The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it. - Arnold H. Glasow

Patience is Primary and Pays

With all the rain showers we've had the past few weeks, we've had to be patient about working the fields and planting gardens. The moisture is a blessing we're very thankful for.

The rainy days gave us a chance to weed flower beds and add more mulch to the landscaping. Everything feels so fresh.

The fields had dried off enough to transplant the onions. And Jeannie with her helpers, Jennifer, Mathijs, and Marseilles, was able to get her garden done in one day. The weather was so beautiful – warm and no wind. Patience pays.

The pastures are lush with new growth and the livestock are enjoying it. The cows with calves, the finish animals, and the sheep are gorging on greenery.

Before the cows with their calves went out on pasture, there was a humorous incident in the shelter that resulted in a bit of a rodeo. Checkers was about to calve so her hormones were raging. She was trying to adopt the newborn calf of one of the other cows. Then, she calved at the same time another cow was in labor having her calf present backwards. The guys gave that cow a helping hand and she had a lovely little heifer. Now, there were three new calves and Checkers wanted ALL of them. She was licking them and trying to mother everyone. It was bedlam. The newborn calves didn't know their mothers; the mothers were trying to guard their calves from Checkers; and Checkers was chasing after all the calves. Finally, Martin moved her and her only calf to a separate pen where she was quite happy. So were the other mothers.

Marseilles' ducks are having to be patient, too. They enjoyed the wet weather, of course. But because everyone has been busy with livestock and gardens, Sunny and Shadow don't have a fence around their pond.

When they are taken for walks to the pond, they enjoy catching bugs and worms, but apparently, they like worms best – soft and slippery. Patience, boys. You'll get to spend your time in the pond soon enough.

LAST CALL FOR FRESH CHICKEN!!!

They'll be ready next week.

WHOLE broiler chicken will be ready Friday, June 7th, and Sunday, June 9th.

Fresh chicken PARTS will be ready Sunday, June 9th.

PLACE YOUR ORDERS NOW.

Honeybees are fascinating creatures. Their lives are anything but simple. And they are vital to our existence, yet we know so little about these amazing creatures.

Here's a short video describing a little about how honeybees get their jobs.

How do Honeybees Get Their Jobs?

First Fresh Harvest

The first pickings from the garden are here. Smell the freshness!

Chives – The first green shoots in the garden are these delicate slivers that add a mild onion flavor to so many dishes and a dash of brightness to the table using both leaves and flowers.

Use scissors to snip chives into fluffy omelets and creamy mashed potatoes. Chives make a beautiful garnish when scattered over steamed vegetables, fresh salads, or summery pasta dishes like pasta primavera. Make an herb butter with chives as a savory accompaniment to corn on the cob or hot biscuits. And of course, chives are delicious blended into cream cheese to spread over bagels or in a deli slice sandwich.

Oregano – The fresh leaves are peppery and assertive—sometimes even bitter or astringent. They enliven whatever they're scattered over, be it a savory melon salad or a piece of fish —and a little goes a long way. But when cooked, its flavor mellows so that it's earthy but not aggressively woodsy. It's powerful enough to hold its own in dishes with bold flavors, like smoky grilled chicken or slow-roasted bell peppers.

Rhubarb – 'Tis the season for fresh rhubarb. Throughout history, it has been used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Rhubarb became popular for desserts in the 18th and 19th centuries after sugar became widely available. But, it makes a spicey chutney or sauce to go with savory dishes, such as chicken or lentils.

Who's ready for summer?

Warm sunny days call for refreshingly cold and delicious ice cream cones.

Organic Meadow Ice Cream, 946 mL

From humble beginnings in 1989, founded around a kitchen table by a group of organic farmers, Organic Meadow has grown to become a respected pioneer within organic dairy.

Organic Meadow produces superior dairy using fresh, quality organic milk straight from family farms. They work collaboratively with local organic farmers to provide Canadians with locally grown, minimally processed organic food.

