She praised his "agricultural theology," having long ago taken such advice as gospel: don't go looking for a better place "but MAKE one."
-Caroline Fraser, Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Road Trip! Let's go!

"Hey, Igor! You ready for another road trip? I need your help," declares James. "We're leaving at 5:30 in the morning."

When James and Igor go on a road trip, you know there's a story. They almost froze to death when they slept in James's truck on their last trip in the early spring. And, as usual, they didn't have a lot of food with them, either.

This time, they were asked if they had packed a lunch.

Igor's reply, "I don't think we need anything. I don't know how long we'll be gone." !!

That didn't make sense to the person asking or to the rest of us, so sandwiches were made for the two of them. And off they went.

They were going to a farm near Sylvan Lake, a three and half hour drive, to pick up steel for another shed Martin plans to build for the beef cattle.

Gassing up in Red Deer, James realized he didn't have the remote for the winch to load the steel onto the trailer. Martin had asked him if he had it and he was sure he did. But, he didn't. He was using the "new to him" three-ton truck and forgot that the remote was in his other truck. Go shopping!

James was able to get what he needed at a shop down the road in Red Deer and headed for the farm with the steel. Arriving there, he realized he'd also forgotten the cable Martin had made for him to hook to the pieces of steel to facilitate loading. Sigh!

"The place was more like a junk yard than a farm, so we found a piece of cable that worked for awhile. But using it was slow and painful. Looking around, Igor pointed out a strap with hooks on each end that was used on the tool box of the trailer. It worked," James explained.

It took them most of the day to get the steel loaded because the pieces were very heavy and awkward. However, they got it done and were happy to be back home by 10:30 that evening. And they didn't eat all of their lunch, either. (There's a reason why James and Igor are the skinniest guys at the farm.)
Martin was happy to have the steel. And the cows will be happy to have a warm shelter.

Talking about being happy…Martin finished the studio! Martin's happy; the musicians are happy; the audience is happy. We had a delightful concert of jazzed up classics, old rock, and classical guitar the other evening.

With fewer hours of daylight, the guys have a bit more time to practice in the evenings…and they need it after a summer hiatus. The studio is comfortable, their instruments are always handy, and they won't be disturbing others as they work through their sessions.

We're all looking forward to more music.

Are Martin and Jeannie's children pasture-raised kids?

Maybe. They spend a lot of time outdoors running around the farm and in the pastures.

Anyway, now that it's colder, they are pursuing more indoor activities.

Eleven-year-old Mathijs helped his dad, Martin, to install flooring in the studio.
"He was the best assistant I've had," asserts Martin. "He knew what pieces of flooring I needed, when, and where. He kept everything swept and tidy without being told. He stayed focused. It was great working with him."

Mathijs is excelling on his guitar, too, with the ability to hear a piece of music and play it almost immediately. Quite amazing! He and his piano teacher have exciting classes exchanging instruments with each other and discussing how to play the music.

His most recent projects, which you'll see in the store are wooden X-and-O boards. They are really cute and great for children to use.

Marseilles continues to be the clever cartoonist, drawing her impressions of the conversations she hears in humorous stick figures. You'll see her artistic talent in the drawings she's done on bookmarks that are for sale in the store. Lots of color, lots of cute ideas.

Konstantijn continues to entertain us with her piano pieces – new ones every week. We appreciate her skill as a cook, too, as she's the one who makes the hamburger and hot dog buns that are sold at the Harvest Haven Hearth. The buns are lovely.

Our Linzer potato crop exceeded all expectations. The yield was incredible!
Linzers are small and oval with thin, smooth light-buff skin and light yellow flesh. No need to peel these. They have a mild, slightly nutty flavor.

It's a waxy potato, which means it contains more water and less starch than other varieties. The potatoes hold together when heated, despite the fact that heating means the starch hardens and the dry matter – the parts of the potato that aren't water – expands. They won't fall apart when cooked.

This makes Linzers perfect for roasting or boiling, frying or deep frying, slicing into gratins, soups and casseroles. They are especially good in salads because they hold their shape. A favorite for sure!

Harvest Haven Pasture Raised Chicken Breakfast Sausages – These juicy sausages are made with only our pasture-raised dark and white meat chicken, salt, and spices. There are no fillers (breadcrumbs, flour, or soy) whatsoever. A delicious way to start the day!

Harvest Haven Linzer Potatoes – Thin, smooth skinned potatoes with a slightly nutty flavor that are perfect for roasting, boiling, frying, and slicing into soups, stews, and casseroles. The best potato for salad because it doesn't fall apart when cooked. An absolute favorite!

Harvest Haven Pasture Raised Beef Bacon – 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 eggs, pancakes, or cornbread for breakfast, in a BLT for lunch, or diced into a casserole.

Harvest Haven Kabocha Squash – This is a buttercup-type squash that has deep yellow flesh with a rich sweet flavor. Because it can be dry and flaky when cooked, it is a good substitute for pumpkin in your favorite pie, muffins, or pancakes.

Organic Pumpkin Pie Spice – A fragrant blend of our favorite spices, essential for all your fall baking. Use wherever you use cinnamon. It adds a depth of flavor to apple pie, muffins, and all your favorite pumpkin recipes.

Frozen Organic BC Blueberries – Remember the taste of summer with frozen blueberries. Incorporate them into muffins, sprinkle on pancakes, blend into a smoothie, or stir into yogurt. Enjoy little bursts of juicy sweetness in every bite.

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

Harvest Haven Squash Pancakes

Whisk together 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 milk, 1 1/3 cup mashed Harvest Haven squash, 1 Harvest Haven egg, 2 tbsp sunflower oil, and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla.

In a large bowl combine 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 1/2 tsp Harvest Haven pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 tsp salt.

Stir dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just combined.

Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat.

Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into frying pan.

Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Carefully flip pancake and cook until browned on the other side.

Serve with maple syrup.

Being Tongue-tied is No Joke

This edition of Down On the Farm is a bit more personal than usual. Martin describes a life-long anatomical problem he's had that is now being corrected.

Jeannie has had an increasing interest in health issues and has been able to help many of us by recommending simple solutions, such as what to eat and when. In her research she heard a podcast about being tongue-tied. She asked Martin to listen to it, and as he did, he started sobbing because he could so acutely identify with the suffering caused by the condition.

It has caused him incredible suffering his whole life, which he describes in this video.

Being "tongue-tied" is often used to describe someone who is speechless or confused in expression from shyness, embarrassment, or astonishment. But, the reality of being tongue-tied can be devastating for those who have this condition. And many people do.

Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a condition present at birth that restricts the tongue's range of motion.

With tongue-tie, an unusually short, thick or tight band of tissue (lingual frenulum) tethers the bottom of the tongue's tip to the floor of the mouth, affecting breast-feeding, speaking and swallowing, and being able to stick out the tongue. This is not a minor matter as the problem affects the whole body.

Awareness of this condition and application of this knowledge can have a life-changing impact on many. The correction of the problem is making wonderful changes for Martin. He's happy to share with you what's happened so far.