I now have lots of newly baled hay here at my farm. This first cut of the season is higher in fiber and lower in protein and fat - my horses will love it.
One of my objectives at my farm has always been to practice self-sufficiency. When I moved here, I designated three separate areas as hayfields, so I could grow lots of delicious, nutritious hay for my horses and donkeys. I plant the fields with a quality custom seed blend and when it's ready, my outdoor grounds crew works hard to cut, fluff, rake, and then bale the hay.
Enjoy these photos.
This time every year, I cross my fingers for a stretch of good, dry weather, so I can get the first cut of hay from the fields. Timing is everything when cutting the hay crop. This week’s heat wave has been uncomfortable, but perfect for drying and baling hay. Here’s one field of freshly cut hay.
This is our mower-conditioner. Mower-conditioners are a staple of large-scale haymaking. It cuts, crimps, and crushes the hay to promote faster and more even drying. It is the first step in the hay baling process.
This equipment also works to remove the waxy coat on the crop as it conditions, making the hay dry faster – this means less waiting time and less chance for poor weather to negatively impact the hay quality. When weather conditions are ideal, these machines allow farmers to cut wide and fast – the best formula for quality field productivity. As the mower-conditioner goes over the grass, it cuts it and then conditions it – all under the protective hood of the machine.
The best time is to start as soon as dew is off in the morning, which will maximize drying time. After it is cut, it is left to dry for several hours.
Next, the cut hay is ready for tedding, also known as fluffing. This is our hay tedder. A tedder spreads and fluffs the hay in a uniform swath. It uses a rotary motion to grab the hay with spinning tines and then cast it out the back of the machine. The tedder moves up and down the field taking all the greener hay from the bottom and turning it over to dry.
The hay turn colors from green to tan. On average, it takes about three days per field, depending on the size of the field and the weather, to complete the entire process of mowing, raking, and baling hay.
Then it is time to make the windrows, which are rows of hay raked up and shaped before being baled. The bar rake is pulled behind a tractor to make windrows from the tedded hay. The bar rake, also known as a basket rake is hydraulically driven. This rake allows for consistent movement across the fields making well-shaped windrows.
Here is a windrow ready to bale. All the windrows are lined up straight next to each other with enough room in between for the baler to maneuver properly around the field.
A hay baler is a piece of farm machinery used to compress a cut and raked crop into compact bales that are easy to handle, transport, and store. I am fortunate to have all the necessary equipment to process the hay in my fields.
Inside a box behind the baler is where large rolls of twine are positioned and tied to each other, so they can feed into the baler and secure the hay just before it shoots out into the trailer.
The process starts midday when there is the least amount of moisture. The wagon fills up pretty quickly. Each one can hold about 150-bales. Chhiring drives up and down the windrows of all the hayfields which takes a good portion of the afternoon.
The tractor rides to one side of the windrow while the baler passes directly over it to collect the hay. All the hay is dry and passing through the machine smoothly. If the hay is properly dried, the baler will work continuously down each row. Hay that is too damp tends to clog up the baler.
As hay is collected, a baled “square” travels up the conveyor belt. A measuring device, normally a spiked wheel that is turned by the emerging bales, measures the amount of material that is being compressed and then knotters wrap the twine around the bale and tie it off.
The hay is lifted by tines in the baler’s reel. Here one can see the bale moving upward.
And then it is propelled into the wagon by a mechanical arm called a thrower or a kicker. The bales are manageable for one person to handle, about 45 to 60 pounds each.
I have two hay wagons. Here is one completely filled and ready to stack.
The crew sets up the hay elevator to the hay loft. Then each bale is placed on the hay elevator which sends it up to waiting hands. Baling hay is a team effort. Each bale is about 15 by 18 by 40 inches large. The number of flakes in the bale is determined by a setting in the baler. Many balers are set for 10 to 12 flakes per bale.
Here is the view from the top end of the loft as bales are sent up.
Juan is in the hayloft stacking the bales as they come up the hay elevator.
Phurba makes nice, neat piles.
In all, I got 1037 bales of hay this time around – a good number that will last us through the season. And then come September, I’ll be harvesting a second cut of good quality, nutritious hay for my horses. I’m so glad to be able to make my own hay right here at my farm.