Their rich and creamy ice cream is carefully crafted in small batches using pure simple organic ingredients: cream, skim milk, fair trade cane sugar, skim milk powder, and whole eggs.

Chocolate – made with fair trade organic cocoa.

Strawberry – made with real organic strawberries.

Vanilla – made with real organic vanilla beans.

Let's Do Organic Sugar Cones, 132 g – Enjoy the perfect partner for your organic desserts. Let's Do...Organic Sugar Cones are remarkably like the classic cones we all loved while growing up - only they are crafted from organic ingredients and free of artificial fillers.

Fill these cones with sorbets and fresh fruit, or ice cream topped with sprinkles and you've just turned an event into a celebration!

Harvest Haven Pastured Whole Chicken – Truly pasture-raised, these chickens are moved to fresh pasture daily where they get a diet of lush grasses, bugs, and certified organic feed. The result is plump birds that have tender, tasty, and moist meat. Perfect for dinner!

Redmond Real Salt Organic Garlic Salt, 135 g – Combines the unique flavor of unrefined, ancient Real Salt with organic garlic harvested at the peak of freshness. This savory blend takes a classic combination to a fresh new level and makes every bite taste better.

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!

Avalon Organic Sour Cream, 500 mL – With its rich texture, combined with its tangy taste, this Organic Sour Cream makes it perfect for chips, nachos, or a 7-layer dip. It's also great on tacos, with a baked potato, or as an ingredient in your favorite recipe.

Nature's Path Organic Khorasan Wheat Puffs, 170 g – Khorasan Wheat Puffs were carefully crafted with just one simple ingredient: organic whole-grain Khorasan wheat.

Arran Stephens, Co-founder of Nature's Path: "Our Always Organic Legacy began on the family farm I was raised on. In 1985, we founded Nature's Path Organic Foods based on my dad's advice to 'Always leave the soil better than you found it,' by farming without chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or GMOs that are prohibited by organic standards."

Harvest Haven Honey, 300g or 650g – Harvest Haven Honey is not only RAW, but it has absolutely no chemicals, not even those approved by organic certification. Our bees forage on our chemical-free fields and are not exposed to formic acid and oxalic acid, which organic certification allows to treat varroa mites.

The honey from this summer's extraction is the best we've ever had! The bees like their super-insulated hives and rewarded us with a copious amount of their work.

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

"Essentially, we have a system where wealthy farmers feed the poor crap and poor farmers feed the wealthy high-quality food." - Michael Pollan

Martin had an email exchange that reminded me of this quote.

We were contacted to provide ground beef for a booth at the Exhibition this summer. You can read the correspondence below.

Name: Rae

Subject: 50 lbs of ground beef for Whoop Up Days
Message:

Hey there! I'm writing you from Bissett Cleaning/Polished Janitorial we are hoping to have a BBQ for Whoop Up Days, and are looking for a company to pair with for the 40-50 pounds of beef we will need for the day, we would be willing to cross promote on our social media and put the company on our posters etc. for a price break on the total amount.

Please let us know what your thoughts are.

From Harvest Haven: Thu, May 23, 2024, at 10:20 AM

Hello Rae!

Buckle up.

My thoughts are that people should stop contacting local small-scale farmers looking for discounts. Shouldn't you be supporting us on a weekly basis instead of contacting us for freebies on a yearly basis? Why do we only get contacted by people like you when there's some kind of bulk discount desired? Why are "cute local farms" only thought about for a few fleeting rodeo moments? Everybody wants to save a few bucks on food at the expense of the farmers and the land, while they spend their "saved" cash recklessly on every other form of merchandise.

Also, I despise Whoop-Up Days and what they stand for. The Lethbridge Exhibition (and the rest of Lethbridge City management with them) is a disgustingly immoral, discriminatory, and wicked organization. They are evil evil people. Their whole organization is destined for destruction. The Lord Jesus Christ will make sure it happens.

I know you'll be surprised by the nature of my reply. I guess you'll have to decide whether I'm just a grumpy bitter farmer or if you're receiving a message worth considering.

