The Martha Stewart Blog

December 14, 2022

A Guest Blog from Ari Katz on his Dogs, Puppies, and Pilot Dogs

I love all animals, and I share my Bedford, New York farm with many - dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, a pony, chickens, geese, Guinea fowl, peafowl, and a myriad of wild creatures. My friend, Ari Katz, is also very passionate about animals. On this blog, I've shared stories about his chickens, his canaries, and his beautiful dogs. Ari enjoys showing, raising, and breeding champion Labrador Retrievers. His dogs are in exceptional health and have excellent physical abilities and temperaments - qualities that are essential in service work. Many of his puppies are now going on to be trained as assistance dogs to help visually impaired individuals. Here is a guest blog from Ari, enjoy.

As Martha knows, I recently stopped selling puppies to pet homes and transitioned to selling them to a service organization called Pilot Dogs. I made this switch because as a breeder, I have to be able to justify my actions. I felt guilty creating more companion animals just to keep several as potential show dogs and breeding stock. My mentor, Karen Helmers, introduced me to Pilot Dogs over the summer and we began a business relationship.

Pilot Dogs is a non-profit guide dog school for the blind and visually impaired, located in Columbus, Ohio. Since opening its doors in 1950, its mission has been to provide exemplary services to the blind community, helping them navigate their lives with unmatched levels of independence, mobility, and confidence. Because they rely solely on the generosity of private donors, they can provide not only world-class guide dogs, but also unsurpassed training, on-campus room, and board, round-trip transportation, an Orientation & Mobility program, and more - all at no cost to their students. Pilot Dogs has about 90 dogs in training right now, including puppies and dogs that are with Co-Pilots and dogs that are in the facility. Raising and training a puppy from the time they get them from me to “graduation,” when they are matched with a person in need of a guide dog, costs more than 30-thousand dollars and two years time - it is a LOT of work!

I recently had two litters that I decided would be good for Pilot Dogs. My girls, Mehndi and Kima, had a combined total of 18-puppies! All of them are doing very well, growing nicely, and hitting their developmental milestones. While it was challenging to have two sizable litters at the same time at my family's farm while I am away at school, it is rewarding to know that my puppies will wind up in the hands of a great organization and maybe even be guide dogs someday. In this blog, in collaboration with Pilot Dogs, I talk about my pups along with the importance of breeding wisely, screening for health tests diligently, and the importance of ethics in breeding dogs as potential guide dogs.

: Here is a photo of my black Lab, Kima. I decided to breed her to a dog I bred last April named Martin.

: This is Martin, Paradocs AK’s Martin. He will be two in February and lives in Indiana with his co-owner and my mentor, Karen Helmers.

: These are their puppies – they had eight. Five boys and three girls. Here they are right after getting home from my vet’s clinic. Because the litter was large, my vet and I decided it would be safest for Kima and the puppies if she had a c-section. All eight puppies and their mom were home within two hours. Part of being an ethical breeder means putting one’s animal’s needs before your own preferences. I wish Kima had delivered her puppies naturally, but safety always comes first.

: This is a close-up of some of Kima’s puppies nursing. I put different colored collars on each puppy so I can weigh them daily and track their growth along with identifying them. Here is “Blue-Pink-Black Girl” kneading for milk. Puppies are quite robust and will find a way to get what they need.

: Eight days later, Mehndi gave birth to 10 puppies – a large litter for a Labrador Retriever. Here, Carmen is helping each puppy latch on to nurse while Mehndi looks at her puppies in the corner. Mehndi is an incredibly good and diligent mother. She cares for her puppies up until the minute they are weaned. She did an excellent job with this litter. We were all very proud of her.

: This is Swig, American Kennel Club Champion Greenstone’s Down The Hatch. Swig lives in Indiana with Karen, but was bred in Texas by Stacey and Starkey Green. He is a beautiful dog and a good representation of the breed. Most importantly, however, is that Swig is clear of all genetic diseases, heart issues, and structural issues like hip or elbow dysplasia – he makes for a good and safe stud dog.

