Hometown Happenings

Last weekend, we enjoyed one day at the local hometown "55th Annual Manitoba Thresherman's Reunion", spending time with family and extended family while getting to know our new community in Austin, Manitoba.

A bonus was that our little boys could learn and experience a little of our glamorous and clamorous history. A field trip in summer. There is always something new to learn. Learning is fun!!!!!!


The twins enjoyed being part of it all by wearing their engineer outfits -- we enjoyed the ease with which we could keep track of them amidst the throngs of people at the agricultural museum. They drew many a smile from onlookers.

Two of the three campers that parked at our place while they were here enjoying the Thresherman's Reunion in Austin. We also hosted my folks in our "basement suite".



A great time was had by all.

Enjoying one of our groomed trails.



Enjoying a fireside chat & roasted "roll kucken" (they taste great with my Cherhub Jam!) -- Mennonite version of bannock!

Food is Food ... Or is It?

A new movie is about to be released. It explains why we do what we do here @ Klasse Woods Natural Farm.



Watch a trailer of the movie here.

Revealing A Sad Reality

It was encouraging to us when we heard of this new book simply because we see this happening also - finally someone is breaking the silence, creating an awareness of this sad reality. To us it came as a surprise though, written by a man, Ken Ham, whom we've long admired for his contributions to the Kingdom of God through his creation science ministry with Answers in Genesis along with research scientist, Britt Beemer. We look forward to reading the book.

You may check it out @ ChristianBook.com. "The next generation is calling it quits on the traditional church. And it's not just happening on the nominal fringe; it's happening at the core of the faith! This powerful book reveals shocking trends and offers wisdom on how to win back our families, our churches, and our world!" -- CBD Review

Already Gone: Why Your Kids Will Quit Church and What You Can Do To Stop It

" Many parents will fork out big bucks to send … students to Christian college, hoping to protect them in their faith. But the fact is, they are already gone. They were lost while still in the fold. They were disengaging while they were still in the pews. They were preparing their exit while they were faithfully attending youth groups and Sunday Schools."
—Ken Ham and Britt Beemer, Already Gone

One of the hallmarks of American culture in the late twentieth century was the revival of the cult of youth. With its roots in Greco-Roman paganism, the worship of youth and the rise of a distinctively family-fragmenting vision of teenage life has dominated our media, our entertainment, our schools, and the very fabric of modern life. But nowhere is the conquest of the cult of youth more evident than in the Church. Frustrated with the absence of real parental involvement in the lives of the next generation, and desperately hoping to reach young people with some Gospel influence, the modern Church in America has drunk deeply from the youth culture phenomenon. This is most obvious in church youth groups, youth-driven worship programs, and even Sunday Schools. Now, after more than a half-century trend, the results are in, and they are not good — our youth are defecting en masse from biblical Christianity.
This trend has long been recognized by researchers — the fact that 61% of youth abandon the church during their 20s — but a common assumption has been that young people lose their faith due to their college experience. Thanks to penetrating new research spearheaded by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer, a startling conclusion has emerged: Youth who regularly attended the most conservative, Bible-believing churches in America during their teen years were, in their hearts, already gone. To quote Ham and Beemer: “They were lost while still in the fold.”

Ham and Beemer have also uncovered hard evidence to support this surprising conclusion: that “Sunday School is actually more likely to be detrimental to the spiritual and moral health of our children.” Those who faithfully attend Sunday School are more likely to leave the church than those who do not — and to doubt the Bible’s reliability.

The evidence is in: The Church’s current model for reaching young people through youth groups and Sunday Schools is a failure. These programs are not only, on the whole, falling short of their aims, but they are actually contributing to the epidemic departure from biblical principles on the part of young people, as well as the massive defection from the Church of Jesus Christ. In short, the Church has proven to be its own worst enemy.



Already Gone, by Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis and Brit Breemer of America’s Research Group, offers a thoroughly-documented diagnostic of the views of twenty-somethings who were raised in solid churches, but who are now no longer attending church — and it gives their reasons why. The book demonstrates why America’s churches have lost an entire generation of believers, and details how youth groups and Sunday Schools are contributing to the epidemic, rather than helping to alleviate it. This groundbreaking research is incredibly valuable for those who desire to understand our youth’s abandonment of the faith.

On the Cutting Edge?

