August 27, 2025

A Guest Blog from a Visit to Lisbon, Portugal

It's always fun to see photos from others taken during their vacations. Here at my farm, whenever a member of my team returns from a trip or special occasion, I encourage them to share their images on my blog.

This year, my operations manager, Matt Krack, and his two sons traveled to Lisbon, Portugal for their summer excursion. Lisbon is the vibrant capital and largest city of Portugal located on the western portion of the Iberian Peninsula along the Atlantic Ocean. It is known for its rich history, interesting architecture, and culture. Among their many activities, Matt, Alex, and Charlie enjoyed walking tours through the city, visiting old churches, palaces, museums and monuments, and learning about the well-preserved ruins of the Carmo Convent, which remained standing after the horrific earthquake of 1755.

Here are some of Matt's photos, enjoy.

 

August 26, 2025

Caring for My Boxwood

Late summer continues to be very busy. My outdoor grounds crew and gardeners are all working very hard to keep everything looking its best.

I love boxwood, Buxus, and have hundreds of these bold green shrubs growing all over my farm. I take very special care of these specimens. In winter, they are covered in a layer of protective burlap, and this time of year, they are carefully pruned and groomed. Maintaining these plantings requires extra maintenance from time to time, but I think it’s well worth the effort.

Enjoy these photos.

August 25, 2025

Picking Potatoes 2025

My garden continues to produce bounties of beautiful fresh vegetables. Our latest harvest - potatoes!

Not long ago, just before a thunderous rainstorm, my gardeners harvested the season's potatoes. Potatoes are from the perennial nightshade, Solanum tuberosum. As the world's fourth-largest food crop, following maize, wheat, and rice, potatoes are grown from “seed potatoes," which are certified disease-free and specially grown in nurseries for planting purposes. I always look forward to sharing the bounty with family and friends.

Here are some photos, enjoy.