: Here are both litters of puppies. Carmen keeps a close eye on them. On the left is Mehndi with her litter in the EZ Whelp whelping box. Kima’s litter is on the right. You can see the size differences a week makes. It’s quite something!

: This is one of Kima’s male puppies at five weeks. As these puppies continue to grow, I look forward to keeping my picks, but also sending Pilot Dogs their new puppies. It makes me happy to potentially be helping someone who needs a guide dog.

: Some of you may remember the litter of yellow puppies I had over the summer. These are the three I kept. The others went to Pilot Dogs and were named Gala, Gordy, and Gouda. The reason it is so important for an organization to work with breeders who care about their stock and the animals they produce is that someone may be completely dependent on the animal for several years. If the animal develops health issues or is unhealthy from the beginning, they are unable to perform their job – whatever that may be (guide dogs, bomb-sniffing dogs, or emotional support dogs – to name a few). Thus, the need for a healthy dog, which comes from healthy breeding stock, cannot be overstated.

: Trainer Megan Marie and Pilot Puppy Calvin are working on the “heel” command in the flight simulator, Pilot Dogs indoor training facility. The flight simulator is set up with a “city” feel, complete with curbs, fire hydrants, tree branches, and lots of other distractions to aid in training. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

: Two young pups, Eeyore and Emmy, are snuggled together in their kennel in the Puppy Palace, the facility where the youngest puppies stay until they are about eight to 12 weeks old. After that, they go to homes of our volunteer Co-Pilots until they are old enough to start their formal guide dog training. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

: Here is a cute picture of Gala from her Co-Pilot. I bred Gala, Gordy, and Gouda – all siblings to the picture of my yellow puppies running with my Whippet. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

: Pilot Puppy Gala sits calmly next to an enormous inflatable Halloween decoration inside a party supply store. Gala is doing very well with her training! Halloween is a great time for puppy socialization because of the large, out-of-the ordinary (and sometimes loud) items that are on display, and it allows them to be around people in unusual costumes and masks. Winter excursions are a good time for socialization as well, to acclimate the puppies to being in crowds with people wearing big coats and hats, and often having most of their faces covered. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

: Pilot Puppy Gordy is resting with a member of his Co-Pilot family after a long day of adventures. He, too, is doing very well as a potential service dog. When someone signs up for the volunteer Co-Pilot program, they need to ensure that every member of their household is on board with the guidelines and requirements involved in raising a Pilot Puppy – kids and adults alike. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

: Trainer Ashley works with Pilot Puppy Hazel on the “sit” command. Hazel is very focused and did a great job during her training session. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

: Here’s Pilot Puppy Hazel looking adorable in her vest. Pilot Puppies wear these vests when they are out in public to help bring awareness to Pilot Dogs and to let people know they are in training. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

: Jesi is a recent graduate of Pilot Dogs, where she was matched with Pilot Dog Rose. Rose is her first guide dog, and her first Golden Retriever – she is a five-time Doberman Pinscher owner. Jesi was adopted from Guatemala at 10 months old and lost her vision at birth as a result of three prenatal strokes. She has a master’s degree in Exercise Science and Physical Education, and her goal is to work with special-needs students and their physical fitness. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

: Student Jesi and her Pilot Dog Rose train in a local suburban neighborhood in an area without sidewalks. Navigating areas without sidewalks can be a challenge for a guide dog team, because there are no curb ramps to indicate upcoming intersections, or audible pedestrian traffic signals to let them know that it’s safe to cross the street. This type of training is also useful for students who live in rural areas without sidewalks. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

: Pilot Puppies Junior and Jerry are posing in front of a Christmas tree during a trip with trainers to a large, crowded store. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

: In order to effectively and safely guide his handler, who is an avid traveler, Pilot Dog Travis works on getting on and off an airplane, and walking through the airport with all its many sights and sounds. Here he is going on a first-class training adventure on his very own private plane, accompanied by his trainer, Mike. If you want to know more about Pilot Dogs and the work that they do, please visit the website at PilotDogs.org. (Photo courtesy of Pilot Dogs)

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Posted in: Dogs, Friends, Guest Blog, Miscellaneous

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December 13, 2022

The Season's First Snow 2022

The first snowfall of the season has arrived here at my Bedford, New York farm and it's transformed it into a beautiful winter wonderland - at least for a day.

