Harvest Haven Market Farm - HERALD ISSUE 11

When we first purchased this property in October of 1995, it was not our intention to have a health store, but it slowly and surely happened. Harvest Haven was born to bring you good things. And how time passes! Here we are in our twelfth year and we feel like we are only starting. Some of you have been with us from the very beginning, while new friends continue to come in, increasingly so. We bless you all. We hope we can help you meaningfully, and Lord willing, we will. You have certainly been a blessing to us in many ways.

We haven't done everything right; we have made many mistakes, failed, disappointed people, and learned some hard and costly lessons. We have gone through the fires, which has not been easy, but we are the better for it, and thankful. Good things have come of the whole process, not only for us, but also for all those with whom we have had to do, including you! Now you have this eleventh issue of the Harvest Haven Herald in your hands to tell you more.

A Special Event

Through a very peculiar set of circumstances, we have come to take a more specific, international perspective in our lives. At 10 AM, on the Sabbath of December 23, 2006, we raised the "Star of David" flag at Harvest Haven Market Farm. The words spoken in prayer at that time were, in essence, "As we raise the flag of Israel, so shall we raise up the nation of Israel." There was great thankfulness to the Lord for the privilege. We have decided to raise the Star of David at our farm as token of solidarity with Israel.

What the world does not know is that it is under God's judgment through Israel. All are being confronted with a decision. Israel is God's chosen nation, the "people of the Book," as the Koran calls and denounces them, and the "beloved for the fathers' sakes," as the New Testament calls and legitimizes them. Those in willful neutrality, or choosing against Israel, are found to be at enmity with God and His Word, commonly known as the Bible.

As Jesus Christ (Yehoshuah HaMashiach in Hebrew) is known as the Son of God, so the nation of Israel is known as God's son (Hosea 1:1). As God's Son was planted to bring forth fruit, so was Israel planted to do the same. As God raised His body from the dead by His Spirit, so those of us who are in the Spirit of Christ must raise up physical Israel. We stand with them as unto the God of Israel, the Messiah, by His Spirit in resurrection power. Nothing could prevent the resurrection of Jesus Christ, not the Sanhedrin, not the Pharisees, not Rome, and no power can withstand the resurrection of Israel to new life.

"I am hurting! I am hurting!" says the God of Israel, Yehoshuah HaMashiach, because His people are hurting, and He has come down to save them. God save Israel, His people. Raise them up from the dead for the world to see Your glory, even as we raise up the Star of David, the flag of Israel, to the sky.

We will see turbulent times now, but those will only accomplish God's purposes for the entire world. He is in full control.

Now for the more mundane, nevertheless interesting, if not exciting:

Magnetico Sleep Pads

This past year we at Harvest Haven all began using and benefiting from Dr. Bonlie's Magnetico Sleep Pads from Calgary. A customer of ours with serious health problems, who was significantly helped, recommended them to us. After investigating and using these pads, we found that they work, whereas other magnetic products have been proven to be detrimental to health. Now we have some very happy customers and make Magnetico available to you. This wonderful international product also comes with a six-month guarantee and is made right here in Alberta!

What we, and now some of our customers, have found using the Magnetico Sleeping Pad, which we expect you will also find: better sleep, wake up more refreshed, quicker and more complete recovery from exercise and injuries, old injuries improve, detoxification, overall feeling and functioning better -

Lois – Carpal Tunnel – GONE!

Ingrid – Back Spasms – GONE!

Victor – Memory – Was GONE! Now BACK! In fact, he has forgotten all about having a memory problem! (Seriously, see "Our Magnetico Experiences" under "Health Devices" at www.harvesthaven.com. We also invite you to try them in our store.)

The Hsin Ten Enterprises Products (Chi News)

Good News from HTE!

Take advantage of this opportunity if you can! There is a 20% savings on each HTE machine, effective until the end of March:

HotHouse – Reg. $1349, Sale $1079 + carrying case.

Chi Machine – Reg. $720, Sale $576 + carrying case.

Electro Reflex Energizer – Reg. $599, Sale $479.

New item! Grande Hot House - Reg. $1499, Sale $1199. Higher and wider than the regular Hot House, for larger body types.

Nominal shipping charges apply. Testimonies of the wonderful things these machines have done for many keep coming in.

ECOVER: "CLEAN" CLEANING PRODUCTS THAT CLEAN

Effective and Environmentally Friendly

Ecover products have many benefits for you and the environment:

the ingredients are made from sustainable resources;
they have minimal environmental impact, even during the manufacturing process;
all products break down quickly and completely;
products are phosphate free and do not have optical brighteners (an optical brightener tricks the eye into making whites look whiter and colours brighter - it coats the fabric);
the products are highly effective. For example: the dishwasher powder was rated #1 by Consumer Reports in Sept 2006.

