While we try to teach our children all about life, the farm teaches us what life's all about. | Where's Spring? The robins, those delightful heralds of warmer weather, are back and wondering, "Where's spring? There's so much snow." It's spring according to the calendar, but it's hard to tell with all that white stuff on the ground. It does seem a little weird to hear the joyous chirping of the robins letting us know they're here while it still feels like winter. But, according to the forecast, we're going to go from winter right into summer, skipping spring. | The taxes are done and Jeannie can breathe again. "I sent Martin an email the other day. Did he see it?" I inquired. "No. He doesn't see emails, or answer the phone, or talk to me while he's doing taxes," was Jeannie's unhappy response. "I just sit quietly, working on my computer until he's done." She's cheerful now though and Martin's delighted because the taxes are done. The seedlings Jeannie planted are sprouting nicely. It's invigorating to see all the new growth in anticipation of spring planting. | Martin is onto another building project. For as long as we've had the farm, there never has been enough freezer space. After climbing over boxes and digging through totes in the walk-in freezer, we built a bigger unit. The new unit was twice the size and had ample shelving for displaying the frozen products. But, within a couple of years, it too wasn't big enough, and the guys were back to moving out pallets of strawberries or chicken parts to get to items stuffed onto the shelves. Martin's next project is to build an even bigger freezer. It's still in the early planning stages, but the area is being cleared of a shed and any other obstacles. | The lambs are enjoying being outside and romping with each other in the corral. We love watching them kick up their heals and careen around. | Now that lambing is done, that barn is being repurposed for the broiler chicks, which arrive next week. Pens and mangers are replaced by poultry waterers, feed troughs, and wooden hens. Having seen how well the layer chicks have done in the hatchery after insulating the floor, the guys are working on ways to insulate that floor, particularly under the wooden hens. There's always some challenge to keep things interesting. On a bittersweet note, Cherry, our favorite milk cow passed away peacefully in the night. Bitter because she was a special animal to us, but sweet because she passed without suffering. Everyone is feeling sad, including the other animals in the corrals. They know.
You can read about Cherry in the Down On the Farm section. | Say When Organic Chai Concentrate honors a classic chai recipe from the Karakoram region of northern Pakistan, re-imagined to create a chai concentrate that is both authentic and flavourful. These chai concentrates are double-strength with flavors that are rich and robust. Say When's Concentrate is versatile and simple to use. Just add one part concentrate with one part milk and experience the indulgent flavor in every sip. Serve it hot or cold, customize the sweetness to your liking, and make it your own. The possibilities are endless! We have two robustly flavored varieties in the store. Organic Spicy Chai Concentrate is black tea with bold spices. This exotic blend of cinnamon and cardamon, ginger, black pepper, and nutmeg comes alive in this premium black tea. A feisty chai that's spiced just right. It is locally brewed and packaged in BC with a clean label (no additives, preservatives, or artificial flavorings) and is Canada Organic Certified.
Ingredients: Water, Cane sugar, Black tea, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Black pepper, Lemon juice, Nutmeg. (*Organic) Organic Dirty Chai Concentrate is a bold blend of black tea and spices with organic coffee and a touch of cocoa. It's the perfect pick-me-up! It is locally brewed and packaged in BC with a clean label (no additives, preservatives, or artificial flavorings) and is Canada Organic Certified.
Ingredients: Water, Cane sugar, Coffee, Black tea, Cinnamon, Ginger, Black pepper, Cocoa nibs, Citric acid. (*Organic) Preparation: Shake Well. Add 1 part concentrate to 1 part milk. Heat and serve, or pour over ice. | Beef short ribs can be an overlooked cut of meat, but shouldn't be. They are delicious! They are the absolute best cut of beef for slow cooking! Ribs are the most tender and succulent fall-apart beef you will ever have. Because they are beautifully marbled with fat, they are more succulent and juicier than other slow-cooking cuts of beef. And we have a sale on them. So stock up. The regular price is $11.99 per pound. For 10 pounds it is $9.99 per pound. Save $2.00/lb or $20.00. A box of 20 pounds is $8.99 per pound. Save $3.00/lb or $60.00. Share with family and friends and get a box of 40 pounds for $7.99 per pound. Save $4.00/lb or $160.00. | The humble potato has been much maligned for not tasting good and for making you fat. Conventionally-grown potatoes in supermarkets don't taste good, so they will make you fat when you must dress them up to make them appealing. Also, copious amounts of harmful chemicals have been used to produce and store them. For example, a local farmer fed conventionally grown potatoes to his farrow sows. They didn't produce any piglets the next spring. Among the many chemicals sprayed on non-organic potatoes is a product called Sprout Nip, which inhibits sprouting by preventing cell division. It prevented the sows from having young. Organic potatoes are exceptionally healthful, being a very good source of numerous vitamins and minerals, as well as a variety of phytonutrients that are important antioxidants. This comfort food can be enjoyed in so many ways that it should be part of your menu every day. Here are the varieties of potatoes we have: German Butterball – tender, buttery yellow flesh; versatile for every preparation; Linzer