured him things were okay but hadn't been for awhile.

"Didn't you see me waving at the camera for help? I was jumping in front of all the cameras and hollering for help," K sighs.

"Um, no, my phone died," Jeannie replied. "We weren't watching any more."

"Well, I tried to move the new babies to the little pens where you keep each ewe with her lambs. I picked up one and took him to the pen. Then, when I picked up the other one, the ewe ran out of the barn and into the corral with the rest of the flock.

"I put down the lamb and chased after her, but she didn't want to come back into the barn. I was running all over the place after her," K said in exasperation.

The rest of us are chuckling visualizing a frantic girl running through the sheep in the dark. Martin is laughing heartily. K just stares at him, incredulous.

He explains. "I learned the hard way that you don't try to move a first-time lamber like that. First, you shut the barn door, so she can't get away on you. Then, you place the lambs in the slings for weighing them so you can hold them close to the ground without hurting your back. Be sure the ewe smells them and is following her lambs as you walk backwards towards the little holding pens."

"Well, I did get her back with her lambs in the barn. So, they're all okay."
The sheep rodeo event went to the shepherdess, with a valuable lesson learned – keep your phone charged.