Growing up on my family's farm in Pennsylvania, I never would have pictured the life I live at Willow Haven farm. As a kid I spent summers in our large family garden we called, “The Truck Patch”. I helped mom every summer, picking beans, weeding, and cutting fruit and vegetables for the hundreds of jars of canned and frozen produce we put up. Now I spends less time out in the field and more time in the kitchen doing the same preserving for my own farm family. Farmer Reuben values my many hours doing much of the behind the scenes marketing, writing emails to cultivate customers and capturing the farm story each week. I'm always learning along the way in my quest to improve the farm experience for each of her current and future farm members in our 500+ member, year-round customized farm box delivery program. Reading our stories will connect you with your food in a way you never experienced before. Someday soon you will want to fit local food into your life and we'll be here to help you.
DeMaster Family Update and Emotional Reunion
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Hi Reader, "Mom, I’m Coming to D.C. – Will You Visit Me?" Farm boy Blaise left the farm in July, and we haven’t seen him since. Since then, he’s roamed the Teton Mountains and the canyons of Utah with his new college friends from Wyoming Catholic College, all while studying music, natural history, humanities, and theology. Blaise is thriving in college. He’s hard at work on papers, enjoys speaking conversational Latin, serves vespers for a nearby Byzantine liturgy, and washes dishes in the cafeteria kitchen. But he misses his family—especially his younger siblings. (keep reading below...)
We Are Open on the Farm @7686 Herber Rd!
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Some of our best family days revolve around delicious food, beautiful or fun music, and often, experiences with other farms and gardens. These are a few of our favorite things—they bring us joy in being together.
Reuben’s Family Reunion in Michigan
Celebrating Milestones and Facing Life’s Challenges Together
Reuben is on the road again, this time to visit his brothers, dad, and sister for his dad’s 75th birthday in Michigan.
It’s a small, sibling-only gathering, as one of his brothers is undergoing cancer treatment. He’s younger than Reuben.
Reunions like these are bittersweet when cancer touches each generation. Cancer took Reuben’s mother’s life at 65, and her mother passed at 55. We pray for a long, healthy life for each family member as they navigate these challenges in today’s world.
Our mission to connect people with local, organic food that will nourish and heal their families becomes even more potent when we see firsthand the consequences of unsustainable practices in every area of life.
Exciting News – Willow Haven’s General Store is Almost Here!
Local Organic Food, Just Around the Corner
Local, organic food is the best path to a better life and a stronger local community.
We have good news that will help this message reach more people every day.
Willow Haven Farm General Store passed its first state inspection this week!
We’re officially permitted to make, serve, and sell food!
Anyone want an organic scone with an organic cappuccino?!
Okay, I’m getting a bit ahead of myself in the excitement.
Well, we have tentative permission as we wait for the Department of Environmental Protection to approve our well that we dug six months ago. They’ve had the water tests and inspection report on their desk for months.
The township inspector also wants us to move our handwashing sink and towel dispenser two inches and make a few additional adjustments before granting us the occupancy permit.
But we’re getting close.
Every day, people drive past our sign, and I can’t wait to replace “Coming Soon” with “Now Open!”
There’s no opening date yet, but I can almost smell the coffee, see the vegetable display fully stocked, and picture the freezers filled with pastured meat and grass-fed dairy.
Will we open in time to offer pastured turkey for Thanksgiving and charming gift baskets for the holidays?
A Local Doctor Joins Our Farm Family!
Your Recommendations Help Busy Families Find Willow Haven
New families are finding Willow Haven Farm as they look for a local farmer they can trust, thanks to our farm members’ posts, reviews, stories, and recommendations.
A doctor specializing in orthopedics and sports medicine just signed up for a weekly Market Box, saving time and avoiding the hassle of visiting multiple local farms and markets.
I told her this is the perfect time to join and keep up the healthy habit of eating local meats and vegetables year-round rather than defaulting to supermarkets once farmers' markets close for winter.