Delikatess – delicate, buttery flavor; ideal for roasting and potato salad; Russet – the classic white potato, great for baking and French fries. | Harvest Haven Pastured Beef Short Ribs – The absolute best cut of beef for slow cooking! Ribs are the most tender and succulent fall-apart beef you will ever have. Because they are beautifully marbled with fat, they are more succulent and juicier than other slow-cooking cuts of beef. Harvest Haven Pastured Beef Broth – So good so many ways! Enjoy as a hot beverage, use to make delicious beef gravy, or use in your favorite soup or stew. Harvest Haven Butterball Potatoes, 5 lb or 10 lb bags – Creamy tender flesh with a smooth consistency and rich, buttery flavor make these potatoes a favorite. Mashed, baked, French fried, scalloped, whatever you fancy, this potato will please. Vintage Mature Farmhouse Organic Cheddar Cheese, sizes vary – This is an exceptionally flavorful cellar-aged style of English cheddar cheese with a slight musty tang. It's our favorite. Organic Frozen BC Blueberries, 1 lb bags – Remember 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. Arla Organic Cream Cheese, 200 g – So creamy, smooth, and tasty! A must-have for delicious spreads, dips, sauces, and desserts. | Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic. | Beer Braised Short Ribs 3 and 1/2 lbs Harvest Haven beef short ribs
3 large Harvest Haven carrots, chopped
1 Harvest Haven cooking onion, thinly sliced
3 cups Harvest Haven beef bone broth
2 cups dark beer Preheat oven to 325° F. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat, and brown the ribs on all sides, working in batches as needed. Set ribs aside on a plate. Add the onion and carrots to the same pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan to get the flavorful browned bits incorporated, until softened – about 8 minutes. Add the beef broth and beer and bring to a boil. Add the ribs back in, cover with the lid, and cook in the oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes. After that, turn the oven temperature down to 275° F, and cook for 45 minutes more. The ribs should be fall-apart tender when you try to shred them with a fork (but don't shred them all now – just test it). Set the ribs on a plate and tent with foil. Skim off any visible fat in the liquid, and then pour everything (including the vegetables) into a blender (or use a hand blender in the pot) and puree. The liquid will be frothy. Return the liquid to the pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes to reduce into a thicker sauce and to intensify the flavor. Return the ribs to the pot and gently reheat, or cover and let cool a bit before refrigerating to serve the next day. The sauce thickens up even more in the fridge overnight and these are fabulous on the next day! | Cheesy Mashed Potatoes 2 and 1/2 lbs Harvest Haven Butterball potatoes, washed and peeled
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
6 tbsp butter
4 large cloves Harvest Haven garlic
Handful of fresh thyme and sage
1 and 1/4 cups grated white cheddar cheese Add the peeled potatoes to a pot of salted boiling water. Cook 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan and add the garlic and herbs. Heat over low heat for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat, and discard the garlic and herbs. When potatoes are done cooking, drain, and then shake them around in the pot a bit to help fluff them. Mash the potatoes well. Keep the heat on low to help melt the cheese. Stir in the milk, sour cream, and garlic butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir the cheese in. Serve with Short Ribs. | Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls FOR THE DOUGH:
2/3 cup warm milk (100-110°F)
1 package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/3 cup + 1/2 teaspoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large Harvest Haven egg
1 tablespoon lemon zest, from 1 medium lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 medium lemon
3 – 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting FOR THE FILLING:
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen (if frozen, make sure they are thawed and drained) FOR THE FROSTING:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 ounces cream cheese, very soft
2 cups icing sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice MAKE THE DOUGH:
Add yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar to warm milk and stir. Let it sit for a few minutes until frothy. Place 1/3 cup sugar, butter, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until the butter is distributed throughout the liquids, although it may be chunky. Pour in the milk/yeast mixture and stir for a few seconds. Add 3 cups flour and stir with the paddle attachment just until the mixture starts to stick to the paddle. Then replace the paddle with the dough hook. Continue mixing on low speed until the dough forms a ball in the center of the bowl. The dough will be slightly sticky and elastic. There will be minimal transfer to your finger if you poke it. If it's still very wet, add up to 1/4 cup more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Butter a large bowl and place the dough in it. Coat the top of the dough ball with butter (lightly) and cover the bowl. Let sit for 2-4 hours until it doubles in size. Note on rising: if your house is warm, it should rise without a problem. If it's cold in your house, it may take longer for the dough to rise. PREPARE YOUR ROLLS:
