My chickens, Guinea fowl, peacocks and peahens are ready for the cold season.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I like to offer supplemental heat for my peafowl and chickens during the winter months. I use Sweeter Heaters in all the coops - they're safe, reliable and easy to install. We got them from our friends at My Pet Chicken, a company I've used for many years. These Sweeter Heaters stay at or below a safer heat level, and use far less electricity - and, they're also designed and assembled right here in the United States.
Here are some photos.
It is important to me that my chickens get the very best care. In return, they provide good companionship and the most delicious eggs. This is my chicken yard. It has four coops and is completely fenced in to keep the birds safe. Now that it is fall, it’s time to set up the heaters in the coops so they’re ready when the temperatures dip.
Chickens are actually very hardy, and covered in fluffy feathers, so the temperatures have to be very low to require such supplemental heat. Some chicken experts recommend a temperature around 40-degrees Fahrenheit as ideal for hens.
I started raising chickens many years ago, and vowed to always have my own coops where I could keep happy, healthy and beautiful birds. I am so proud of the flocks I have raised – they have always thrived here at the farm. They spend most of their days outside in the yard – always with clean, fresh water…
… and food. Twice a day, early morning and late afternoon, the birds are given cracked corn. They also eat plenty of vegetable and fruit matter.
Since all my chickens come here as baby chicks, they are very accustomed to the sounds made by the crew. In fact, these birds are filled with curiosity and friendliness and love to greet and follow visitors when they arrive.
Sweeter Heaters are safe, energy-efficient, and reliable heaters for chicken coops and other animal enclosures. I have enough heaters to install two in every coop.
Each unit hangs down from the rafters with chains. The Sweeter Heater comes with chains and “S” hooks, but spools of chain are also easy to get at the hardware store.
These chains are light and can be cut to fit any length needed.
Here are the chains suspended from the wooden supports. Each heater will be located just inside one of two doors to each chicken coop.
These heaters are not heavy – just a few pounds. And, because it swings, birds will be less apt to perch on it.
For my coops, I use the largest size Sweet Heater, which measures 11-inches by 40-inches. They also come in smaller sizes for smaller flocks. The unit is designed to be suspended, so the electrical cord is at the top and away from any birds.
Chickens prefer to roost on high levels – this Guinea hen and the chicken hens below are perched in front of the nesting boxes.
From this doorway, one can see the Sweeter Heater on the other side of the coop. The Sweeter Heater’s infrared rays are spread over the entire surface area of the unit’s panel and are evenly projected straight down, with no hot or cold spots in the pattern.
This coop is used for my Silkie Chickens. It is also now equipped with adequate Sweeter Heater units. The weather here at my Bedford, New York farm has been quite mild so far, but the nights are getting cooler, so I am glad our heaters are all in place to keep the birds warm.
In the Silkie coop, the heaters are positioned lower. The Sweeter Heater’s infrared radiant lens temperature doesn’t exceed 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The surface will be warm, but it won’t burn the animals or any of the bedding – it is very gentle.
There is another one standing by on this side, ready to use. These are also tilted to warm a greater surface area. The wires are carefully secured to the wall, so they are not in any way of the birds.
If you’re unfamiliar with Silkie chickens, they were originally bred in China. They are best known for their characteristically fluffy plumage said to feel silk- or satin-like to the touch. Underneath all that feathering, they also have black skin and bones and five toes instead of the typical four on each foot.
There are eight Silkie color varieties accepted by the American Poultry Association. They include black, blue, buff, gray, partridge, splash, and this crisp white.
This breed grows a bit slower than other chicken breeds. Silkies are adaptable and playful. And, they are naturally more calm than other chickens.
Because peafowl originated from southeast Asia, they are not as tolerant of the cold, so they require heated shelters in northern states. My peacocks and peahens share a large coop just outside my stable near the Silkies and the geese. Here is one perched inside the coop watching all the activity from above.
In the peafowl coop, the heaters are also secured closer to the ground where it will be coldest in winter.
