Winter Tasks at My Farm
Outside the New York City area, we're expecting temperatures to climb to the high 30s today after a string of windy, biting cold days in the 20s. Although it has been very cold, it's "business as usual" at my farm - my gardeners, grooms, and outdoor grounds crew are all busy caring for the animals and gardens.
To keep a farm running efficiently, there is always a long list of chores to complete. I create very detailed notes of all that needs to be done from week to week. Some of the tasks include cleaning the coops and making sure the birds have access to warm bedding and free flowing water, mulching the gardens to keep them insulated during this winter season, organizing indoor storage spaces, pruning and feeding the potted trees, "cleaning the woods" of debris and fallen branches, and more. It's also a good time to make sure everything is in good working order before any more inclement weather arrives.
Here are some photos.
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- My Chinese geese don’t seem to mind the weather at all. All my geese have access to heated shelters and thick hay beds, but they all love to walk around their enclosure and watch the activity around the farm. Chinese geese are refined and curvaceous. They hold their heads high and have long, slim, well-arched necks. Their bodies are short, and have prominent, well-rounded chests, smooth breasts and no keel. Mature ganders average 12-pounds, while mature geese average 10-pounds.
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- Cesar Felix, who helps me care for all my birds, checks the water several times a day. When it’s this cold, water troughs need to be emptied of ice and then refilled, so the birds always have access to fresh drinking water.
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- This is one of my four exotic golden pheasants. Cesar constructed two shelters from fallen branches and covered the structures with hay. These gamebirds use them often when not in their coops.
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- On cold days, some of the peafowl perch indoors. These peahens are quite happy. Peafowl are pretty tolerant of cooler weather also. Their feathering and ability to regulate body temperatures help them to stay warm.
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- These peacocks are outside, seemingly un-phased by the cold and always on alert.
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- Cesar replaces the bedding once a week and makes sure everything is in good working order in the coops. On the wall is a Sweeter Heater, a safe, reliable and easy to install heating source. I have two in every section of each coop.
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- When it’s really cold outside, my crew works indoors. Here’s Fernando organizing one of my basement spaces, so we always know where to find items when needed.
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- In the gardens, Phurba and some of the crew continue the big job of mulching the beds. This insulates the soil to protect plants from extreme temperatures and gives the beds a finished look. And because I make my own mulch here at my farm, I know it is filled with nutrients, which improves the overall health of the plants.
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- Adan spreads a two to three-inch layer of mulch over the area. In time, the mulch will also help to suppress weed germination and retain moisture. Do you know the difference between compost and mulch? Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed over time, while mulch is the layer of organic materials used as a protective cover.
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- Nearby, José trims back the plants that have lost their leaves. When cutting back perennials this time of year, they should be trimmed to a height of one to two inches above the ground, close to the dormant base of the plant.
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- Pruning, grooming, and cleaning up is also happening in my nursery of boxwood and potted trees. This fenced in area is behind my hoop houses and well protected from strong winds.
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- My gardener Josh checks each potted sapling and limbs up each specimen where it’s needed.
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- He’s working on these young bald cypress trees. Cypress trees such as deciduous varieties like the bald cypress, turn a rusty brown in winter as part of the natural dormancy cycle.
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- Look closely – my resident tree expert, Pasang Sherpa, is out there checking on the mature trees in the woodland, looking for those that need to be trimmed or cut down.
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- Out in the pasture, it’s time to bring the horses indoors. During winter, I prefer the horses stay in the stable at night when it’s cold. During warmer weather, they are turned out in the afternoon when it is cooler.
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- … And here’s Jimmy bringing in the donkeys.
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- Once inside the stable – Rinze greets his good friend Bond, who just returned from the equine hospital yesterday. He will be turned out with his herd after another week of stall rest.
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- Meanwhile, in another area of the farm, a shipment of cedar timber is delivered from Medford Cedar Products in Southampton, New Jersey. This wood will be used to restore my long pergola.
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- The wood is stored raised off the ground to help keep it dry and free from mold and rot.
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- It takes a lot of work to keep everything running efficiently all year round. On this day, the skies were bright blue, but it’s definitely cold. And forecasters say we may get a little more snow in the region this weekend. Be careful.
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