Well, there you go. Sometimes, I ignore these emails and sometimes I respond. Nobody's listening either way.

I'll let you decide whether or not I'm crazy.

Martin

From: Rae

Date: Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 11:31 AM
To: Harvest Haven solutions@harvesthaven.com
Subject: Re: [#11197569] 50 lbs of ground beef for Whoop Up Days

Hi Martin.

As someone who has just moved to Lethbridge, I saw your farm through a google search and didn't think to myself "what a cute little farm, let me ask them for a discount". I was happy to find an organic farm for meat as I am a Master Organic Gardener myself. I haven't seen your product in any stores around here, and was simply wanting to partner with you to give you a bit more visibility during a busy time here in the city. We typically put on 2-3 BBQ style events per year and were looking for a local farm to partner with in the future. I'm guessing yours will not be the answer.

I'm sorry that people in Lethbridge seem to have made you "Grumpy" as you say. Our companies are also small, we employ about 20 people between both Polished Janitorial, and Bissett Cleaning. We are simply looking to create a sense of community with our partnerships. Not take advantage of anyone.

Again, as someone new here, I am just hearing about Whoop-up Days and am unsure of what you are talking about when you say that they are evil, and discriminatory, as I have yet to delve into the politics of Lethbridge, and am simply doing my job as a Social Media Coordinator/Event Coordinator.

I hope you have a blessed day and that you enjoy your weekend.

Warm Regards,
Rae

Social Media Coordinator

From Harvest Haven: Sat May 25, 2024 at 6:36 PM

Rae,

I didn't say that people in Lethbridge have made me "grumpy." I accurately surmised that you would interpret my message that way. In reality, I'm not upset at all. I've just learned to be straightforward.

It's not just Lethbridge. Reality and honesty are despised universally. Nobody, including you, wants to hear it. And even among those who kind of know that we're speaking the Truth, there are none that will openly support it. Truth is abhorred by all.

Just so you know (and this is only one of their grossly immoral decisions), the Lethbridge Exhibition kicked us out of their Farmer's Market because I wrote in our newsletter that I didn't think abortions should be illegal (not that we support abortion), but that tax dollars shouldn't pay for them. Seemed fair enough, wouldn't you say? All the ghouls came out of their caves in a rage calling us Nazis and threatening to protest us at the Farmer's Market. I acknowledged that protesting was legally permissible and that I couldn't stop them from doing so.

So, instead of showing up to face us, the cowards wrote letters to the Exhibition claiming that we were using the Farmer's Market as a platform for dangerous ultra-right-wing religious extremism, though we never once spoke of these matters on their turf.

Ironically, the far right hates us just as much as the far left. The Exhibition sent us registered mail, kicking us out, and refused to answer our phone calls or emails. All this, after we peaceably and respectfully participated in the Farmer's Market for more than a couple of decades. But what else can you expect from people who host children's festivals where drag queens read stories to infants and toddlers at the library?

And WE'RE the dangerous ones? It's breathtaking.

Tell me. Is that justice? Is that fair? Do you care?

And, truthfully, Rae, I'm not bitter about being kicked out. I was glad of it. It was always a bunch of work with little reward. But how can we remain silent about their wickedness? We can't be the only people they've abused.

We're doing something for you that people just aren't familiar with. We're being realistic and honest. No bullshitting. No political correctness. Just frankness and sincerity.

It seems as though it's too late. Nobody can stomach the Truth anymore. I guess it's too expensive and God doesn't offer the desired discounts.

Do you see what I mean, now, when I say, "Nobody is listening either way"? I've taken the time to answer you for your sake, and you've more or less blown me off.

Sad.

Do you know how thrilled we'd be if you were able to hear us and respect us for being straightforward and honest with you? I'm not holding my breath.
The Scriptures say that no prophets are received in their hometown.

You can roll your eyes, but the Truth leaves its mark. You won't shake this off so easily.

Martin

At the time of writing, there has been no reply.