Come Drive With me Around the Farm!
Last Thursday afternoon, I flew to Maine to spend some time with family and friends at Skylands, my home in Seal Harbor. Prior to leaving, I drove around my Bedford farm with my property manager, so that he could make a list of everything that needs to get done while I am away. We’ve had some heavy rains lately and the weeds are going crazy so weeding and pruning will be a priority. Come along with me on the ride!
1 After a vigorous early morning workout with my trainer, Mary Tedesco, I drove around the farm with Mike Fiore, my property director, along with Francesca and Sharkey, for a bit of an inspection.
2 Watering in hot and steamy August is crucial, so I stopped the Kawasaki so that Mike could move a sprinkler from one area to another.
3 Unlike so many parched areas of this country, we have no water restrictions here in the northeast and we are able to keep sprinklers going.
4 Weeds are growing rampant and that is one chore that is keeping the crew very busy. This is Chhewang, who was pulling large weeds from beneath the rose of Sharon border.
5 There are still beautiful vegetables growing in the cold house and when those vegetables bolt, the row is cleared.
6 Rather than throwing the spent vegetables onto the compost pile, they are gathered and fed to the chickens.
7 This is a type of spinach past its prime. The chickens will love it!
8 We have two Kawasakis at the farm. The one we're following down the boxwood allee is a real workhorse that the crew uses heavily every day.
9 We stopped by the donkey paddock where we are in the process of browning part of the field. Billy, one of the Sicilian donkeys, has been eating entirely too much grass and has gotten quite overweight, which can cause serious health issues. By browning, she will have less to consume and hopefully, lose the weight.
10 The main door into the chicken yard is in the process of being fixed. Mike was explaining how the frame is being made stronger. Obviously, the hens have been moved to another yard while repairs are made.
11 The tops of the chicken yards are also fenced to keep out predators.
12 It's wonderful to have so much produce to feed to my chickens. They don't mind if it's tough and overgrown. It's still very nutritious.
13 I spread it around for all to enjoy.
14 After the chickens, we headed down the wooded carriage road to the Japanese maple grove.
15 The Japanese maple grove had gotten terribly overgrown with weeds and Chhiring was using the weed whacker, cutting them down.
16 I had instructed the crew to pound 3 bamboo stakes around each Japanese maple tree to protect the trees from the weed whacker.
17 When the weeds are removed, the crew will spread a new layer of composted mulch around the maple trees.
18 Unfortunately, we have a big problem on the farm with a highly invasive type of grass called Japanese stiltgrass. It is well-adapted to low light conditions and spreads rapidly, threatening other plants that can't compete with it.
19 Japanese stiltgrass has been around since about 1919, when it is thought to have come to this country as a packing material for porcelain. As you can see, it's very difficult to control and it's driving us all crazy!
20 If allowed to grow rampant, the stiltgrass can change soil chemistry and shade native species, choking them out.
21 On another part of the farm, I pointed out another highly invasive species of plants, growing in a marshy area - phragmites.
22 in suitable conditions, a stand of phragmites can spread 16-feet or more per year by horizontal runners. In many areas, phragmites are insidious.
23 As I've watched this stand grow larger, Chhiring was also instructed to cut it down. Another weed to stay on top of!
24 Driving past the corn patch - It was planted with good intentions, but the darn crows wreaked havoc with the seedlings. We should have had a scare crow!
25 The honeybees are buzzing strong, but someone will need to pull the weeds from around the hives. They're blocking the hive entrances.
26 I'm very disappointed with this grove of Chinese scholar trees that were planted when I first bought this property. They just aren't growing and I can't figure out why. These trees can reach heights of 50 or more feet.
27 Unlike this adjacent stand of ginkgo bilobas, which were mere twigs when planted a couple of years ago.
28 Other trees that are growing like crazy are these osage orange trees near the run-in pasture.
29 When mature, the osage orange (not really an orange) produces a spherical bumpy fruit that is filled with a sticky latex sap. Extracts of the fruit have been found to repel several insect species.
30 This is a stand of larch trees, planted as saplings just a few years ago. This deciduous conifer is native to the Bavarian Alps, and reaches soaring heights of 120-feet or more!
31 Earlier in the season, I decided to extend the larch border by planting more saplings, which are supported by bamboo stakes. It's fun to see how fast they grow.
32 We made our way up to the compost yard and the field of Christmas trees.
33 This is an enormous pile of composted mulch, which was made right here from all of the farm's organic matter. I call this black gold.
34 Driving through the pinetum, we came upon a couple of families of wild turkeys. Like guinea hens, turkeys eat a lot of insects, including harmful ticks.
35 Mike has a long list of things that need to get done while I am away in Maine.
36 Parking the Kawasaki in the carport, I noticed that the baby barn swallows are venturing further out of the nest. I suppose they'll be flying any day!
37 Before the drive around, I went to the vegetable garden and picked all of the vegetables that were ready, to take to Maine. I'll be making pickles with some of these cucumbers.
38 Beautiful eggplant, okra, and peppers!
39 Many types of summer squash
40 Flavorful hard neck garlic
41 And gorgeous onions - Lots of good eating in Maine!
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
Martha, everything looks great, in spite of the weeds.
