Produce

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Harvest Haven started out as a strawberry U-pick and is now a store with a full line of fresh fruits and vegetables (from our farm, to as far away as South Africa). At first, we were reluctant to import produce from a great distance, but our thinking on that has changed in the last few years. Organic producers in other countries, especially where "fair trade" is involved, need to be encouraged to grow crops in a healthy environment and to make a living for themselves while doing it. Therefore, when it is late spring in Canada and the apples are in short supply, fruits, such as apples and pears, are imported from countries in the southern hemisphere where it is fall. Importing these products helps those organic farmers and provides quality and variety for our customers.

The fruits which we grow, such as strawberries, raspberries, and rhubarb, are picked at their prime and frozen for availability all winter. They are a nice reminder of summer on a cold winter's day. Cases of fresh, delicious, and long-anticipated blueberries and cherries arrive in the store in June and July. These are frozen in peak condition for nutritious eating when the all too short season has passed. The BC tree fruits, like peaches, apricots, and pears, that everyone looks forward to every summer and fall, can be purchased for a quick snack or by the case for preserves. Every effort is made to ensure that the highest quality and most flavourful and nutritious fruits are readily available for our customers.

Samples of some of the exotic varieties of fruits are given out for people to try. It's interesting and fun to see and taste new things. There are more and more organic fruits coming onto the market all the time.

The same is true for vegetables. In the beginning at Harvest Haven, we started with the usual potatoes, carrots, and onions. But with experience and exposure to other growers, we expanded our vegetables to include numerous other varieties of potatoes, such as purples, different varieties of onions, interesting types of beans, plus lots of different types of greens, and herbs for adventurous eating. We try to supply the store with as much as we can from our gardens, but some things just do not grow here or not for very long. Besides the basic vegetables like broccoli and celery, the store carries a wide range of fresh and wholesome vegetables all year long. As with the fruit, there are always new and interesting varieties to try.

Getting the required number of fruits and vegetables per day has been made easier and more interesting with all that is available. And over and above this is the important fact that the fruits and vegetables at Harvest Haven are organically grown, which means there are no poisonous pesticides and fertilizers, no irradiation, and no chemical preservatives sprayed on them for shipping. Being grown naturally, in nutrient rich soils, the produce has more of the much needed nutrients for good health and well-being. So, besides being able to have lots of variety and great taste, consumers can feel good about what they are eating and what they are doing to help others who want to do what is healthy.

Marilyn Hafichuk

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