April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks, "Go!" – Christopher Morley | It really is spring! It's a typical Southern Alberta spring – sunny and warm one day with slushy wet snow the next. "Let's go for a walk around the farm. The sun is shining, and the ground is dry." Our first stop was the brooder barn where the layer chicks have grown into miniature hens. They'll be much appreciated when they start laying eggs in a few months. | Walking past the corrals, we give Bob the bull a head scratch as well as his buddy, Spook, a white steer who was always escaping the electric fence when they were on pasture. There's no escaping the bull corral though. Everywhere we looked there were little flocks of the free range yard chickens. They were beside the woodworking shop, behind Martin and Jeannie's house, on top of the compost pile, and in the bushes by the grain bins. Each flock seems to have its own territory. As we approached the group by the bins, Martin points to them and asks, "See that beautiful fluffy cat over there with the roosters and hen? "He's always with those chickens in the yard, rubbing against the roosters and rolling on the ground like he wants them to pay attention to him and pet him. Of course they just walk around him and keep pecking at the dirt. "He was raised in the berm barn with the chickens and is always with this group now. Strange, eh?" | Coming to the sheep feeder, we encountered chubby little lambs all over, nibbling on hay, bouncing off bales, squeezing in and out of the gate. Some of them don't realize how big they are getting. When they tried to jump through the opening in the fence, they bounced back or got stuck because they were too big to get through. Oops! | Then there was a mini rodeo. "Hey, DR!" Martin calls as he sees him feeding cows. "Let's grab this calf and tag him. He's right by the gate." "We tried to do it yesterday, but unlike other calves, when we grabbed him, he bawled like he was being tortured. His mom came running and was about to take us out. So, we left them alone." This time DR quietly grabbed the calf and Martin quickly opened the gate just wide enough to let them through. The calf was loudly yelling, the mom came running, ready to tackle the cause of her calf's pain, and the other cows in the corral rallied around. Martin was able to shut the gate on them, but just barely cutting off the angry mob in the corral. The guys were able to get the calf tagged despite his loud protests and his mom's threatening snorts. "It's good to see that as a first time mom she is so protective of her calf, but we'll need to be careful around her," Martin reflects on his adventure. The rest of our walk was quiet as we stopped by the beef cows and gave a few of the inquisitive ones head scratches. It's a pleasure to have such gentle creatures. | Grander Water Revitalization is a natural technology from Austria which brings water back to life by restoring its original vitality and energy. It makes water more pleasurable for drinking and bathing, more effective for cleaning, enhancing anything that uses water. Revitalized water has a profound influence on all living things, but even mechanical and nonliving systems using water (boilers, cooling units, humidifiers) benefit from its enhanced properties. As purification of water is necessary, so revitalization is needful because of how damaged water has become. Filtration does not bring water back to life; purified and distilled water is still dead water. For water to impart vitality it must be more than just clean; it needs to be ALIVE! That's what Grander products do. Grander Living Water units are the most popular sizes for whole house and industry water treatment. Installation is easy and inexpensive. The unit is simply placed in-line on the water main entering the building. Best of all, there are no operating costs - electricity, natural gas, chemicals, or recharge materials. After a unit is placed in-line, whatever water used is continuously revitalized indefinitely. In the following short videos, Martin describes what Grander Living Water is and what Grander In-line units are. | Choosing the right steak is the first step. T-Bones, rib steaks, and rib eyes are the best because they have significant marbling of fat, which leaves the meat tender and flavorful. Then, follow these steps: • Salt your steaks – Salting 20 to 30 minutes before grilling draws out some of the moisture, dissolving the salt a bit. When the steak hits the hot grill, the sugars and proteins in the moisture combine with the salt and other seasonings to create a delicious crust. Any moisture you may lose is well worth the flavor of that crust. • Take off the chill – Let your steaks stand at room temperature at least 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. They will cook faster all the way to the center and stay juicier. • Searing equals flavor – Let your steaks sizzle over direct heat until the surfaces are dark, dark brown. Searing develops the flavors and aromas on the surface of the steak making for great taste. • Slide thicker steaks – Most steaks grill beautifully over direct high heat. If you have a flare-up, move to the cooler side. However, if your steaks are thicker than one inch, sear them on both sides over direct high heat, then slide to indirect heat and finish cooking them. • Timing is crucial – As steaks grill over high heat, they lose moisture. Fat and juices are literally pushed out of the meat, making it easier to digest. Therefore, it is very