How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days." - John Burroughs | These gorgeous fall days have meant getting more work done around the farm, like grading the roads and starting the trout pond in the back forty. Harvesting all the squash, root vegetables, and potatoes can wait a little longer until frost and wet weather is forecast. Then, it'll be a scramble. The laying hens and turkeys are still out on pasture, doing their jobs as field laborers, turning the dirt, consuming their greens, and devouring bugs. The broiler chickens are all tucked into freezers, ready to be enjoyed. The hot dry summer was a boon for health and robust growth. Another feathered "friend" that's headed for the soup pot, with a stop in the freezer, is Door Rooster if he doesn't clean up his act. He's a free range rooster, which got his name because he snuggles up to his reflection in the backdoor of the store at night. Door Rooster and his free-range rooster friends were with the cows when they were in the pasture next to Martin and Jeannie's house. After the cows were moved to another pasture, the friends moved on, too. Door Rooster, however, remained behind and has taken to living in the yard around the house. That's okay, EXCEPT he poops at the door and on the sidewalk. "If he doesn't stop making a mess on the sidewalk to my house, he's chicken soup," Martin angrily exclaims! Martin had no intention of taking any shit from him. So far, he's livin' the good life as a free-range rooster. However, his days may be numbered. | Harvest Haven lamb is raised on lush pastures, quality, non-synthetic minerals and salts, and Grander Living Water, which produce a tender, flavorful meat you will be delighted to serve. We're taking orders for whole or half lamb, cut and wrapped, or just the cuts you like. Whole lamb, cut and wrapped, is about $500 depending on the size. Half a lamb will be approximately $250. There is a $10 fee if we must freeze your lamb for longer than one week. Lamb will be available on the following dates: Friday, October 1 Friday, October 15 Friday, October 29 Order here. | Harvest Haven turkeys are truly pasture-raised and free range. Our birds are in the pasture all summer where they get to scratch, hunt for bugs, and eat all the greens they want. If there's one thing we've learned, it's that healthy birds need lots of sunlight and salad. And if a turkey doesn't have the ability and freedom to express every part of its scratchy, diggy little personality, something's wrong with how they're being raised. We have two dates for fresh turkeys. The first one this year is September 29 – October 1, which is 1˝ weeks before Thanksgiving. We were unable to get a slaughter date closer to that weekend. Also, we don't have room in our freezer to keep the turkeys, so we ask that you pick yours up fresh September 29 to October 1. There will be a $10.00 fee/bird for freezing and another $1.00/day after October 8th. Please keep in mind that even if you pay the fees, we are nevertheless limited in freezer space. The second date for pick-up is October 24 and 26 (we're closed Monday, October 25). Please make a point of scheduling the date in your calendar. As our business continues to grow, reminding everybody to pick up their orders is becoming unrealistic. The cost of our whole turkeys is $6.29/lb. We require a down payment of $50/bird to reserve your order. You'll pay the balance on pick-up. REMEMBER TO BRING SOMETHING TO TRANSPORT YOUR TURKEY IN. Order here. | Grains are a staple of a healthy and nutritious diet and it's vital that you choose organic. There are so many chemicals applied to the production, harvest, storage, and processing of the conventional that it's no wonder people have allergies to much of what they eat, as grains make up a large percentage of the average diet. In conventional farming, glyphosate is applied to standing wheat, barley, and oats one to two weeks before harvest to accelerate the drying down of the grain. Residues of glyphosate have been found in Quaker oats, Cheerios, other cereals, and ALL the samples of conventional wheat flour. Glyphosate has been linked to cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and other diseases. Choose organic for your health. "Organic production uses biological pest control instead of pesticides. By contrast, conventionally grown grains and flours are fumigated not only in storage but also in transit. Organic grains use alternative methods and more complex shipping schedules to ensure a fresh and untainted product. Choosing organic grains also lowers the risk of contamination from mycotoxins—secondary metabolites produced by fungi that can cause mild to severe effects on health. "Organic is an important choice for the environment, too. "When grains are organically grown, farming methods emphasize the health and fertility of the soil since organic agriculture allows no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. "Plus, organic production uses biological pest control instead of pesticides." Why Organic Grains Are Better by Lisa Fabian All the grains and flours in our store are organic and sourced from Canada or the USA (not from China). Here's what we have: Grains/Cereals Amaranth, Barley (pearled), Buckwheat Groats, Cornmeal, Quinoa, Rice (Brown Basmati, White Basmati, Jasmine, Long Grain, Wild Rice) Miscellaneous Couscous Flours Whole Grain Red Fife, Sifted Spelt, Pizza/Pasta Flour, All-Purpose Unbleached, Whole Wheat, Rye, Kamut, Einkorn | We're ready for fall! Harvest Haven Pastured Beef Stew Meat – Tender, tasty, and lean cubes of pastured beef make the best stews for these cooler fall days. Organic Pearled Barley – Pearled barley has been polished to remove the bran, resulting in a pale, creamy-colored grain. It cooks faster and is less chewy than the hulled variety. It is delicious, nutritious, and can be used in many dishes. Harvest Haven Delicata Squash – An heirloom variety from 1894, it is one of the tastiest. The creamy flesh is smooth and sweet, baked or steamed, with thin skin that is also edible. Its smaller size is great for single servings. Harvest Haven Garlic – Fresh off the field, large, aromatic, tender bulbs ready for your favorite dishes. Garlic has many proven health benefits, besides being nutritious and delicious. Organic BC Bartlett