Do we live so far out of the box that what we do becomes something of interest? Well, evidently our style of farming is news worthy. Look who showed up at Klasse Woods Natural Farm today:





Carla Bosaki from CKX TV in Brandon will feature Klasse Woods on "The Noon Show". Watch for it.

We'll be getting a dvd copy of "our story" later, once it has aired. We'll try to share that with you via YouTube once we get it.

We live a dream life and we love it: Dad at home with the family, working and playing together. We cherish the family unity we enjoy as a result of our common goal of living off the farm. We consider all of this as blessing from the Lord Who has enabled us to live here, enjoying our "work" of making our living off the farm.

Serving others, who would like and can benefit from the same healthy food we have, is a privilege we consider part of the blessing. Organic, healthy food and buying local are two things that more people are seeking out these days ... that's where we come in. We're on the cutting edge of consumer demand. It's a good place to be - especially because it fits so well with our own standards and philosophy: eating food the way it was meant to be, as wholesome unadulterated nutrition.


"Little is much when God is in it."

Yard Flowers

Definitely click on this next picture to see the full "farm" effect (you can click on any picture to see details better):






Our perennial beds add beauty to the yard @ Klasse Woods. As the summer progesses we get to enjoy a varied scene as the different flowers blossom.

Flora @ Klasse Woods

These are pictures of the flowers in the meadows and woodlands at Klasse Woods Natural Farm.

Free Cake & Pie Server - For Canadians too!

Go here to request your free cake or pie server from Eden Dreams Cake Boutique.

Thanks, MoneySavingMom!

Boys & Bugs

Do they go together? Or is it just an innate interest that my boys have? They get so excited about each new insect they discover ... and they come running to show Mom, fully expecting me to share their delight!! I try - for their sakes!

Benjamin & Bronlin actually enjoy their job collecting potato beetles off the potato plants. Often they will be wandering through their patch, collecting the bugs, without even being told. Amazing!
Here they are examining a specimen (another picture here):



I can appreciate the butterflies.


It is a rare thing indeed to spot a cicada fly, let alone spying one just as it is emerging. These insects live underground in the nymph stage for seven years before shedding their final "shell".



Released to its natural habitat: the fly will now live about 3 months in its adult stage before laying eggs and dying. Thus the cycle is now nearly complete for this cicada, but by laying its eggs the cycle is perpetuated.

Simple Things

Boxes, scraps of wood, sticks, stones ... oftentimes it's the simple things that bring a lot of pleasure.

A simple swing brings a lot of pleasure outdoors at our house. The twins spend many happy hours swinging:



We are thankful that our new farm came with a nice big swing ... and it is so nicely situated near the house and the firepit so we adults can enjoy watching the children play while we sit around the fire.

Here an old tire gets a new life:


We had left our tire swing behind at the other farm in SK, so Daddy & big brothers have made another for Faith Mattaya. She really enjoys it.


All of the Klassen babies have enjoyed the tire swing. All the boys have had their turn sleeping in it. I'm sure Faith Mattaya will have her turn sometime yet too.

$25 Gift Certificate Giveaway

I'm hoping to win this gc - so maybe you won't need to enter??!! Hehe!

Aw, go ahead, give it a try, but be quick the draw date is mid-night tonight, July 10, 2009. Go here to enter.

Action Zone

For those of you who are regular readers here, you may have noticed that it has been kind of slow recently? I know, I know, but you may wish to pop-on over here to see the action.


The garden is keeping us busy - and our tummies filled. Praise the Lord!

I'll still continue to post here though as that other blog is more specialized to being a weekly info pak to go along with the produce paks that our people get each week. Of course, you may feel free to use any recipes and ideas from there too if you like .

Johnny-Jump-Ups

Edible flower garnishes add beauty, taste, nutrition and elegance to your family meal table. Johnny-jump-ups are delightful in salads or to garnish a dish ... particulary chocolate or white desserts!


Preparation, uses, and tips:

Immerse blossoms in cool water to flush out any tiny insects, and dry thoroughly in a salad spinner. Add to field greens or use as a garnish for desserts.



Buying and storing tips:

Johnny jump-ups can be found primarily in specialty markets. Look for fresh blossoms with no signs of wilting or browning. Store them loosely wrapped in a paper towel placed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.