Products available: Powder or Liquid Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, Stain Remover, Non-chlorine Bleach, Dishwashing Liquid, Dishwasher Powder, and Heavy Duty Hand Cleaner.

Ingrid appreciated using Ecover when she lived in Belgium, so was glad to see that the products are available to us now. We have some very pleased Ecover customers. Not only do they have cleaner homes and environments, but also cleaner consciences.

Nummies!

Naturally Nutritious Protein Shakes

Harvest Haven carries Manitoba Harvest Organic Hemp Seed, Hemp Seed Oil, and Hemp Protein Powder. All of these products are organic, unlike the other, locally grown product, the producer of which is scornful of organics while implying that his product is organic. Manitoba Harvest Organic hemp seed is grown sustainably without the use of herbicides, pesticides or artificial fertilizers, and contains no Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). The oil is cold pressed from the seeds ensuring that the nutrients are retained. To create Manitoba Harvest Organic Hemp Protein Powder, organic hemp seeds are freshly cold pressed to extract the oil. The cold press ensures that valuable enzymes are not destroyed and vitamins, minerals and nutrients remain intact. The pressed hemp meal is then cold milled to separate the protein. The result is a whole food protein powder rich in protein (50%), branch chain amino acids, Omega 6 and Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). This is a healthy alternative to the artificially enhanced products that are on store shelves, like soy protein, for example. Besides adding Hemp Protein Powder to shakes, smoothies, juices and green drinks, it can be used as part of the flour in recipes for pancakes, breads, muffins, or whatever suits your fancy.

Carrots---better raw or cooked?

Everyone knows that carrots are the highest source of beta-carotene and vitamin A, are good for the eyes, skin, hair, and growth, and are an excellent anti-oxidant for fighting cancer.

They are a very versatile vegetable that can be served in many ways. Even the leaves are highly nutritious. There is a lot of interesting information at: www.carrotmuseum.co.uk.

So, which are better---raw or cooked carrots? Actually, both are very good for you, but because the fiber in carrots needs to be broken down to release the optimum amount of nutrients, cooked carrots are better than raw ones. However, juice is the best because of two important factors: one, it has nearly 100% of the beta-carotene which can be easily assimilated because there is no fiber, and two, it has most, if not all of the enzymes that have not been destroyed by heat. Juicing is also the best way to get the most nutrition because you are concentrating into one glass of juice the nutrients of many more carrots than you would eat. This brings us to another item of interest:

The Green Star Juicer

Marilyn says: "When I first received information about the Green Star juicer, I said to Victor, 'We need to get one of these!' It has some unique and important features. The most outstanding was the triturating twin gear impeller press system which generates virtually no heat while thoroughly crushing and pressing the fruits and vegetables, instead of cutting and shredding them into small pieces. This minimizes the loss of nutrients and enzymes. Besides juicing crisp fruits and vegetables, it can easily handle tough, fibrous leafy vegetables and herbs, such as wheat grass, which is impossible for most machines. The other feature that was important was the use of strong magnetic and bio-ceramic material in the twin-gear system. This produces fresher juice that can be stored longer because there is delayed oxidation. Reduced operating noise and automatic pulp ejection were bonuses. We have really enjoyed the juice that has been extracted, especially this year, as the Harvest Haven carrots are extra sweet and flavourful. Put your juice on a Grander board and it will have even better flavor and longer shelf life!"

Recipes

Due to requests, we will include Recipes in the HHH. Try this healthy and delicious shake:

Strawberry Apple Pie Shake

Makes: 4 cups
Prep Time: 5 min

2 scoops Hemp Protein Powder
2 cups milk
2 small apples (chopped)
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until creamy and smooth. If you want a protein boost, try making the recipe with 3-4 scoops of protein powder.

Vita-Lite: Bring the Benefits of Sunlight Indoors

An added dimension of feeling better and being healthier, without effort!

Harvest Haven now carries Vita-Lite full spectrum fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs. Vita-Lite bulbs match the spectrum of natural sunlight closer than any other bulb on the market. This enables them to provide the many benefits of the full sunlight spectrum, even when you have to be indoors or when none is available.