Until now, the weather here has been pretty mild. And, although the weekend storm system was very short-lived, it left a lovely two-inch coating of white snow on the landscape. Fortunately, all my plants are tucked away in temperature-controlled greenhouses, but we're still in the process of wrapping my precious boxwood shrubs, hedges, and cold-sensitive garden containers in burlap.

Enjoy these photos of the first snow, and go to my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 to see more.

: There is always a bit of excitement with the first snow of the season. Whenever it snows, I enjoy getting out early to take photos of the untouched snow. This photo was taken at 7am just as the clouds opened up to the day’s blue skies.

: The Boxwood Allée looks so different in winter. I am so glad the boxwood is draped in burlap shrouds to keep everything protected from the snow.

: We got enough snow just to cover the ground. Here is a view looking south up the allée of lindens. My carport is straight ahead.

: Here is another burlap covered boxwood shrub. The snow left a pretty coating of white everywhere.

: The snow accumulated on many of the tree branches, but did not weigh any down too much. The light fluffy snow forms when all layers of the atmosphere are below freezing. Because the air is cold, all the way down to the surface, snowflakes don’t melt. It was about 30-degrees Fahrenheit in the early morning and the cold held through the rest of the day.

: This is the carriage road leading to my tennis court. Flanking both sides of the narrow road are Styrax japonicus ‘Marley’s Pink Parasol’ Japanese Snowbells and Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light.’

: Driving through the woodland, I took a photo of this full and babbling stream. It is so peaceful in the early morning – one can hear the gently burble as it travels along its bed, bubbling over rocks and branches.

: This is the little Basket House nestled in the grove of bald cypress, Taxodium distichum.

: And here is the old corn crib that’s original to the farm. The unique “keystone” shape flaring from bottom to top was designed to shed water.

: Here is the long row of boxwood that line both sides of the pergola – all covered in protective burlap.

: The large linden trees on the right are part of the allée. The linden tree, Tilia, is also referred to as basswood or lime, though it is not related at all to the lime fruit. The specimens to the left are all European beech trees, Fagus sylvatica, or the common beech – they hold tight to their leaves.

: I love how snow collects on this 100-year old white spruce fencing I purchased in Canada. This fencing is what surrounds all my paddocks at the farm.

: Whenever it snows, I am always grateful for the stakes we put up delineating the carriage roads. We paint the tips of those stakes that mark the catch basins, so if needed, the side openings can be cleared.

: This is a view looking down from one end of my clematis pergola. The uprights for this pergola are antique granite posts from China – originally used as grape supports. They’re perfect as posts because they don’t rot over time like the wood overhead.

: Nearby is my expansive soccer field or “party lawn”, where I love to set-up games for guests during summer parties and where my grandson, Truman, loves to play soccer with friends. On one side of this “soccer field” are six rare weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus Pendula. These are such graceful and shapely specimen trees, very densely branched and adaptable to various soil conditions.

: This view is across my pool – all covered for the season. It is hard to miss the stand of eastern white pine trees, Pinus strobus, in the distance.

: Here are the trunks of the mighty pin oaks that grow alongside my large Equipment Barn. The pin oak is one of the most popular trees for landscaping because it’s so easy to transplant and is very hardy and handsome.

: The pachysandra is almost unrecognizable under this thin coating of white.

: And the cobblestones in the courtyard outside my stable are also coated with snow – light, powdery snow. It did not take long before it melted away.

: Just outside the stable is a grove of crabapple trees. These are white with snow right now, but for a short time in May, they are white with fragrant springtime blooms.

: The terrace parterre in front of my Winter House kitchen is also white. The clean white looks so pretty atop the newly trimmed and groomed boxwood hedges.

: This photo was taken from the back steps of my Summer House. The giant tree at the rear is the old ginkgo – original to the farm. Fortunately, the snow did not harm any of the boxwood shrubs. The crew gently brushes all the snow off these precious specimens. Heavy snow could damage the shrubs and splay their branches. Soon, they will be covered with protective burlap.