And, all the fresh veggies look so delicious. If I had some of those smaller cucumbers and some good cold biscuits, I could eat my way through them.
Thanks, Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | August 13th, 2012 at 12:34 am
Hi Martha,I really injoy all your pictures of your farm and like to see pictures more often of your Farm-You have such beautiful homes,injoy seeing pictures of them all-Thank You for sharing so much of your life with your Fans-Fran Danville
Posted by: Fran Danville | August 13th, 2012 at 12:58 am
Great post Martha! Looks like lots of fun and exciting things are happening around your farm. Very interesting about those invasive plants and about browning the grass. Have a safe trip to Maine!
Posted by: David K. | August 13th, 2012 at 4:04 am
Great photos around Bedford farm and you look lovely. Corrine promised that it was the last of the string beans and tomatoes are ripe now. Love eating out of the garden and also fruit is so good but priced out of sight. Doesn't quite seem accurate that increase in food pirce is blamed on drought. How can you afford aviation fuel with prices that have no relation to crude oil price? Economy is scary but every week Payroll must be met and still no budget as national debt soars. I so wish economy was better on this day when my grandson turned 4 at a lovely picnic in the park.
Posted by: ann | August 13th, 2012 at 4:08 am
I love that with your very busy schedule Martha, you still make time to work out! I think it's so important to a long healthy life to make exercise a priority. Thanks for taking us along with you, Fran, Sharkey and Mike on your ride around the farm. Everyone sure is being kept busy weeding. What a luxury not to have any water restrictions in your area. Here in San Antonio we're in stage 2 watering resrictions which means we can only water once a week, before 8am or after 8pm. The larch trees look nice, can't wait to see the new saplings grow. By the way, love the orange tubs you're using to collect the veggies from the garden. Your collection?
Posted by: Cindy F | August 13th, 2012 at 6:44 am
Hi Martha
Thanks for sharing your challenge with weeds. We have recently received some much needed rain and cooler weather in SW Pa which makes the weeds germinate and grow with fury. I use weeds without seed heads as mulch along cultivated rows of vegetables which not only suppresses the weeds but adds organic material to the soil. After a week it looks like I've used straw to mulch the garden.
Posted by: Thomas | August 13th, 2012 at 6:52 am
Hi Martha! Thanks for sharing the pictures. They are lovely and so inspirational! In regards to browning the pasture, have you considered using a grazing muzzle to control forage intake on your donkey? Just a thought. Again, thanks for sharing the pictures of your farm!
Posted by: Claudette L | August 13th, 2012 at 8:23 am
I hope you show us how to make a scarecrow in Martha Stewart LIving!
Posted by: homer | August 13th, 2012 at 9:07 am
Martha,
Thanks for taking us along on your tour of the farm. The produce looks great. Thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | August 13th, 2012 at 9:21 am
Hi Martha, Thanks for taking us in your Kawasaki with Mike Fiore, Franny, and Sharkey and showing us all of the weeds that need to be removed from the farm while you are at Skylands! Mike sure is a great property manager and I remember him being on your TV Shows many years ago-what a terrific guy he is! You, Mike, and Chhewang sure did some great work in some of these photos! How neat that you gave that bolted spinach from the coldhouse to the chickens-bet they loved it! My spinach looks the same, but I don't have any chickens to feed it to! I have never seen that stiltgrass or phragmites weeds that are growing so madly at your farm-how do you ever get rid of them?! The ginko biloba and osage orange trees are fascinating and so are the larch and Japanese maple trees! Those darn crows sure had fun at the corn patch, didn't they?! Your compost certainly is the greatest stuff! What can you do to save the Chinese Scholar trees?! Love seeing those wild turkeys that also eat the ticks! It sure will be fun to see how much of those weeds were removed when you get back to your beautiful farm! All of these photos were super! Sure hope you had a great weekend at Skylands and hope you have another great day today! Off to see The Daily Wag showing "Bath Time For Frenchies!" Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | August 13th, 2012 at 10:11 am
Hi Martha,
Thanks for the tour – your vegetables look so good but not so much the weeds. I’m always praying for rain and then afterwards, there are always weeds to pull. I’m just glad that I have a smaller area than what you have because pulling weeds is a back breaking job! I hope you’re having great weather up in Maine. Trish
Posted by: Trish | August 13th, 2012 at 10:47 am
NO scarecrow????? I'm shocked!
You should make one on your show. Would love to see some great ideas. Farm looks fabulous!
Posted by: Julie Johnson | August 13th, 2012 at 10:58 am
I love Japanese Maple trees. Do you happen to have any of those trees that grow in the South of France so beautifully? Plane trees, I think they are called. I am crazy for those trees!
Posted by: Karen | August 13th, 2012 at 11:20 am
Sorry about your corn..I planted half my big garden to sweet corn to sell at farmer's market, and the crows got to all my seedlings too, except for 4 stalks! Better luck next year
Enjoy your daily blog!
