Factory farming came about from a moral race to the bottom, with corporations vying against each other to produce more and bigger animals with less care at lower cost. – Matthew Scully | Beautiful Definition of beautiful:
1. Having beauty; possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind: a beautiful dress; a beautiful speech.
2. excellent of its kind: a beautiful putt on the seventh hole; The chef served us a beautiful roast of beef. Walking around the farm, we see much that delights the senses and is excellent. The beef cow shelter is a good example. Martin has put a lot of thought into this super structure. Because he was using repurposed materials to build it, Martin had to design the shelter to accommodate the measurements of those materials. Along with that challenge, the ease of movement for livestock and equipment had to be considered. There is a number of ingenious features that have been implemented to make the structure comfortable for the cows and calves, and practical for the farmers. It's too complicated to describe in this short essay, but it's a unique and beautiful structure. | Last week, the guys weighed the lambs to decide which ones go to slaughter first. I saw the sheet with the weights and remarked to Martin that we have some big ones and that they all should be a good size because they were born and raised in ideal conditions. He replied, "Yes…but, we have quite a few small ones, too." Simultaneously, we said, "Because conditions were so good when they were born, none of the runty ones died." Actually, we didn't have any lambs die, so we have a lot of them this year. If you or anyone you know wants live ewe lambs for their farm or acreage, contact us. There's not enough room in the freezer for all of them. I guess that's a "beautiful" problem as in giving us satisfaction for a job well done. | Walking past the corrals, we saw a truly beautiful creature. It's a brilliant white rooster with large intense red comb and wattle. All our other roosters are multicolored, and the hens are either brown or black, except for one ancient dusty white hen that is over eight years old. She's a survivor, as most chickens live only three to five years. Beautiful, the rooster has a bit of a story. In June when the broilers were being loaded for processing, this one little guy was agile and fast enough to escape. Broilers are usually big, heavy, and not too quick to move, so this bird was a surprising exception. He was also too small to be taken for slaughter, so after being caught, was released into the corral with the free range barn chickens.
This little white guy made a cameo appearance in the video of Marseilles with her ducks on the front lawn of the store this summer. She remarked on there being a "broiler" chicken running around the yard, which was unusual. Everyone thought he was a broiler because he came with the broiler chicks in the spring. But, he had long legs and could run faster than even most chickens. As he grew, it became obvious that he's a white leghorn rooster. A "beautiful" white rooster who is outstanding among the multicolored barn chickens. | K's Chocolate Chip Cookies Konstantijn has been serving us and some fortunate customers her delicious fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. Now, you can enjoy these delightful treats fresh from your own oven. They are made with Harvest Haven wheat flour, organic raw and brown sugars, organic coconut oil, Harvest Haven eggs, organic baking soda, and Real salt. You'll find packages of ready-to-bake K's Chocolate Chip Cookies in the freezer. Just heat your oven, place frozen cookies on a pan, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. And enjoy! | This is it! The last week to order your chickens. Get your orders in now. We won't have fresh chicken again until next summer. Fresh WHOLE broiler chicken will be ready Friday, September 14th and Sunday, September 17th. Fresh chicken PARTS will be ready Sunday, September 17th. PLACE YOUR ORDERS NOW. | Harvest Haven lamb is raised on lush pastures, quality, non-synthetic minerals and salts, and Grander Living Water, to 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 $600 depending on the size. Half a lamb will be approximately $300. There is a $10 fee if we must freeze your lamb for longer than one week. We have only two dates when lamb will be available: Friday, September 29
Friday, October 13 Order here. | Harvest Haven Pastured Lamb Stew – Tender, flavorful lamb makes a delicious stew for a comforting meal on a crisp fall day. Harvest Haven Pastured Lamb Bone Broth – A tasty broth made from roasted lamb bones and organic vegetables. A nutritious drink that protects the joints, helps reduce inflammation, heals the gut, and helps you sleep better. Harvest Haven Corn on the Cob – Fresh from the field! Grill it, bake it, or boil for a delicious treat. To grill corn on the cob, pre-soak the corn with the husks on and then place the cobs directly on the grill for 18-20 minutes on med/high heat rotating every 5 minutes. Bake corn on the cob by placing husks directly on the center oven rack and bake at 350° F for 30 minutes. (No need to soak.) The quickest method to cook corn on the cob is to place shucked corn in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and add a tablespoon of sugar, then boil 15 minutes. Serve with lots of butter, and salt and pepper. Harvest Haven Garlic – This year's garlic is ready for you! The bulbs are big and the cloves flavorful. A must-have from savory meat dishes to mashed potatoes and everything in between. The superfood of superfoods! One of nature's greatest natural antibiotics. Harvest Haven Apples – Fresh from the tree goodness, crunchy with just the right tartness. Munch on these lovelies for a snack, slice them for a crisp or that perfect pie, and let's not forget a creamy applesauce. Uncle Luke's Organic Dark Maple Syrup, 1L or 500 mL – Canada No.3 Dark Maple Syrup. Generally harvested at the very end of the maple season. Has strong maple flavour and darker colour. This is a heated product, nothing complicated, nothing added. It goes well with toast, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, and drinks such as coffee or tea, the must-have for your breakfast! Keep refrigerated after opening. | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Lancashire Hot Pot 1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 lb Harvest Haven lamb stew meat
2 Harvest Haven cooking onions, peeled and sliced thinly
1 heaped tbsp flour
2 cups Harvest Haven hot lamb bone broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Harvest Haven carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 1/2 pounds Harvest Haven potatoes, peeled and sliced to 2-3mm thick
1 tbsp melted butter for brushing