: And here are four of my five donkeys – Truman “TJ” Junior, Jude “JJ” Junior, Billie and Rufus – waiting patiently for someone to stop with cookies. Clive is to the right eating some of the freshly dropped hay. They love this weather and have naturally thick coats that protect them in the cold. After below freezing temperatures overnight, today is expected to be in the mid- to high 30s melting some of the snow away. We’re expecting more precipitation at the end of the week – winter is here.

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Posted in: Miscellaneous, My Farm, Snow

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December 12, 2022

Protecting the Dahlia Tubers for the Winter

My dahlia tubers are now well-protected for the winter.

When in bloom, dahlias provide some of the garden's biggest and most spectacular flowers in many different sizes, forms, and colors. However, native to Mexico, dahlias are not winter-hardy and tend to split in freezing temperatures or mold in soggy, wet soil. In most areas outside the warmest regions of the United States, dahlia tubers must be dug up and stored or covered before the cold season. In previous years, we've always uprooted our dahlias and kept them indoors for the winter. Now, we cover the entire bed with burlap and a thick layer of hay. It's proven to be a great solution for protecting the plants so we have viable dahlias come spring.

Here are some photos, enjoy.

: Remember all the gorgeous, colorful dahlias we had this year? Dahlias are among my favorite flowers. They begin to bloom with great profusion just as other plants pass their prime, and they last right up until the first frost – this season, they lasted through October.

: The dahlia garden is located behind my vegetable greenhouse, in an area protected from any damaging winds.

: Last month, my gardeners Ryan and Brian cut all the stems down and left them to dry. Always wait until the foliage has turned brown before any winterizing. This is important so that the plant can gather energy for the following year. It will store starches in the tuber which will fuel the initial sprouting in summer. The best time is a couple weeks after the first frost when they’re well into dormancy yet haven’t been harmed by the cold.

: Dahlia stems are hollow making them quickly susceptible to rot. This is also why dahlias often have to be staked to help support their very large flowers.

: Last year, we decided to protect them in place instead of uprooting them and putting them in the basement – and it worked. The first step is to cover the bed with old burlap – burlap fabric that was too timeworn to use as boxwood coverings. We save these older pieces in a dry area of barn, so they can be repurposed. I always try to reuse, repurpose or recycle everything at the farm.

: Here is Phurba covering every area of the bed with burlap.

: Phurba also cuts small slits around the granite posts. If you follow this blog regularly, you may recall this area was previously used for growing grapes.

: I grow a lot of hay here at the farm. The newer bales for my horses are kept in the stable hayloft; however, the bales that my horses won’t eat are stored here above my run-in shed. This hay is saved and used to help winterize the hoop houses and these dahlia tubers.

: The bales are delivered to the dahlia bed in large batches.

: And then wheeled manually and carried to their designated row. Each standard two-string square hay bale weighs between 40 and 75 pounds each.

: The two work from the front side to the back, lining the bales neatly over the burlap and the dahlia tubers.

: Brian ensures the bales are positioned tightly together – it is important to cover the area completely, so the tubers are well-insulated. This process takes several hours to complete.

: This thick layer of hay acts as a barrier to protect the plants, much like a thick layer of soil or mulch would do.

: Phurba walks over the hay to look for any wide gaps. Any spaces between the bales are filled with loose flakes of hay.

: Next, to keep excess moisture from saturating the tubers, Brian and Phurba also cover the bales. They uses old tarps, also saved from another project.

: Brian and Phurba spread the tarps across the bed and in between the posts.

: Phurba and Brian put down the next tarp, overlapping it slightly with the first one making sure it all looks neat, tidy, and covered.

: To keep the tarps in place, Brian ties them down with strong twine.

: He secures the tarp at the corners and then across the bed every few feet down its entire length.

: Protecting them this way now will make sure we have lots of healthy plants next spring. And, we covered them just in time – the temperatures dipped over the weekend and we saw the first snowflakes of the season here at the farm. How are you protecting your dahlias this year? I’d love to know – share your methods in the section below.