important to take the steaks off the heat before they have lost too much moisture. It's always better to take them off when underdone and then return them to the grill than to let the steaks overcook. Monitor your time and temperature to avoid overcooking. Meat continues to cook even after it comes off the grill. An instant-read thermometer is essential for quickly gauging the internal temperature of meat when grilling. Rare 120-130 °F 2:30 min per side Red Medium Rare 130-135 °F 3:30 min per side Pink Medium 135-145 °F 4:30 min per side Some Pink Well 145-155 °F 5:30 min per side Sliver of Light Pink Well Done 155-165 °F 6:30 min per side Mostly Brown What Have You Done?! 165 °F+ 8 - 10 min per side Brown Throughout | Harvest Haven Pastured T-Bone Steaks – Let's barbecue! This special cut is tender and tasty requiring just a simple preparation to be spectacular. Organic Ginger – Use it to spice up a stir fry or meats. Make the most amazing gingerbread by including some grated fresh ginger in the batter. Or if you happen to have a lot of ginger to use up, you can candy it. Add a little to honey and lemon tea to help fight a cold. It's very helpful for nausea and sea sickness. Harvest Haven Linzer Potatoes, 5 lb and 10 lb bags – 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 Red Onions – These colorful onions are subtly sweet and mild enough to eat raw. Sliced into thin rings, they give a satisfying crunch to sandwiches and burgers. Slice or chop into salads for a nice bite and a dash of color. Grill ˝-inch thick slices, brushed with olive oil and a dash of salt. Enjoy as a side dish or use to top burgers and steaks. Harvest Haven Frozen Strawberries – Fill your kitchen with the wonderful aroma of these red beauties. Picked in the summer at the peak of perfection, they are bursting with goodness and flavor. Blend into your favorite smoothie, make into a bright red sauce, bake in a tasty dessert, or thaw slightly for a refreshing snack. Organic Cane Sugar – A staple in our kitchens! Yours, too? 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. | Marinated Herb Butter T-Bone Steaks 4 Harvest Haven T-bone steaks
1 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 cloves Harvest Haven garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried chives In a large glass dish add steaks, wine, soy sauce, Worcestershire, and ginger. Place in refrigerator and turn every fifteen minutes for one hour. In medium bowl stir together butter, onion powder, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley and chives. Preheat grill and cook to desired liking. Top with one tablespoon butter during last minute of cooking. Remove, cover and plate for ten minutes. Top with another tablespoon of butter right before serving. Notes: Scrape grill grate and brush lightly with cooking oil before heating. Get half of the the grill good and hot and sear the steaks. Don't flip them until they are golden brown and slightly crispy on the edges. Sear both sides. Then move the steaks off to the side (over indirect heat) until desired doneness. Use tongs to turn them. You don't want to pierce them with a fork and have all those wonderful juices wasted in the bottom of the grill. Remove from grill and cover loosely with aluminum foil and allow to rest for ten minutes. Apply herb butter and serve. | Potato Salad 3 lb Harvest Haven Linzer potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
3 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped Harvest Haven red onion Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water over high heat. Bring the water to a boil, and reduce the heat to medium. Let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until there's no resistance from the potatoes when poked with a fork or skewer. Drain the potatoes in a colander and place the colander over the pot. Cover the pot with a dry kitchen towel and let the potatoes steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper until well-combined.
Once cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and slice them into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Pour the dressing and toss to coat. Add the celery, onion, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper, and toss again. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to a few hours for the flavors to marry. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy! | Strawberry Crumb Bars 1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 Harvest Haven egg, beaten
4 cups frozen Harvest Haven strawberries, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch Preheat oven to 375F. Grease (or line with foil) a 9 x 13 pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, baking powder, salt, and flour. Cut in the butter using two knives or a pastry blender, until pieces are no bigger than pea sized. Stir in the egg to form a crumbly dough. Pat half of the dough in an even layer in the prepared pan. In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch, then spread the strawberry mixture on top of the dough in the pan. Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the strawberry layer. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool before slicing and serving. | There's Fencing, then There's Fencing I remembered this funny fencing video from 2016 and asked Martin why they haven't done any more of these. "We were so stressed back then, that we needed some comic relief," he replied. "Things are so much better on the farm now." And they are and we're thankful. | | |