These benefits include boosting the immune system, better hormonal balance, reduced fatigue, increased nutrient absorption, less eye strain and making you feel cheerier on dull days. Studies on schoolchildren proved that in classrooms that used the Vita-Lite bulbs, the children had (get this) fewer dental cavities, higher achievement scores, and better overall health and attendance than children under unhealthy conventional fluorescent bulbs. Employees surveyed in workplaces where Vita-Lites were installed reported feeling more relaxed, less eye strain and perceived the work environment as more pleasant, natural, bright and stimulating. These benefits of Vita-Lite full spectrum lighting help to alleviate Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Vita-Lite fluorescent tubes last 4 times longer than regular fluorescent tubes and give off more light than conventional tubes, making them economical. They are also very eco-friendly due to having eliminated nearly all the mercury that conventional tubes contain.

We have customers that have tried numerous full spectrum lights in their homes and found that they prefer Vita-Lite over the other brands. Not only does Vita-Lite give them better lighting, but they also find it gives true color for art. Brighten up your home and mood and enjoy the health benefits of true full spectrum lighting!

To keep you in touch and informed with us:

Recent Developments

Some new landmarks have been cropping up around the farm over the last months…

How many of you have had trouble knowing just where the entrance to Harvest Haven is when approaching in the dark? Is it like a night landing on an unlit airstrip? Well, the light finally went on for us this winter. We decided to put lighting on the main sign, the "Open" sign, at the gateposts, and on the spruce trees and caragana hedge along the driveway. We hope it makes finding your way to our store on a winter night a bit easier, and the welcome a little cheerier.

Just north of the store there is a small 12' x 12' bunkhouse for our summer help and those who want a rustic, outdoor experience even in the winter (it is insulated!). If you look down the drive as you are coming in, you will see the new turkey barn / machine shop. During the winter the new machine shop was organized and put to use servicing equipment for spring. By relocating machine repair to this new location, we have been able to double the size of our woodworking shop. This shop has required a major overhaul but it is now being used for new building projects.

"We Bought the Farm"

Farms Are Not Only Funny

I hope you will not mind a more serious note in this segment this time. We would like people to be aware of some of the challenges we face as farmers, those people who bring the essentials of life to the world. Notice the quotations in the title? Perhaps recent generations will not be familiar with the expression. It came to use, I am told, during the Second, if not the First, World War. If a flyer was shot down, he was said to have "bought the farm." The wry humor may have originated with the hardships related to farming. Buying a farm could, and often would, lead to a very hard, impoverishing, if not deadly end. Consider:

A computer programmer, or office manager or dentist can do his work if it rains or shines. Rain can ruin a farmer, and so can too much shine.

While the forecasters continually look out for sunshine to go golfing, camping, and hiking, farmers look with longing for a good rain to keep the wolf from the door. With this in mind, listen to the forecaster and see what I mean.

Did you know that farming is the third most dangerous occupation in the world, according to some sources, and the most dangerous according to others? We have numerous incidents every week that can spell disaster. For example, just recently, Trevor was unloading a 1300 lb. bale with his tractor from the top of a truck trailer. As Mark and the driver watched from the side, they were suddenly aghast as they saw the bale teetering and ready to fall back on the tractor from close to twenty feet above. Had it done so, you could have gone to Trevor's funeral.

Whether handling animals, which can crush one in seconds, or equipment that can tear off a limb at lightning speed, as happened to a good friend of ours, Bernie Ehnes, or electrical shock, or falling objects, farmers daily face a daunting task. They often have no choice but to be their own mechanics, welders, electricians, plumbers, heavy-equipment operators, veterinarians and more, not able to afford the high costs of specialized services. Nor can they afford the time, energy or money for full training for the many things they must know how to do.

Added to the immediate dangers, there are so many other possible challenges. There is disease that can strike and wipe out an entire flock or herd or crop without warning or remedy (my father's entire dairy herd was wiped out that way), or wrestling with the elements, with flooding, freezing, hail, drought, and destructive winds.

Not the least of troubles today is being helplessly subject to changing market conditions, with no guarantees, affected by brokers who sit in their ivory towers determining the value of commodities around the world to their liking, without the slightest empathy or regard for farmers. Then there are the high costs of equipment and supplies, which are invariably not at all in tandem with the farmer's income.

These are just some of the formidable challenges farmers must live with, day and night. Now let's get to the point and end on a positive note. Are we asking you to feel sorry for us? Not in the least! We just want you to have some understanding of what it takes to get your carrots, potatoes, beef, milk, strawberries, apples and whatever else we produce to your table. While we cannot insist on your appreciation, we can hope for it. Thankfully, God has blessed us greatly. He has placed a hedge around our farm and business to protect us. He has been merciful and gracious to us. We are tearfully humbled and grateful for His goodness.

We hope we can bring you, dear friends, not to an appreciation of our challenges so much as to a profound appreciation of the One Who has demonstrated Himself to us as the Great Handler of all challenges.

In the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, and deeply thankful for it,

Victor Hafichuk

Issue No. 11, March 2007