It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in the Autumn. B.C. Forbes | Always Improving With so many different components to our farm, you always find better ways to do the work when you take time to study the issues. Seeding and harvesting have both seen improvements. This fall Martin was able to improvise more efficient systems for harvesting potatoes, carrots, and dandelion root. Because we don't have acres of potatoes, it isn't an option to have a huge machine for digging, sorting, and bagging. James drives down the rows with a digger attached to a tractor, lifting the potatoes to the surface, then harvesters bag the spuds by hand – a slow tedious process. Martin saw how painful the bagging process was and designed a simple device that holds three potato bags at a time and hooks to the RTV, which slowly makes its way beside the potato row, while the pickers gather the potatoes and toss them into the bags. Things went much quicker, and the workers didn't have to lug along heavy potato sacks, wearing out their arms and backs. Because the summer was so hot and the irrigation was running regularly, the carrots had a forest of green tops. It was impossible for the carrot digger to get through them. James hooked up the discbine, which he uses to cut our hay. It worked well, trimming the tops to 3 inches. The greens were bundled up and fed to the beef cows, who loved them. Then, James came through with the digger, lifting the carrots to the surface. The harvesters only had to trim a bit of the top of each carrot before bagging them. Their work was much easier. Harvesting dandelion root has been a big chore – the roots are long, and the ground is hard. Another operation just waiting for an improvement – ask the people who have had to dig dandelions. James suggested trying the ripper attachment on his middle-sized excavator (just one of his toys he likes to use – never underestimate adult boys). It worked wonderfully for opening the ground and exposing the dandelion roots, making them easy picking. And James is an expert with the machine – smooth and precise, as you can see in the video. There's always a way to improve and make life more pleasant! | There are many labels and descriptions for eggs, but what does all this really mean? Cage-free, Free Range, Organic, Pasture-raised – what are these labels? Cage-free definition: • The poultry don't live in cages.
• However, the birds are still crammed 20,000 – 40,000 in a barn, unable to move, and without any access to the outdoors.
Free Range definition:
• Poultry have access to as little as 2 square feet of outdoor area per bird, but that doesn't mean they ever even see the outdoors.
• Hens may still be crammed into a barn with only one small access point to the outside.
• There are no requirements to the quality or amount of time birds are outdoors. Organic definition: • Poultry are provided solely organic feed.
• Birds are not given antibiotics or hormones.
• Organic hens must live in a cage-free environment and have access to an outdoor area; however they are not required to actually go outdoors where alone healthifying fresh air, sunshine, insects, and exercise are available. Pasture-raised definition: • Poultry raised the way they would naturally live – on pasture, roaming freely, scratching in the dirt, and pecking for bugs.
• The birds live in a large outdoor area with access to a structure for shade, protection from the elements and predators, and nest boxes for laying their eggs.
• These chickens receive feed to supplement their diet of grubs and insects. At Harvest Haven our pastured-raised hens are provided organic feed, which we mix ourselves, and fresh Grander Living water, to go with all the insects and grubs they find in the grasses. They have a cozy barn for laying and roosting in, and a trailer for cover from the heat and flying predators. The whole system is moved everyday providing a clean environment for their egg production. Premium eggs come from hens raised in a way that's consistent with how they live naturally – in pasture where they roam freely, scratch in the soil, and peck for bugs. Not only is this the best lifestyle for the hens, but it improves the soil at the same time. It's a synergistic relationship that is beneficial for everyone and everything. This natural model for nurturing poultry on pasture is the solution for the birds, for the pastures, for managing insect populations, and for healthy people. It's a beautiful system! | The turkeys grew well this summer with very few losses. Therefore, we have a variety of sizes from reasonably small to larger birds. Your final opportunity to get fresh Harvest Haven pastured turkey is October 24 and 26 (we're closed Monday, October 25). You must order by Friday, October 22! 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. | Harvest Haven Pasture-Raised Eggs – The hens have been enjoying the fresh outdoors, scratching in the dirt, and poking through the grass for bugs. Enjoy premium free range eggs from hens that get to be hens. Avalon Organic Non-Homogenized Milk – This deliciously rich organic milk is non-homogenized. It has the cream on top and even comes in glass bottles! Organic Cornmeal – Whole grain organic cornmeal is tasty, nutritious, and full of corn flavor – perfect for your favorite cornbread, muffins, spoonbread, or dusting your pans for baking bread or pizza crust. BioItalia Organic Sunflower Oil – Another great product from BioItalia. From Southern Italy, the best organic sunflower seeds have been selected to make this excellent product. Use wherever a recipe calls for a mild-flavored oil, such as in cakes, muffins, breads, and mayonnaise. BC Organic Venus Grapes – This is a new table grape that is the result of crossing the "grapey" flavor of the North American grape with the floral and fruity flavor found in European Muscat. It is a deep luscious purple-black grape with exquisite flavor – great on the table, in a jelly, or added to a salad. 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. | Fluffy Scrambled Eggs 6 Harvest Haven eggs
