The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others. -John Chrysostom

Busy As Bees

After being buried by strawberries and troubled by turkeys, we're catching up on the weeds and embracing more projects. It's summer so everyone is as busy as bees.

The new batch of broiler chicks is in the barn and doing well after some initial heating issues. Martin was working out any problems with the facility so that next year when the turkey poults arrive, he won't have inconsistent heat like he did this year, causing losses. There are solutions to problems. You need to take time to find them.

James is haying again to get second-cut for the sheep to eat in the spring. It's a finer hay that the ewes like when they're lambing.

After frustrating breakdowns with the stackliner the last time they were haying, Martin is seriously considering a big round baler. No stackliner needed.

The guys are finally able to build a new beef cow shelter. Two massive beams from a renovation in Lethbridge came up for sale and Martin was able to get some huge poles to land the beams on for the building. We already had roofing material from a purchase a couple of years ago. You never know when you may need something that you can get for a good price now, and it doesn't deteriorate until you can use it.

Our friend, John Korthuis from Korthuis Tree Care sent a couple of his guys and chainsaws to notch the posts for the beams. We appreciated the help.

Martin hasn't bought any more trailers recently. But, it seems he's into buying milk cows. Last summer he bought Luna from a neighbor and Mabel, a cute little Jersey. A week ago he found Hazel, a Holstein crossed with some other breeds, and he couldn't pass her up. She had lost her calf, so he bought a little guy as a replacement. Now, we have Hazel and Nut.

Sunny and Shadow, Marseilles' pet ducks have grown big enough to have their own pen on a pond and loving it. It's one of the ponds Martin and James built a couple of years ago. It looks so lovely and relaxing.

As you'll see in the Down On The Farm segment, we've been collecting bees and designing more sustainable ways to raise them. The bees like to be in logs, but that's not practical for honey extraction.

The guys have modified Langstroth hives and placed them in big super insulated boxes. Monitoring the hives for temperature and humidity, they found that the bees kept both perfect to their needs. After gathering nectar and pollen during the day, the bees have time to groom each other instead of working to cool the hive on hot days or heat it at night when it gets cold. It's absolutely amazing what these wonderful creatures can do. Ask Martin.

Honey Bees

Bees are such amazing creatures! Here are a few facts about these wonderful insects:

• It is the only insect that produces food eaten by man.
• A honey bee can fly up to six miles and as fast as 15 miles per hour.
• Honey bees must consume about 17 – 20 pounds of honey to biochemically produce each pound of beeswax.
• A colony may contain 40,000 to 60,000 bees during the late spring or early summer.
• The queen bee can live 2 – 4 years and may lay up to 2,500 eggs a day.
• Worker bees live for about 4 weeks in the spring and summer.
• The average honey bee will actually make only one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
• Honey bees are vital pollinators.
• Fermented honey, known as Mead, is the most ancient fermented beverage. The term "honey moon" originated with the Norse practice of consuming large quantities of Mead during the first month of a marriage.

For more fascinating facts about this sweet insect, check out How Do Honeybees Get Their Jobs?

It's hard to find convenience without some kind of compromise. But, at Harvest Haven you don't have to worry about compromising.

We have a tasty selection of thinly sliced Ready-to-Serve deli meats made from our pasture-raised beef, lamb, chicken, and turkey. All of these are made from quality meat (no strange ingredients), sea salt, and spices. No fillers or harmful preservatives are added. Perfect for a cold plate, sandwich, or pizza.
The beef deli meats are beef salami and sliced pizza pepperoni, great to have on hand for a quick bite.

A special treat is the lamb ham. Sliced paper thin for an elegant appetizer on a slice of Harvest Haven sandwich bread.

In the poultry section, you'll find chicken franks, turkey kolbassa, and turkey pepperoni (a handy snack). Poultry deli slices include smoked chicken breast, turkey salami, and smoked turkey breast (everyone's favorite).

Go to Harvest Haven Meats for a list of all our meats and the prices.

Here come the fresh garden greens and herbs. Don't you love this season!
This is what we have available now:

• Garlic scapes
• Herbs including basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, and thyme
• Salad greens include lettuce mixes, leaf and romaine lettuces, and kale
• Tender young onions

Fresh organic BC fruits are starting to arrive!

Enjoy tangy, sweet Apricots and nutritious, delicious Blueberries now.

BC Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, and Pears are coming and will continue into September.

We can order cases for you but won't know the prices until the list comes from our supplier. Let us know what you would like, and we can get the price to you when it is available.

Harvest Haven Pastured Beef Salami – It's too hot to cook! Our beef salami is superb in a sandwich or served with Swiss cheese and a fresh garden greens salad.

Arla Organic Cream Cheese, 200 g – So creamy, smooth, and tasty! A must-have for delicious spreads, dips, sauces, and desserts.

Mans Organic Long English or Mini Cucumbers – These crunchy cukes are the best for slicing onto a sandwich, dicing into a salad, or just eating as a snack. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, and are a good source of B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide a quick pick-me-up.

Harvest Haven Red Onion – Fresh from the garden! 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 ½-inch thick slices, brushed with olive oil and a dash of salt. Enjoy as a side dish or use to top burgers and steaks.

Organic BC Apricots – Fresh BC apricots are here! Rich and golden in color, with a tangy, sweet flavor, and soft yet firm flesh. Great for snacking, jams, pies, and cobblers.

Organic Sliced Almonds – A crisp and crunchy complement to baking and snacking. Enjoy fresh from the cooler. Like all of our nuts, the sliced almonds are kept in the cooler to preserve their freshness.

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

Taking Care Of Beesness

In the spring, Martin hung a small bee hive in one of the trees in our yard. He was hoping to catch a swarm in late spring. We kept watching the box, but there was no activity.

At the end of May, we saw a large number of bees flying around in and out of the hive. In our naivety, we thought we had a swarm. But, they were there only for an hour or so and then, gone. We kept watching hoping for more activity, but there was none.

We were told that those were the scouts, so be patient.

One hot afternoon in late June, we heard a sonorous buzzing over the tops of the trees. What is it? Where is it? We couldn't see anything in the air or on the trees, but we sure heard something very loud.

In minutes, we both saw and heard a huge swarm of bees filling the air and making as it were, a bee line for the box. The scouts came back with many companions. You'll see in the video how huge the swarm was that clung to the bee box.

Martin came in the early morning the next day when it was too cool for the bees to be active. He took them back to the farm and placed them in one of his comfy big bee boxes where they are thriving.

Back at the farm, there were two more swarms that Martin relocated to the big bee hives. All are doing well. How sweet it is… or God willing, will be. We sure have some great friends – thousands of them!