While the temperatures are still pleasant during the day, these peafowl love to perch outside. Over the summer, I fenced the entire top of this yard, so they would be more safe from predators. I am so glad all my birds are doing so well at the farm. They’ll also be very warm and safe this winter with their Sweeter Heaters from My Pet Chicken.
Le Bernardin, the legendary Michelin three-star restaurant owned by my friend, Chef Eric Ripert, and his business partner, Maguy Le Coze, is 50 - what a milestone!
This week, I attended a wonderful dinner marking the special golden anniversary. The event was held at Le Bernardin's New York City location, where it has been since 1986. I fondly remember dining at the original Le Bernardin seafood restaurant after it opened in 1972 in Paris, France. And, 50-years later, it is still one of the finest dining establishments in the world. The celebratory dinner included six courses, highlighting some of Le Bernardin's most iconic dishes. We enjoyed yellowfin tuna, langoustine, halibut, monk fish, and of course two different desserts. It was an incredible party. Here's to another 50, Chef Eric and Maguy!
Enjoy these photos.
Few restaurants hold the distinction of being open 50-years. Le Bernardin has not only turned 50, but has remained one of the most celebrated restaurants in the world. Maguy Le Coze and her brother, Gilbert, first opened Le Bernardin in 1972, then relocated the restaurant near the Arc de Triomphe before moving to the United States and its present mid-town location in 1986.
Chef Eric, who has served as co-owner of Le Bernardin since Maguy’s brother, Gilbert, passed away in 1994, addressed all the guests and thanked everyone for attending the anniversary dinner in Le Bernardin’s Privé space.
The first course was thinly pounded yellowfin tuna with foie gras, chives, and extra-virgin olive oil.
Each course was also paired with a wine. The tuna was served with Bollinger Champagne, La Grande Année, 2014.
Our meal was served with the finest baked breads – not a crumb was left.
The second course was sautéed langoustine over fennel compote. Langoustines, also known as Norway lobsters, Dublin Bay prawns, scampi, and cigala, are essentially small lobsters averaging about eight inches long and fished from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
As the langoustine was served, it was poured with a delectable sea urchin sauce table side – it was so delicious.
With this course, guests enjoyed Grüner Veltliner, Smaragd, Rotes Tor, Franz Hirtzberger, Wachau, Austria 2020. This white wine has a delicate tobacco spice flavor with juicy yellow apple fruit and hints of herbs and orange zest.
The next course was steamed halibut with a dollop of Osetra caviar. Osetra is one of three sturgeon species and Osetra caviar is known to be one of the finest caviars in the world.
This dish was then poured with a citrus marinière sauce.
And paired with Puligny Montrachet, Les Charmes, Chavy-Martin, Burgundy 2020.
The fourth course was a pan roasted monk fish served with a truffle sunchoke purée and baby vegetables. If you’re not familiar with sunchokes, it is a Jerusalem artichoke – a species of sunflower native to central North America. It is cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable and has a distinct starchy taste.
The monk fish was finished with a bordelaise sauce – a classic French sauce named after the Bordeaux region of France. The sauce is generally made with dry red wine, bone marrow, butter, shallots, and sauce demi-glace.
This course was paired with Château Magdelaine, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, 2001 – a deep, dark, ruby-red, almost opaque wine.
And look at the first dessert – a warm Peruvian chocolate tart with a scoop of toffee ice cream at the base of three chocolate covered cookies.
And this is Le Bernardin’s “The Egg” – a milk chocolate pot de crème with caramel foam, maple syrup, and one grain of salt.
Magazine editor and television personality, Nilou Motamed, Becca PR founder Becca Parrish, and co-owner of Le Bernardin, Maguy Le Coze, stopped for this photo I took from across the table.
Here I am with Jay McInerney Jr. Jay is a novelist, screenwriter, editor, and columnist. Among his books is “Bright Lights, Big City.” He is also the wine critic for the magazine, Town & Country.