Pears – What would fall be without Bartlett pears? Sweet, aromatic, and juicy. Just right for eating fresh, canning, or a lovely dessert. Avalon Organic Sour Cream – Made with organic milk and cream, which means no GMOs or pesticides in the soil or the plants the cows eat, no hormones or antibiotics in the cows, and no artificial colors or preservatives in the milk. This is an excellent product for serving as is or mixing into your favorite recipe. | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Slow Cooker Beef Barley Stew 1 tablespoon oil 1 lb Harvest Haven pastured beef stewing meat 1 small Harvest Haven onion, finely diced 2 teaspoons minced Harvest Haven garlic 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3 large Harvest Haven carrots, peeled and chopped 2 ribs celery, chopped 1/2 cup pearled barley, rinsed 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 bay leaves 4 cups Harvest Haven pastured beef broth Fresh parsley for serving Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and let heat 1 minute. Brown meat in batches (allowing space around each piece) medium-high heat. Remove from pan and place in a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Add onions to the saute pan and cook over medium heat until translucent — they will pick up all the brown bits left by the meat! Stir in garlic, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper and cook 1 minute. Add the onions to the slow cooker on top of the beef, along with the carrots, celery, barley, tomato paste and bay leaves. Stir well, and then stir in the beef broth. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, until vegetables and barley are tender. Stir in fresh parsley as desired and season to taste. Serve. | Garlic Parmesan Delicata Squash 2 medium Harvest Haven delicata squash 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 Harvest Haven garlic cloves, grated Salt Pepper 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese Parsley, chopped Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425°F. Trim delicata squash. Cut in half lengthwise; scrape out seeds and pulp. Slice into 1/4-inch-thick half moons; place on rimmed baking sheet. Combine olive oil and grated garlic cloves in a small bowl; drizzle over squash. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Spread in an even layer and roast, flipping halfway, until tender and caramelized, 25 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; roast until melted and softened, 5 minutes more. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley leaves. | Pear Pie For the Pear Filling 2-3 BC Bartlett pears, peeled, sliced 1/4" thick 1 cup Avalon sour cream 1 Tbsp flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 Harvest Haven egg, beaten 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 Wholly Wholesome pie crust For the Topping 2/3 cup flour 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter 1/2 tsp cinnamon For the Pear Filling Preheat oven to 350° F. Poke pie crust 4 or 5 times with a fork. In a medium mixing bowl, mix all filling ingredients except pears. Pour into a prepared pie shell. Peel, seed, slice pears and arrange slices evenly on top of filling. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven. For the Topping In a small mixing bowl, mix all ingredients with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of pears and bake for 30-40 minutes until set. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate. Best serve cold. | Boys with Toys – Big Toys for Little Boys Martin is quite emphatic that you can't have enough trailers and he's making good on his assertion. His collection is being used in various locations throughout the farm. They have been handy to have. Now, James has come along saying, "You can never have enough big equipment," as a massive excavator is delivered to the farm, James's big sandbox. His smaller version was taking too long to dig the hole for the trout pond in the far field. After a bit of an overhaul, the new-to-us machine is being put to good use. James loves digging in the dirt. Back in 2006/7, when James was still working for his family's construction company, he took Jonathan, our son, who was 15 or 16 then, to see how he liked working an excavator. "After Jonathan had dug for half an hour or so, I asked him how he liked it. He said it was boring! I couldn't believe it! I love the work," James exclaimed incredulously! Oh well, each to his own. Jonathan likes wearing a suit and making business deals instead of donning a hard hat and work boots to dig holes in the dirt. No fancy suits for James, although he likes making deals on heavy equipment. Martin told his son, Mathijs, that he would have the opportunity to work with the mini-hoe when the work started on the pond. Mathijs, ever the researcher, got on his computer and studied for hours the machine he was going to use. When it came time for him to go digging, he knew what all the levers and controls were for, how they worked, and how to work them. He even made precise drawings of everything. We call him Precise Mathijs for a reason. Martin was really impressed as he watched Mathijs slowly and carefully digging dirt and not making one mistake with the unit. The only issue was that the seat hadn't been pushed close enough to the controls, so his arms and shoulders started to hurt after awhile. That problem was easily remedied. Besides the trout pond for the boys to dig in with their big toys, the roads around the farm needed a lot of rebuilding using some of the new purchases. There were lots of ruts from driving in the mud, swales from water running over the roads, and a myriad of bumps and humps that meant you had to drive slowly and cautiously, so as not to dump your load or your passengers. It was Martin's turn to have fun. He hopped on the grader and happily scraped the road surfaces smooth. What a difference a few swipes with the grader blade made! Now, we can whisk around to the gardens and fields with the breeze flowing through our hair, bugs stinging our faces, and unintentional snacks if we don't do the right thing and shut our mouths. There's no windscreen, so we can experience all the forces of nature. The boys are enjoying their toys and the whole place is looking good. Work can be both rewarding and fun. | |