A reasonable agriculture would do its best to emulate nature. Rather than change the earth to suit a crop it would diversify its crops to suit the earth. – Verlyn Klinkenborg. | Where the Grass Grows Tall After all the beautiful showers we've had, the grass has grown to almost 6 feet. Small paddocks of rotational grazing of beef and sheep, followed by the fertilizing done by the chickens and turkeys have produced amazingly rich pastures of forbs and grasses. This is working with nature at its best. Imagine that parts of the prairies had those types of tall grasses when the buffalo roamed here. It would have been awesome to see. | Tony, our Hong Kong virtual shepherd, is here to visit us for a couple of weeks. We'll need to be sure to keep a close eye on his travels around the farm. We wouldn't want him to disappear into this jungle, as the grasses are taller than he is. The beef cattle and sheep are enjoying the lushness. The calves and lambs are growing quickly. | After the cattle have eaten the grasses and exposed more of the ground, the laying hens love the profusion of bugs and fresh greenery that's shooting up. | Having more than the usual losses of turkey poults, Martin contacted the hatchery to discuss the problem and to order more turkeys. It seems that we aren't the only ones with abnormal losses this year and the hatchery says they are looking into the problem. There were no more white turkey poults, but they had exactly the number of broad-breasted brown ones that we needed. These little guys have been robust, curious, AND smart. The expression, "You turkey!" to describe someone as being really dumb is not at all off the mark. White turkeys are dumb. But, these little brown guys know how to find food and water in the pen, and how to stay alive. It'll be interesting to see what they are like when mature. | And now the strawberries have started. All hands are on deck for picking berries, and weeding while waiting for more berries to ripen. It'll be non-stop strawberries for the next three weeks. | The strawberries last for only about three weeks, and then they are done for the year. Place your order for flats of 10 pounds now to be sure you get some of our best. If you want less than a 10-pound flat, there will be smaller containers in the cooler. Watch our Facebook page, Instagram, and email announcements for when they are available. To be sure to get what you want, call us at 403-329-9157 or email: solutions@harvesthaven.com. | The barbecue box was a popular item, so we've switched it up a bit by adding lamb chops and ground lamb. Enjoy these tender cuts of premium pasture-raised beef and lamb. Time to barbecue! This box includes: 2x TBone steaks (4 steaks) 2x Kansas Strip steaks (4 steaks) 2x Top Sirloin steaks (4 steaks) 2x Lamb Chop (8 chops) 2x Ground Lamb (2 lb) Average price: $290 | Unique to Harvest Haven, these delicious yeast-risen buns are made with flour milled on our farm and our pasture-raised eggs, then baked in the wood-fired oven. Light and fluffy homemade buns made with simple organic ingredients (Harvest Haven flour, Harvest Haven eggs, oil, cane sugar, sea salt, and yeast) are perfect for a picnic or a quick lunch. Enjoy with Harvest Haven beef wieners, smokies, and chicken franks, or layer on your favorite Harvest Haven deli slices, such as beef bresaola, smoked chicken breast, or lamb ham. Convenience without compromise. | Grander Water Revitalization is a natural technology from Austria that 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. Even mechanical and nonliving systems using water (boilers, cooling units, humidifiers) benefit from its enhanced properties. The purpose of Grander Living Water is to return water's vitality, restore its ability to hydrate things, carry nutrients in living organisms, and make water taste refreshingly good. A high school student designed an experiment using tap water, Berkey filtered water, Grander treated water, and a combination of the two. It's proof Grander works and works very well. The following video from 2018 shows the impact of Grander water on living cells. The results of this experiment were remarkable. | Harvest Haven Pasture-Raised Ground Lamb – Ground lamb makes for an interesting flavor change and can be used as an alternative in most ground beef recipes. Harvest Haven lamb is completely pasture-raised on a variety of lush grasses and Grander Living Water. Tender and tasty. L'Ancetre Organic Feta, 150g – A Greek Feta made with 100% sheep's milk and packed in a vacuum-sealed package without brine, giving it a bold flavor that isn't too salty. Directly imported from Greece, this Feta PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) complies with the highest standards of manufacturing as per the Greek tradition. GMO free and organic, its flavor will transport you to the Mediterranean coast. It's a tasty addition to salads, pasta, and even hamburgers! Greek Gods Organic Greek Yogurt, 500g – Traditional Greek-style yogurt that is a thicker and creamier yogurt without the tang. Perfect with fresh fruit, added to your smoothies, or in your favorite dip or sauce recipes. 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 Frozen or Fresh Strawberries – Whether fresh or frozen, you can fill your kitchen with the wonderful aroma of summer strawberries. Picked at the peak of perfection, these wonderful berries are bursting with goodness and flavor. Blend into your favorite smoothie, make into a bright red sauce, bake in a tasty dessert, or serve as a refreshing snack. Uncle Luke's Organic Maple Syrup, 500 mL or 1 L – Canada No.3 Dark Maple Syrup. Generally harvested at the very end of the maple season. Has a 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. | Lamb Burgers with Pesto Whipped Feta For the burgers:
1 lb. Harvest Haven ground lamb
2 Harvest Haven garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper For the whipped feta:
4 oz. feta cheese, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese
2 tablespoon milk
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup spinach or arugula
1 Harvest Haven garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil For the burgers: add all ingredients to a bowl, then mix it together with your hands. Once everything is combined, form the mixture into 5 burgers. Then, use your thumb to press down into the center of each burger, which will help them cook more evenly. Heat your grill as you normally would, OR heat a skillet with 2 tablespoon olive oil, then add the burgers and cook until the meat is done to your liking, approximately 4-5 minutes per side. For the whipped feta: add the basil, spinach/arugula, garlic, and olive oil to a food processor and pulse until everything is combined. Then, add the feta, cream cheese, and milk and pulse until the pesto and feta are mixed together. You may need to pour everything into a bowl and stir by hand a bit if your processor won't completely mix it. To assemble: place burgers on a bun, then top them off with a spoonful of pesto whipped feta. Enjoy! | Cucumber Yogurt Salad 2 Mans Organic English cucumbers