It's so important to keep up with the maintenance and care of the many trees and plants here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Three years ago, I started creating a garden maze of interesting hedges, espaliers, and shrubs in the pasture across the carriage road from my Winter House terrace. I've planted hundreds of different specimens that add texture and interest - all according to a very detailed map I designed specifically for the space. To keep them healthy and looking their best, I make sure we prune, feed, and mulch them regularly.
Enjoy these photos.
A living garden maze is a puzzle of plantings – most will grow tall enough to prevent walkers from seeing the paths ahead. And each row will branch off with various pathway options and dead ends – with only one correct route to the center. I designed the maze in this three acre pasture in front of my Winter House, so I could see it right from my window. This is my giant eagle. I think it’s in a perfect spot to guard this garden.
Everything is looking so lush and green, in part because of the maintenance and care I give them throughout the year.
Each shrub or bush is planted appropriately with enough space to accommodate its full grown size. These will grow taller and more stout.
When needed, the developing hedges are trimmed. Proper and regular trimming helps keep them thick and full, giving them a neat and tidy look. It also promotes new growth, improves air circulation and light through the branches. Pasang is my resident tree expert. He is pruning the tops of the hornbeams. Landscape twine above provides a cutting guide.
Every so often, Pasang steps back to assess his work. It’s important to look at it from afar to see where adjustments are needed.
Next, Pasang moves onto the apple espalier, trimming any new growth and suckers.
I grow a variety of wonderful apples. And, at the right time, those walking through can pick a fruit while they meander through this botanical puzzle.
All the apple trees are doing so well here – I already have many fruits growing on the branches.
Small pruning jobs can actually be done safely in summer and won’t stress out the plantings. I do bigger pruning chores in winter when the trees are dormant.
All the clippings are discarded in my giant compost yard.
I also planted several Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’ trees, American sweetgums. As these trees mature, they will maintain their erect, columnar form, growing up to 50 feet tall and only about four-feet wide.
Its leaves are a lustrous-bold green, which turns to a mixture of deep purples, reds, and yellows in autumn.
And in this area, 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.
The leaves are light to dark green with three to five pointed lobes. These planetree leaves look similar to maple or sycamore tree leaves. The large, pointed leaves with toothed margins measure about seven inches long and up to 10 inches wide.
Right now, the privets are blooming. Small white flowers with four petals occur on conical or irregularly shaped clusters. The blooms are a nice source of nectar for honey bees, butterflies, and other insect pollinators. And walking by these privets, one can smell the strong, sweet fragrance.
Red Beauty holly has bright red berries combined with glossy, dark green foliage. Many varieties of holly, Ilex, have compact habits and glistening leaves that’s excellent for hedges, borders, and yes, mazes.
This is an Ember Waves Western Arborvitae – a colorful evergreen with yellow new growth that contrasts so beautifully with the maturing chartreuse to bright green foliage.
Paul’s Gold threadleaf false cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera, has year-round golden green foliage. It adds nice contrasting color to all the green perennials.
And these are the growing Japanese yews. These yew trees, Taxus, a coniferous evergreen, related to pines, spruces, firs, cedars, and cypress fills this row nicely. They are small to medium sized evergreens and are incredibly long lived – in fact they can survive for 900 years before becoming ancient.
The leaves are flat, dark green, and arranged spirally on the stem.
And here is where we left off last year – just a little more to go. The maze is looking so great – I am very pleased with how it is turning out. Follow my blog online and on Instagram @marthastewartblog and see all the latest updates on all my gardens at the farm.
In keeping with one of my favorite sayings, "learn something new every day," I always enjoy seeing photos from others taken during their vacations.
Not long ago, my executive assistant, Dorian Arrich, traveled to the Turks and Caicos Islands located in the Lucayan Archipelago of the the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies. The Turks and Caicos are best known for their beautiful beaches, turquoise colored waters, and interesting marine life. During Dorian's brief stay with her boyfriend, the two enjoyed kayak tours through the mangroves, learned about the area's animals and plants, visited various fruit plantations, and feasted on delicious island dishes - every day was filled with activity, learning, and fun.
Here are some of Dorian's photos, enjoy.