Posted by: Margie Clyde | August 13th, 2012 at 11:51 am
I can't get enough of your farm. You are an incredible teacher and our country needs to learn so much about growing our own food. What can be done next year about the corn problem?
We need a whole blog about you making pickles from those cucumbers. You were the one who inspired me to begin canning maybe 20 years ago - and I love it. We'd love to have a pickle blog!! (and a jam blog too!)
Your vegetables look beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
I'm so going to miss your daily show this fall...
Posted by: stephanie | August 13th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
My friends have questioned me in the past about me wearing white socks with my canvas shoes. They will say, "What's up with you wearing the white socks with your canvas shoes?" or "Nice socks." Now I can say, " I wear them because Martha Stewart wears them."
The gardens look good considering August weather. Wish I was there to help you can pickles. I have fond memories of my grandmother canning dill pickles in the summer. The kitchen would smell wonderful.
Cheers,
Thomas
Posted by: Thomas Burger | August 13th, 2012 at 7:41 pm
Love the pics Martha..but as eco friendly conscious as I know you are , I am surprised that you use sprinklers instead of drip irrigation. Less water loss. Sprinklers lose so much in vapor especially in the summer months.
Posted by: Judy | August 13th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
I always love seeing pictures of your place... I have a smaller farm, 50 acres but I do most myself and if I am tired it doesn't get done. The animals get cared for but not a lot else...Sigh
I am retired and work harder now... HA
Posted by: Patsy Jeanne | August 13th, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Great photos and especially appreciate the narrative... Thanks Martha.
Posted by: Maria | August 13th, 2012 at 10:21 pm
I enjoy your blog, your show, your website and all. Just one question... How do you do it???
Posted by: Maria Manalac | August 13th, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Hi Martha,
Loved the pics of your farm...especially the pic of the huge composted mulch. I sure would love some of your black gold for my veggies. The weeds are hard for me to pull now that I have developed "Tennis Elbow".
Thanks for sharing.
Your huge fan,
Hester
Posted by: Hester Sweetwood | August 13th, 2012 at 11:17 pm
Good looking vegetables. We have a small vegetable garden.. I am already canning tomatoes. Next year, I am going to convince my husband to try onions and garlic. We have plenty of scallions, parsley, cucumbers, green beans. We live on Long Island, NY and are blessed with lots of sunshine and enough rain to help with the watering. I enjoy your pictures everytime. You are very kind to share them with us, your fans.
Posted by: Helena Pereira | August 14th, 2012 at 6:26 am
Hi, Martha,
Like all the other posters, I, too, enjoy the tours around your farm. I would add that it's such a good thing (a great thing, really) that you keep a lot of people regularly and gainfully employed in your homes, on your properties, and through your business ventures in this pittiful, wobbly economy. Martha, thank you very much for that!
Posted by: Bobbie | August 14th, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Thank you for the beautiful and interesting ride Martha.
Best wishes xo
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | August 14th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Hello Martha,
Great tour. thnx. Always some sort of weed to battle. It's a never ending struggle with crab grass, canada thistle, and quack grass here. I guess we can consider ourselves fortunate to have a fertile place to grow things - weeds and all.
Nice cucumbers. Do you make bread and butter pickles? I love b&b pickles with grilled cheese sandwiches! Dills? Cornichon? I'm not sure i will get many cucumbers this year, at least my little patch is finally blossoming.
Did your family make cucumber salad with sour cream, vinegar, onion, dill? A Middle European dish you may have had growing up. My mom made it when cukes were in season.
cheers,
Jake (from Alberta, Canada)
Posted by: jake | August 14th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
I loved seeing just what could be done with all that land if you are supper organized and dedicated it looks lovely!
Posted by: Ana | August 16th, 2012 at 1:27 am
Hi Martha,
Nice to see you the other week. I see you are having troubles with your Scholar trees? You mean Styphnolobium correct? It used to be Sophora japonica, but the name changers got a hold of it. Did you plant the plain species? Or the cultivar known as "Regent"? The latter is a much faster grower. I planted one of these and grew like crazy...4 to 5' a year!
I see that area is rather flat, so is it also poorly drained? or clayey? They hate that. If not, then try a product called BIOTONE, or beneficial microbes for root enhancement and nutrient up-take. Sprinkle this over the mulched root zone and water in. Fertilize moderately in the spring as well, but don't over feed as they are very prone to canker. Do any of your trees have yellow patches on the branches or the trunks? Could be canker.
This species is a nitrogen fixer as are many other members of the pea family.
The variety "Regent" used to be available from Princeton Nursery, but not sure if they are still in business. As a kid, I first saw the one that had been growing on the main square in Edgartown Mass, for many decades and it looked like snow had fallen on the sidewalk in July! Hope you figure it out. It a nice tree. Jim
Posted by: Jim Dickinson | August 20th, 2012 at 11:41 am
Hi Martha, I really enjoy the tour of your farm. I always learn something as you go along. you inspire me to try and workout more. I wish I had a place for bees. My husband said we don't have enough flowering plants to support them. Take care
and I look forward to learning more
Evelyn
Posted by: Evelyn Bowen | August 20th, 2012 at 10:59 pm