Mix together butter, sugar, lemon zest, salt, and flour until it forms a paste. Once the dough is risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle, about 10" by 14". Spread the filling as evenly as possible over the rectangle, making sure to reach to the sides so the outer rolls have enough filling. Sprinkle with blueberries. Roll the dough up tightly from the long end. Slice it into 12 equal rounds. Place the rolls into a 9×13" pan that has been lightly buttered. Preheat oven to 350°F. Let rolls rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Make ahead instructions: Cover the rolls and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let them warm up to room temperature while the oven is preheating. Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Note: the blueberries will drain to the bottom of the pan if it sits overnight. That's not a problem. MAKE THE FROSTING:
Mix the melted butter and softened cream cheese until mostly smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, adding more as desired for thickness. Spread over warm rolls and serve. | Cherry's Story The previous Down On the Farm was about death and so is this one. However, this account is bittersweet and not just bitter. Here's Cherry's story as told by Martin. For the last year, I watched as my oldest and most faithful dairy cow, Cherry, slowed down. She was 13 and had given me 13 calves (she had twins one year). Cherry was a remarkable cow that provided the best-tasting milk we've ever had. She was sweet inside and out, was never sick, never kicked, and always co-operated. I was unable to stomach the idea of culling her, but I also didn't like the idea of watching her fall apart with age, suffering a worn-out body in her twilight years. I mostly tried not to think about it. Cherry came into the barn for milking like a good girl until the last, showing no signs of weight loss, acute illness, or distress. Only increasing tiredness. Sometime in the night before the sun came up on Tuesday morning (March 26th), she gave up her ghost and breathed her last, lying in her usual spot in the barn. We found her in the morning with Harriett watching over her. James fired up his equipment, prepared a grave for her in the compost pile, and came to the barn to carry her away. Harriett followed Cherry, licking her face the whole journey from the barn to her resting place. The whole farm could feel it. Luna, now our oldest dairy cow, comforted Cherry's yearling calf, and Harriett spent the whole day mourning in the barn, watching over the place where she had died. She had never known the farm without Cherry's presence and neither have I. From the grass they come, and to the grass they return. It was a beautiful and fitting end. She was never a day of trouble in her whole life. She was a gift and she won't be forgotten. | Here are some fun stories from past Harvest Haven Happenings. Down On the Farm, December 2017 Good Cattle, Good Neighbors, Good God When I started to write this story on Monday, I had two options. As I was about to start typing, in came a third one. We've had two cows calve in the last week, easily delivering their lovely calves. Our milk cow, Cherry, was next in line, but about three weeks out.
Surprise number one: Cherry started calving Monday morning. "That's interesting," Martin thought. "I must have missed something. Oh well, she's had a few calves, so all should be okay." Surprise number two: James checked on Cherry a little later and came to Martin, "There's something funny happening. She hasn't calved yet and I see a tail coming out." "Oh no, James! That's not good!" exclaimed Martin, "We need to call Debbie."
Debbie is our go-to person when we have cattle questions and problems. She's been dealing with livestock her whole life (some 50 years), has probably seen more than her fair share of issues, and has been a wonderful resource for us. Debbie answered and said, "I happen to be in town now, so I can come right over." Wonderful, seeing there was no time to lose in a crisis. Debbie and her daughter, Darci, showed up a few minutes later. When Darci saw Cherry's distress, she threw off her hoodie and got to work without any hesitation. Let me tell you, farming is not for the squeamish. This was a serious situation. Martin held Cherry in a headlock, while Darci pushed the calf back into Cherry and carefully and patiently repositioned it inside the womb for a safe delivery. After freeing up both hooves, she got calving chains on the hocks of the calf, and with James's help pulled the little guy out. Surprise number three: Cherry was still pushing hard. "I think there's another calf in there," said Darci calmly, "which is why the first calf didn't have room to position itself properly for birth." She quickly reached inside, determined the orientation of the second calf, and pulled it out with speed and skill.
There they were, two little bull calves. A nice surprise. Debbie named them Darci, for her daughter who was instrumental in the calves' survival, and Kelcey, Darcie's daughter, whose birthday it was. Now, as these calves grow, we'll be reminded of those whose help we've appreciated so much. | Down On the Farm, December 2018 Farming's NOT for Wussies After dinner, Martin was doing a little woodworking in the shop and slipped over to the lumber pile beside the dairy cow corral. As he was returning to the workshop, he heard a short, strange moo from Cherry, our milk cow. "Hmmm…that's an odd sound from her. Do I check on Cherry or just keep working? I need to see what she wants," realizing he wouldn't have any peace if he didn't. When Martin gets into the barn, Cherry's there "telling him something." He looks at her and realizes she's going to calve shortly. Calling James for help, the two of them prepare a nice spot with fresh straw for her. Within 15 minutes, she had her calf to everyone's surprise. Obviously, there had been no time to waste. Reflecting on the event, Martin knows Cherry called him with her strange moo. It was different from all the other bawling she makes for hay or just attention. Add to this, she was in the barn "communicating" with him that he needed to do something to prepare a place for her to calve. And she had her calf within minutes. Quite amazing! "Dumb" beasts aren't so dumb? | | |