Dorian sits on the Board of Directors for The New York Celebrity Assistants Organization and won the trip as a raffle prize. It included a three night stay at the exclusive COMO Parrot Cay Hotel. Here she is just minutes from landing. The turquoise waters off the Turks and Caicos, or TCI, are a shade truly unique to the islands.
The flag of the TCI displays their sovereign state, The United Kingdom.
After a 15-minute drive from the airport, they arrived at COMO’s welcome center for refreshments before departing on a scenic 35-minute boat ride.
During this time of year, the Turks and Caicos weather is generally sunny with temperatures in the 80s. It was just a short distance to the dock where the Captain was preparing the boat for departure.
Upon arrival at the COMO Hotel, Dorian was greeted by their butler, Rikardus, from Indonesia. He’s been working at the hotel for more than 10 years. Because there are no passenger cars allowed on Parrot Cay, Rikardus also provided most of the transportation to and from activities.
The trip fell over Dorian’s birthday weekend, so COMO welcomed her with tasty treats and champagne to start the celebration.
Dorian enjoyed a complimentary lunch with Dr. Ed Butler, Director of Marine Science & Sustainability at COMO Hotel. Before joining COMO Hotels and Resorts in 2022, Dr. Ed led a UK government-funded grant focused on improving sustainability and management of small-scale fisheries in the Turks and Caicos. His research centered on the social-ecological system sciences — the study of linked systems between people and nature — with the aim of uncovering solutions for conservation issues.
During one excursion, Dr. Ed talked about the oceanic white tip shark, which is now critically endangered. Earlier this year, Dr. Ed and his team established the Parrot Cay Conservation Trust, which partnered with US researchers to tag sharks with satellite transmitters and learn more about their behaviors and travels.
Dorian and her boyfriend, Tommy, also went on a guided kayak tour through the mangroves. Mangroves are tropical and subtropical trees and shrubs that thrive in coastal intertidal zones with low-oxygen soil and slow-moving water.
These are leaves of the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle. These leaves, which turn yellow and eventually drop off, accumulate excess salt from the mangrove tree, effectively shedding the salt to maintain the overall health of the plant.
Christian and Rohan were the tour guides. They pointed out an array of fascinating creatures and vibrant plant life.
Christian held a jelly fish upside down avoiding the stinging tentacles. Never touch a jellyfish!
This is a sea anemone. Sea anemones are marine invertebrates, related to corals and jellyfish, known for their flower-like appearance. Their tentacles also sting and are used for both defense and prey capture.
Christian shows a conch in its shell. Conch shells are primarily found in warm, shallow tropical waters. They inhabit areas with sandy bottoms and seagrass beds where they feed on algae and other plant matter.
The sand in Turks and Caicos is known for its brilliant white, soft texture. It is primarily composed of naturally broken-down coral and seashells.
Here’s another shell Dorian found during a beach walk – ever have a face off with a shell?
COMO treated Dorian to a lovely birthday sunset dinner.
… complete with cake. Here she is making her birthday wish.
Every morning, Dorian and Tommy enjoyed fresh island-made juices – a great way to start the day.
The hotel also offers numerous daily wellness activities and holistic wellness therapies.
Parrot Cay is a private island with a history dating back to the early 18th century. The original name is reported to be Pirate Cay. Legend tells it that pirate Ann Bonny took refuge here in the 1720s when Jamaican authorities dealt with her Captain, “Calico Jack Rackham”.
The tamarind tree, Tamarindus indica, is a tropical evergreen tree introduced to the Caribbean from Africa centuries ago. Locally, it’s sometimes called a “dilly”. The tree is known for its edible fruit, which has a sweet and sour taste, and is used in various dishes and drinks.
Rikardus took Dorian and Tommy to the on-site coconut plantation. The chef made delicious coconut sorbet from fruits just picked that day. One can email the hotel at [email protected] and request to adopt a coconut tree and then have one’s name and year displayed on a sign.
Next on the itinerary – a banana plantation. The hotel’s banana baked cakes are all made using these bananas.
The time went quickly. Here’s Rikardus sending the two back to Provo for their flight home. A great getaway – now back to work. For more information on how you can help save the oceanic white tip shark, reach out to [email protected].
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