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove Harvest Haven garlic, minced
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced (approx. 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste Thinly slice the cucumbers with a mandoline, slicing side of a box grater, food processor with thin slice attachment or a knife. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Place the cucumber slices and dressing into a mixing bowl. Toss to combine. Serve immediately or place in the fridge to chill for up to 30 minutes before serving. | Southern Strawberry Cobbler Cinnamon Biscuit Topping:
2 cups flour
1 cup cane sugar
2 tsps baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk, VERY COLD + 2 Tbsps
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 Tbsps COLD butter, cut into pieces Strawberry Filling:
4-5 cups fresh (or thawed frozen) Harvest Haven strawberries, sliced thin
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup Uncle Luke's maple syrup
2 Tbsps strawberry preserves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tsps vanilla
2 tsps lemon juice
2 Tbsps flour Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease 4 mini oval bakeware or a medium 10-inch deep skillet with butter or oil. TO MAKE THE STRAWBERRY FILLING: In a large bowl, add the sliced strawberries and toss them together with the lemon juice, cane sugar, maple syrup, strawberry preserves, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla, mixing until combined and strawberries are fully coated. Place the strawberry mixture into the prepared oval bakeware or skillet, tuck in the pieces of butter in between the strawberries, and set aside. TO MAKE THE CINNAMON BISCUITS (TOPPING): In a bowl or measuring cup, mix together the milk and lemon juice until combined, and allow it to sit for a few minutes to thicken slightly. This acts as the "buttermilk". NOTE: If using whole milk, the thickening should happen more quickly. In a bowl, add together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, whisking everything until combined. Add the COLD butter and using a pastry blender (or two forks), blend until the mixture has crumbs the size of peas. Add the 'buttermilk' and stir everything together using a spatula until just combined and wet enough. The batter should look a little thick, but wet like biscuit dough. NOTE: DON'T OVER-MIX! ASSEMBLE + BAKE:
Using a spoon (or large ice cream scoop), scoop 2 Tbsps of biscuit dough at a time and place them onto strawberries, about 1 inch apart. Repeat until all dough is scooped on top. NOTE: If using 4 mini oval bakeware, it should be about 1-2 scoops of biscuit topping in each bakeware. In a bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to create the egg wash. Lightly brush biscuits with a bit of egg wash and bake for 35-40 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown (or a more amber-like color), crisp on the outside but cooked through (comes out clean) when tested with a toothpick or knife, and strawberry filling is bubbling through. NOTE: Your filling should be 'thickened' and not too watery. Remove the cobbler from the oven, slightly cool, and serve immediately with a scoop of your favorite ice cream or whipped cream! *Note: Do You Use Fresh or Frozen Strawberries for Cobbler? I love using fresh strawberries for a lot of my recipes, especially with this cobbler. But, frozen strawberries are also great and the flavor is more concentrated. However, note that if you're using frozen strawberries, lightly toss them in 1 tablespoon of flour or arrowroot starch before adding them to the mixture with the other ingredients. This helps absorb excess water and prevents the berries from making the biscuits soggy or hard to bake through. | Everything's Strawberries Now – Sweet Strawberries Nothing compares to a perfectly ripe, aromatic, sweet-tasting strawberry right from the field. There's a reason why some berries are sweeter than others. It involves working WITH nature and not against it. Plastic under the plants may look like a good idea, but it isn't. Most people have long forgotten how the strawberry got its name. It's especially a thing of the past now that black plastic weed suppressant has become the norm among strawberry growers. Harvest Haven strawberries are grown in an actual field of straw. As I'll explain, straw is essential for growing the perfect strawberry. Every year, in the fall, we roll out round bales of straw onto our strawberry field and evenly distribute it with pitchforks. The straw insulates the plants for the winter, protecting the delicate crowns from the bitter cold while holding in the moisture during the dry winter months. In the spring we carefully expose the dormant plants so they can get some sunlight. During the growing season, the straw suppresses the annual weeds, while holding the moisture and keeping the roots cool. Cool roots mean the crop ripens slower, which gives the plant more time to sweeten the fruit. You'll notice that our strawberries are very red and sweet, all the way to the center. Also, the straw breaks down and feeds the soil microbes which also contribute to making the fruit sweeter. When the field is finished after 6 or 7 years, the soil is rich with broken-down straw and better off than before, except for the weeds that creep in.
Black polyethylene sheeting on the other hand is awful. It suffocates and overheats the soil. The heat accelerates the microbial life in the soil which then quickly uses up all the oxygen while at the same time preventing oxygen from getting to the roots. This leaves the root zone anaerobic. This anaerobic state produces alcohols which roots hate. The fruit ripens too quickly and is too warm, which leads to premature spoiling. The extra heat can easily damage the flowers during blooming, ruining any opportunity for perfect pollination. This is where deformed strawberries come from. In a field covered in straw, the water evaporating from the straw after a good watering cools the whole field for hours, protecting those delicate blossoms. Then after your field of plasticberries grows tired, which happens much faster with plastic, you have a big mess to clean up, and dumpsters full of wasted plastic. So, we'll let you decide whether you want strawberries or plasticberries.
Here's a funny video of Martin and James from the fall of 2015 when they needed a bit of a comic break from their long hard days. | | |