1/4 tsp dried thyme Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Melt the butter and oil in a medium-sized casserole or saucepan and fry the lamb until lightly browned all over. Spoon the lamb into a bowl, then add the onions to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft. Add the lamb back in, then stir in the flour, cooking for a minute. Add in the stock, bay leaves, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Give everything a stir, bring to a gentle boil. Cover and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir in the carrots. At this point, you can transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole or pie dish if you wish (I moved mine to a 25cm diameter pie dish). Top with the sliced potatoes. Start from the outside, and layer the potatoes, moving towards the centre. Brush the top of the potatoes with the melted butter and sprinkle on the dried thyme. Cover with a lid or foil and place back in the oven for 1 hour. After an hour, turn the oven up to 200C/400F and remove the lid. Cook for a further 30 minutes until the potatoes are browned and crisp on top. Take out of the oven, and leave to rest for 5 minutes or so (it will be very hot), then serve with some green vegetables. | Boiled Corn on the Cob 3 cloves Harvest Haven garlic, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup brown sugar
6 ears Harvest Haven corn, husks removed and halved
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives Combine 4 cups water, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste, in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in milk, butter and brown sugar. Bring to a boil; working carefully, add corn, reduce heat and simmer until just tender, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired. | Toffee Apple Crumble FOR THE TOFFEE SAUCE:
75 g maple syrup
75 g brown sugar
50 g butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
60 ml cream FOR THE CRUMBLE:
225 g flour
A pinch of salt
150 g cold diced butter
75 g rolled oats
75 g sugar FOR THE FILLING:
1 kg Harvest Haven apples
150 g brown sugar
1 tablespoon water or apple juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon Make the Toffee Sauce first (I often make this a day or two in advance) by placing all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmering on a low to medium heat until everything has melted together and you have a smooth sauce Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof jug. To make the crumble, place the flour, oats and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold diced butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the apples in a large saucepan and set over a low heat. Add the sugar and ground cinnamon if using and cook the apples for about 5 minutes or until they are just beginning to soften. The cooking apples will start to cook down and turn a little pulpy, but that's exactly how you want them. When the apples have started to soften and the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and pour the apples into a large pie dish. Spoon over the cooled caramel sauce and top with the crumble, spreading it evenly over the apples. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve warm with the extra caramel sauce and ice cream. | Harvest Haven Certified With all the Harvest Haven Certified products we have in the store, what does "Harvest Haven Certified" really mean? Over the past two decades, we've had many people ask us if we're "certified organic." We've also had many tell us that we should get "certified." We've even had people look at us skeptically when we tell them our food isn't technically "certified organic," but our standards are much higher than is required to be certified. We have absolutely ZERO interest in paying an organization with lower standards than ours, to put their stamp of approval on our product. Particularly when that same stamp is put on products that are grossly inferior to ours. If our customers don't trust us, they should be shopping elsewhere. What does "Harvest Haven Certified" mean? Harvest Haven Certified means that when you walk into our store, you can pick up any product and know it's safe to eat or use. We've done the research into the products we bring in and will not carry anything that has GMOs or strange chemical concoctions, nor do we knowingly carry "organic" products owned by companies that support GMOs or chemical-based agriculture. We don't want to support any of these operations that are just doing organic for the bottom dollar and are okay poisoning consumers with chemical-laden foods. You can be assured that Harvest Haven Certified requires standards higher than "certified organic." For example, certified organic requires "access" to the outdoors for poultry but doesn't mandate that birds actually go outside. Whereas, our poultry (layers, broilers, turkeys) enjoy fresh air and sunshine even when they are small chicks and spend most of their lives on pasture eating bugs and fresh greens. Even in the winter months the hens are scratching in wood mulch and dirt in their berm barn, and converting any surplus food on our farm into beautiful food. I once visited an organic layer operation where they were having a problem with their hens prolapsing when they laid their eggs. They contacted an expert who told them their hens were acutely deficient in vitamin A and D. The birds simply weren't getting enough sunshine. Their solution was to supplement the water supply with "organic approved" vitamins. Don't get me wrong, I'd still rather eat such eggs over those from a conventional egg operation, but I can tell you right now that replacing sunshine with synthetic vitamins is anti-organic. Another seldom considered aspect of organic growth is the farm's water supply. Absolutely all aspects of our operation, livestock, fields, and gardens have Grander Living water for better growth and optimum health. Don't underestimate the impact that clean living water has on your eating experience, and it's not just limited to veggies. Egg quality, for example is hugely affected by the hen's access to cool, clean, vibrant water. With that said, did you know that it's not against organic standards to water your animals with chemically treated city water? I didn't write this up to foster any kind of cynicism towards organic agriculture. My goal, instead, is to renew in people's minds a vision of what organic should be. Organic agriculture is "back to basics." It is a solemn recognition of the glory, splendour, and perfect design of creation. If you can comprehend and honour the subtle particularities of a laying hen and go out of your way to provide for her unique needs, then she will cluck with joy and bless you with her treasure. But if you just treat her like an egg machine, organic or otherwise, sickness and death will follow shortly after. Think about it. Do you really think a hen who is on the brink of dying from malnourishment, is at all capable of adequately nourishing you?
Organic isn't a label, it's a way of life! You can come talk to us, as many of you have, and ask us what goes into producing a "garden carrot," or how to raise a tender, grass-fed steak, or why the eggs taste so good. We're more than willing to share with you our experiences from nearly thirty years of farming according to our rigorous standards. Harvest Haven Certified means we back what gets our approval with our lives. By God's grace, we live what we preach without compromise. May it always be so, for all our sakes. Martin Van Popta | | |