More local food is being grown each winter here in eastern PA, as farmers innovate and deepen their commitment to the families they serve.
Corporate food stores can’t support local farmers sustainably, even when they attempt to carry local food, because it’s simply not profitable for them.
Willow Haven Farm is different. We’re dedicated to providing local and organic products for every food and home need you have.
Better Online Shopping for our Local Food is Coming Soon!
Your Farm Experience is Getting an Upgrade
Soon it will be even easier to order local food from our farm and partner farmers!
Our online shopping experience is getting an upgrade! This isn’t just for our Market Box members but for anyone who wants the convenience of buying from us as often as they like.
We know committing to a Market Box can be hard, so easy à la carte shopping is coming soon!
Our loyal farm members will get an upgrade too, as Harvie, our current platform, is discontinuing their service.
We’ll roll out new accounts for you, featuring perks like “subscribe and save,” VIP options, “like” buttons, and standing orders for your favorites. We’ll communicate with members to introduce new accounts and features in the coming weeks.
Okay, that’s a lot to take in!
Which part of this story excites you the most?
We'll keep farming for you!
Reuben and Tessa DeMaster
Willow Haven Farm
P.S.Reader, click over to "Organic Wellness For Life" Facebook Group to find out more about avoiding EXCITOTOXINS like MSG in your diet:
| What food ingredients are over-stimulating you? |
P.P.S.Reader, check out my farm member's weekly guide to What's in Their Box, along with meal suggestions, recipes, and Tessas' Farm Kitchen Video. This week it's gearing up to eat more PURPLE foods this winter BUT NOT "enhanced and healthier" GMO purple tomatoes in the store.
| Why Purple GMO tomatoes are coming to home gardens? |
P.P.P.S. Did you know that you don't have to wait to start your farm membership and get access to all this amazing food?
Sign up for a Market Box Today
Here's my Market Box for this week.
Sign up for a Market Box Today
Tessa DeMaster
Growing up on my family's farm in Pennsylvania, I never would have pictured the life I live at Willow Haven farm. As a kid I spent summers in our large family garden we called, “The Truck Patch”. I helped mom every summer, picking beans, weeding, and cutting fruit and vegetables for the hundreds of jars of canned and frozen produce we put up. Now I spends less time out in the field and more time in the kitchen doing the same preserving for my own farm family. Farmer Reuben values my many hours doing much of the behind the scenes marketing, writing emails to cultivate customers and capturing the farm story each week. I'm always learning along the way in my quest to improve the farm experience for each of her current and future farm members in our 500+ member, year-round customized farm box delivery program. Reading our stories will connect you with your food in a way you never experienced before. Someday soon you will want to fit local food into your life and we'll be here to help you.
Hi Reader, "So, are you slowing down now?" It’s freezing cold today, and you’d think the farm work would ease up in weather like this. Everyone asks us this question. It never does. Winter chores always seem heavier—literally and figuratively. The pigs, chickens, and cows still need our care, and in these frigid temperatures, that means extra effort to keep them fed, watered, and warm. This week has been especially challenging because we said goodbye to our best farm worker. Our field...
Hi Reader, Setting up a thanksgiving meal in the barn may have been more work but there isn’t a more beautiful setting for our whole farm community to come together for amazing farm food. But you may be surprised that we roasted chickens and turkey, whipped the mashed potatoes and unstuffed the apple walnut stuffing 2 weeks ago when the weather was a bit warmer. (Remember the almost 60 degree days we had earlier this month?) Holidays with family get complicated, right? Each family has its own...
Hello Reader, Just a quick reminder that our DIY Essential Oil Rollers for Winter Wellness class is happening tomorrow at 1:00 PM at Willow Haven Farm! We’re excited to gather and create blends that support your immune system, keeping you and your family healthy as we head into the colder months. It’s going to be hands-on and fun, and you’ll leave with customized rollers that are perfect for winter wellness or even gift-giving! Event Details: Date: November 9th, 2024 Time: 1:00 PM Location:...