Who Is Who at Harvest Haven?

While each of us has his or her special duties and talents, we are also generalists. We try to be responsible for one another and one another's tasks. Looking out for each other, we remind, advise, correct and help each other any way we can, and we all benefit in many ways.

Our individual responsibilities:

Marilyn Hafichuk, owner with Victor of Harvest Haven, supervises wholesale orders, retail grocery sales, deliveries, and customer service. She helps Mark plan gardens, meat production and processing. She is also a homeschool teacher of our son, Jonathan, which is a full-time job in itself. She has two jobs, two homes, two beds, two pillows, and, she thinks, too many things to do. Marilyn is one of the key players who got the store going several years ago.

Mark Benson, the farm manager, has his Masters in organic agriculture. He speaks Japanese well, supervises farm staff, is a carpenter and woodworker, beekeeper, researcher, speaker, writer, comedian, cow milker, cattleman, shepherd, and a walking computer of knowledge. He oversees general farm operations in many aspects, and is very helpful informing those coming to us who seek a better, healthier life. Mark sleeps about three hours a night. If you want to know all there is to know about anything, ask Mark. He will be more than pleased to talk, hoping you will be more than pleased to listen. We should also mention that he is a newlywed to Mariko, nee Shinji, as of March 2006.

Trevor Benson is an engineer by training, but traded it to be a welder, mechanic, bookkeeper, carpenter, large and small appliance repairman, computer tech, groundskeeper, landscaper, farm staff supervisor, comedian, shipper and receiver. He is the man for servicing and operating farm machinery, vehicles, water systems, and irrigation. He supervises the broiler chicken, turkey and hay production. He manages the pastures and water systems. He does construction in many aspects...carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and more. Not to be slacking off, he is also our rifleman and trapper, protecting our fowl and us from predators. Trevor sleeps about two hours a night, provided there are no emergencies. However, emergencies are the norm rather than the exception at Harvest Haven...never a dull moment.

Trevor found time to marry. After an engagement of four years, he and Ingrid became man and wife at an informal ceremony conducted at Harvest Haven by Albert Hing on July 22nd, 2007.

Sean Fife has returned from Toronto after a six-year absence, having spent several years here previously. He lends his hand in many of the general duties and chores, relieving both Mark and Trevor, so they can tend to other duties more effectively. As busy as it is at Harvest Haven, we are more than happy to have someone volunteer his or her efforts, as have others here.

Ingrid Benson, nee Nicolay, is the shopkeeper, serving customers, keeping inventory records, doing some computer work, and has a memory for some details that escape the rest of us. Ingrid works with Dena and Marilyn on grocery orders and deliveries, gathers, cleans, inspects and grades eggs, and helps out wherever she is needed.

Lois Benson tries to make sure everyone gets at least two hours of sleep a night and three round meals a day. Lois is our artist and interior decorator in the store. She also does most of the housekeeping, cooking, baking, cheese and yogurt making, canning, dehydrating, freezing, laundry, personal gardening, some yard keeping, and generally fills in with a host of activities, like egg gathering, strawberry picking, weeding, turkey feeding, painting, and even haying. No hay bale is too big for her. Lois never sleeps.

Jonathan Hafichuk, my son, helps occasionally with weeding and harvesting, such as picking strawberries and raspberries, and odd jobs. However, with a demanding home schooling schedule and extracurricular activities such as Ninjutsu, Jonathan has not been involved much at the farm. With utmost conviction, he says he will never be a farmer. Have you heard any "famous last words" lately? But I believe him.

Mariko Benson, nee Shinji, now Mark's wife, has been a welcome contribution to our enterprise, a "jack-of-all-trades" as well. She is the assistant housekeeper and cook, our photographer, display artist, apprentice helper to Mark on many duties, an excellent cook (so I am told), and is not reluctant to take on any necessary duty. She worked in an organic store in Japan, and has presented us with several talents and good ideas, now incorporating many of them into the website, which she manages.

Dena Dahl works with Ingrid on shopkeeping, customer service, and is quite capable on computers and research. She takes care of our HTE, Ionizer, Aquasmart, Sunrider, and other orders. She has a wealth of knowledge in the health field and has helped many, including us, with her simple and valuable advice. Have you had any questions about nutrition lately?

Then there are those behind the scenes:

Sara Schmidt helps us from Helena, MT, doing research, and works with documents for distribution to all. She collects, edits, formats, and posts (acting as "webmistress") the letters and writings on our spiritual site, www.thepathoftruth.com. She was a key person in managing the details for The Issues of Life, a correspondence we had been sending out the past couple years concerning real people and issues from a spiritual perspective, with the Bible as an authoritative resource, from which Paul Cohen and I gleaned information and answers for all those who needed the answers.

Paul Cohen is in Helena, and works with HTE equipment and Grander Living Water with us. He also does research and has compiled the information on this website. He was also working full time the past couple years as writer with Victor of The Issues of Life, which we mailed out twice weekly, as well as maintaining, with Sara, www.thepathoftruth.com, a site that tells our stories (Our Testimonies) and shares the knowledge we have received from God concerning all aspects of life in this world. By God's grace, we have answers for all. No problem is too great for Him.

Last of all (I will not be so forward as to say, "but not least"), here am I, yours truly, Victor Hafichuk, owner of Harvest Haven, the generalist of generalists, having my nose into a little bit of everything, yet letting everyone else take responsibility for it all, one way or another. My main occupation, seriously, is with Paul, most recently writing The Issues of Life, now moving into the new things the Lord has for us to serve Him in ministry. This is a high privilege and responsibility of God apportioned to us for the welfare of all. Our purpose is to share the great blessings we have in Christ with all who are prepared to receive.

Reality, not religion, is what it is all about.

We have much in common with the dandelion. Read more....