1/2 cup Avalon Organic milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt (add more or less for taste)
1 teaspoon pepper To start, you will want to crack your eggs into a bowl. Next, you will use your fork or a whisk to whip the eggs. You want to whip them until all of the eggs break and are mixed well. This might take you several minutes but I promise in the end, it will be worth it. Once all of your eggs are mixed, add the milk, salt and pepper and continue mixing. You want the milk to be blended right into the egg mixture. In the end, it should all look one color. Turn your stovetop on low-medium heat and set your frying pan on top. Do not add the butter to your pan until right before you pour your egg mixture into it or you will end up getting an ugly browning on the bottom of your eggs. Add the butter and once it begins to melt, move the butter around to coat the entire pan and then immediately dump the egg mixture inside. Allow this to cook for about 2-3 minutes until you start to see the edges cook a bit. Take your spatula and gently push the egg mixture from the outside edges inward towards the middle. You will start to see the eggs "fluff" up right in front of your eyes. Continue doing this step until your eggs start cooking and getting nice and fluffy. The secret to these eggs is cooking slow and fluffing the eggs as they cook. Once you see that most of the milk is cooked out, you can turn off the heat and remove the eggs from the pan. Top off with a dash of salt and pepper, chives or fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy! | Moist and Sweet Cornbread 1 cup flour, spooned and leveled
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup Harvest Haven honey
2 large Harvest Haven eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Place your 9-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while the oven preheats. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Slice off about 1/2 tablespoon from your 1/2 cup of butter and set aside (you will grease the pan with it soon). Melt the remaining butter. Add 1/4 cup oil, 1 cup of sugar, and 1/3 cup honey to the large bowl with the melted butter. Stir well until combined. Add 2 eggs and 1 and 1/4 cups buttermilk. Whisk until fully incorporated. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. DO NOT over mix! Make sure the dry ingredients are fully incorporated but don't worry if there are a few lumps. Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and shut the door. Grease the bottom and sides (all the way to the top) with the remaining half tablespoon butter. I use a butter knife. If it melts too fast, use a pastry brush to spread it around. Pour the batter into the hot pan and smooth out the top. Use hot pads to place the skillet back in the oven. Bake at 375 for 28-32 minutes. The cornbread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter on it. You can also shake the skillet a little, and if is at all wobbly, leave it in a couple more minutes. The top should be golden brown and the edges should pull away from the edges of the pan. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. This is best served right away so the edges are nice and crispy! Top with butter and honey, and/or serve with chili. Store the cornbread tightly covered on the counter for up to 3 days. | Grape Cake 500 g (more or less) of Venus grapes
90 g butter, at room temperature
100 g cane sugar + 2 Tbsp for the grapes
2 large Harvest Haven eggs, at room temperature
60 ml milk, at room temperature
˝ tsp pure vanilla extract
250 g all-purpose flour + 1 Tbsp to toss the grapes
16 g baking powder
pinch of salt Wash the grapes very gently, separate each grape without breaking them, and place on a clean cloth to dry. Sift the flour with the baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter at room temperature with the sugar. Beat at low medium for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. At this point, while still beating, add one egg at a time, and the vanilla, until all are incorporated. Add some of the milk, alternating with some of the flour mixture, then the rest of the milk, and finishing with the rest of the flour. Mix everything until incorporated. Butter an 8-inch springform pan and place a circle of parchment paper of the same size on the bottom. In a bowl, toss the grapes with 1 scant tablespoon of flour. Pour half of the mixture into the pan and level it with the back of a wet spoon (the batter is dense and sticky). Arrange half of the floured grapes on top of the mixture. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of cane sugar. Then, cover the grapes with the remaining batter leveling it well with a clean wet spoon. The batter is pretty dense, try to spread it as much as you can and if some grapes move and get incorporated in the batter, that is totally fine. Place the remaining grapes on the surface without pressing them, and sprinkle the last tablespoon of cane sugar on top. Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 55-60 minutes, checking for doneness after the first 35-40 minutes, with a cake tester. The cake tester must come out dry, if not, prolong the baking time 5 minutes at a time. The cake will be ready when the cake tester comes out completely dry. If the top browns quickly, cover it with foil. Once done, remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes. After that, you can take it out of the springform and let it cool completely. Once the cake is cold, place it on a serving dish. Enjoy! | The Walk With God The music and lyrics for this song were written by Victor in Dauphin, Manitoba in 1978. It was produced by John Capek of Nashville this summer, and is one of the songs on the next album coming soon. The Walk With God is now available on SoundCloud. As we continued our walk of faith with God, we were disillusioned about our relationships with religious people and family. We discovered the cost of walking with God, the value of true friendship, and how few were willing to pay the price of identifying with Jesus Christ. | |