And here’s a photo of me and Maguy after our delicious meal.
Congratulations Maguy and Chef Eric. I am so happy for you, and for Le Bernardin! For those of you who haven’t yet been to Le Bernardin, the next time you’re in New York City, please consider a visit – you will love it!
My newest project here at my Bedford, New York farm is my garden maze - and it's becoming more and more beautiful with the planting of each tree.
The three-acre lush pasture just outside my Winter House is the setting for my maze. Earlier this year I decided I wanted to create a maze of interesting hedges, espaliers and shrubs. I started with European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, and a variety of espaliered apple trees. I also planted several Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' trees, American sweetgums. Most recently, I added a selection of handsome London planetrees, Platanus acerifolia 'Bloodgood,' a relative of the mighty sycamore. These trees are large shade trees with broad open crowns. They were the perfect choice for the center of my maze, where they will surround and shade an open space.
Here are some photos. And be sure to watch another original episode of "Martha Gardens" - it's now streaming free on The Roku Channel.
A few weeks ago I purchased a selection of Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ trees. The trees were quite tall, so they were all delivered on a flatbed truck to my farm.
Slowly and carefully, each tree was removed from the truck and transferred to my Hi-Lo…
… And then to the dump truck that would transport them to the maze field.
Meanwhile, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, begins to make the holes for the trees. He is using our dependable M4-071 tractor and backhoe. This tractor is one of the most important pieces of equipment here at the farm. It is used every day to do a myriad of jobs.
Special tractor stabilizing feet secure the vehicle to the ground while the backhoe is being used.
Chhiring digs one of the holes at a previously marked spot – we measured and spray-painted the grass to indicate exactly where the tree would be planted.
Pasang uses a shovel to help shape the proper hole and ensure it is deep enough for the trees. The holes must be pretty wide – at least two to five times as wide as the root ball.
Here is a row of holes dug across the field. The hole sides should also be slanted. Digging a wide planting hole helps to provide the best opportunity for roots to expand into its new growing environment.
As the holes are dug, each tree is delivered to the site. Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ trees do best in an area that receives full sun. It should be watered regularly after planting to encourage a healthy root system, but then watering frequency can be reduced once established except during periods of extreme heat. Although the ‘Bloodgood” is not considered a drought-tolerant plant, this variety can tolerate short periods without water.
Here is a row of trees now ready for planting. Each hole is also fertilized. It is very important to feed the plants and trees. I always say, “if you eat, your plants should eat.” We use a quality food with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
And then each tree is slowly rolled into its designated hole. The crew rotates the tree on its root ball closer to the hole. When moving heavy trees, only hold it by the root ball and the base of the trunk – never by its branches, which could easily break.
Every tree is now in its hole. The crew measures each one again and makes sure each one is turned with its best side facing inward.
Next, the protective wrapping and any wire or rope are removed from the root ball. If left untouched, these wrapping materials could reduce the ability of a tree’s roots to grow out into the surrounding soil. Some gardeners will leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove everything, so there is nothing blocking its root growth.
And then the holes are backfilled, and the trees are given a good drink of water.
The next day, the crew mulches the bed. We use a length of bamboo to maintain the proper width of the mulching area.
I am so fortunate that I can make mulch and compost right here at the farm.
Chhiring uses a hard rake to spread and level the mulch.
And Domi creates a straight and neat edge all the way around the row of trees.
Here it is one side once it is complete. These trees will grow so nicely in this space – the center of the maze, where one will be able to take a brief rest while navigating the maze’s many turns.
The maze is looking so great – I am very pleased with how it is turning out. And we’ve gotten a lot done in several months. I think it will be finished sooner than expected – I can’t wait. For now, please see our newest episode of “Martha Gardens” now streaming on The Roku Channel. In this show, I’ll take you to my Christmas tree farm in one of the back fields and show you how to properly move an established tree into my pinetum, an arboretum of rare and unusual conifer trees.
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