The weather has been pretty mild for this time of year and perfect for getting lots of chores done around my farm.
While I was in Milan for the Olympics my crew completed numerous projects, including pruning various trees, chipping branches, starting more plants from seed, harvesting vegetables from the greenhouse, and all the regular daily tasks of caring for the animals and keeping everything clean and tidy. What's on your to-do list this weekend?
Enjoy these photos.
Once trees and branches are taken down, they are placed in various piles near the carriage roads. We try to keep all the piles as neat as possible so as not to block any roads or damage the ground beneath them.
Then, manageable tree limbs and branches are put through the chipper.
The chipper is pointed back toward the woodland, so chips can top dress the remaining healthy trees.
This is my stable barn where I store hay equipment and feed for the animals. In winter, sometimes varying temperatures can cause these sliding doors to bind and stick making them difficult to open and close. Pete makes adjustments to the door system to address the issue.
If this happens to your sliding barn doors, first lift the door manually off the track.
Then look above – the hardware should be adjustable. Pete unscrews the cover plate.
He does this on both sides. Check to see what tools are needed to loosen and tighten the hardware before starting the project.
Barn doors usually have large screws that help raise and lower the positioning of the doors. Pete adjusts them until the doors slide easily and smoothly.
And that’s it. Pete checks all the doors to ensure they are in good working order.
Meanwhile, Cesar works in the bird enclosures changing out old, wet bedding. We’re still under several inches of snow – some of it has melted, and rain and possible snow are expected this weekend.
Inside the stable, Helen grooms Banchunch, my Fell pony. This time of year, the horses are out during the day and in their warm stalls at night. And every day, each one is well-groomed.
After a good brushing, Banchunch likes to drink warm water from the large stone sink.
In the greenhouse, my gardeners are busy preparing for the next growing season. It will be here before we know it. Matthew fills trays with potting mix and brings them in the head house to be planted with seeds.
And look what was just picked from my vegetable greenhouse – fresh, perfect radishes…
… and lots of delicious, organic arugula. Both will make a great salad.
Enma polishes these silver cups. I use vintage silver and brass containers for holding my desk essentials.
As with all my silver, items are first washed, then wiped with Wright’s Silver Cream, and then rinsed thoroughly.
And in minutes, the silver cup shines beautifully.
And don’t forget the doggies – here’s Luna Muna getting groomed after an active day at the farm. Her paws are cleaned and her coat is brushed.
Lilium, my brown Persian longhair, watches from the rolling laundry basket.
And here’s Luna with her little baby, Half Moon, who doesn’t seem quite ready to take a nap just yet. There’s always a lot going on at my farm to keep it in good order. What tasks are you taking on this weekend?
Be sure to tune in to my newest podcast on the iHeart media app, or wherever you get your podcasts. These shows are when I sit down for one-on-one conversations with fascinating people to learn about their individual careers, how they evolved, and what stories they can share with listeners.
A couple of weeks ago, we all watched the Big Game. It was ranked the 2nd-most watched in its history, with more than 125 million viewers. We also watched the commercials - some of the most fun we'll see this year. But what do these spots cost to air? What does it take to create a winning campaign? And what have been some of the most memorable Big Game ads over the years? I went to the PepsiCo world headquarters in Purchase, New York to ask Mark Kirkham, Chief Marketing Officer for PepsiCo’s beverage division. It was a very interesting and informative conversation and a beautiful tour of the grounds.
Enjoy these photos and please listen to my podcast.
The PepsiCo world headquarters sits on more than 100 acres in the quaint hamlet of Purchase in the town of Harrison, New York – less than an hour from my farm. Seven buildings surround a center courtyard. This sculpture in a large water fountain is David Wynne’s “Girl with Dolphin.” It is one of 45 outdoor pieces included in the Donald M. Kendal Sculpture Gardens.
The square block buildings were designed with strips of dark windows topped by rows of tan stone. Trees and bushes line the courtyard and driveway.
The trees are meticulously manicured all around the complex. These buildings were designed by architect Edward Durrell Stone whose works also include the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Here is another view. The area is still under several inches of snow, but it is finally beginning to melt away.
Small ponds provide tranquil spaces for employees and guests who are free to visit the garden on weekends from March to November, and on selected holidays.
The corporate flag outside the complex is flown alongside the United States Stars and Stripes.
Here is another installation art piece on the grounds. The Donald M. Sculpture Gardens includes works from many modern artists including August Rodin, Henry Moore, and Alexander Calder.
These three tall sculptures are part of Arnaldo Pomodoro’s “Triad.” The sculpture garden was meant to create an “atmosphere of stability and creativity” according to former CEO Donald M. Kendall. I used to cater for the Kendall family and also for parties here at the headquarters – you’ll hear about it in my podcast.
Inside, the floors are spacious. This is an in-house cafeteria space offering, of course, PepsiCo products.
A big gumball machine also sits on the ground floor – and yes, it works. Two gumballs for a dollar.
And vintage bottle crates decorate the area – remember any of these?
Expansive beverage and work spaces fill other floors for department meetings.
Here I am with beverage division CMO Mark Kirkham just before my podcast began. During the show, I ask him the difference between marketing and advertising and why both are so important for every single American company. I ask him about the commercials his company produced for the Big Game and how they ranked against all the others. Which was your favorite? We talked about business, and how his brands have evolved. And we talked about consumers, what they want, and all the choices they have. It was a very informative conversation.
And here I am in the company golf cart after the podcast – yes, I am driving. Please listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts. It’s out now!
Gardeners, it's time to start those brassicas from seed.
Here at my farm, I always start the year off planting seeds indoors for the next growing season. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, started pots of broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage - all considered brassicas, or cole crops - a genus of plants in the mustard family, scientifically known as Brassicaceae, whose members are informally referred to as cruciferous vegetables. The seedlings will be nurtured in the greenhouse until they’re mature enough to move to my vegetable garden.
Enjoy these photos.
Here is one of my brassica beds in summer. I grow lots of brassicas and save them all for me and my family.
Cabbages are popular brassicas. A common variety, green cabbage, has densely packed green leaves that grow lighter towards the center. They’re just right for picking when they feel firm and have compacted leaves, with little to no wilting on the outer casings.
This is known as Savoy cabbage, with its loose layers of frilly leaves. This thick-ribbed head cabbage, also called curly cabbage, is delicious in salads and has a slightly peppery flavor.
Ranging from red to purple, this head cabbage has a stronger flavor than green cabbage and can be eaten cooked or raw, adding texture and snap to dishes.
You may recognize this brassica – it’s broccoli. I grew lots of broccoli every year. When mature, some of my broccoli heads are bigger than one’s hand.
Kale is a leafy green vegetable that is also in the Brassicaceae family. It has green or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head.
And another brassica or cruciferous vegetable is the cauliflower. The word “cauliflower” is Latin, meaning “flowers of cabbage” and the low-growing plant looks very similar to cabbage until the large leaves open up and reveal the “curd,” the most commonly consumed part of the vegetable. Most are familiar with the white varieties, but cauliflower also grows in yellow-orange, purple, and even green.
This time of year my head house tables are often filled with seeds ready to be planted in pots and trays. I use seeds from favorite sources, seeds I’ve picked up during my travels, and sometimes seeds exchanged with friends.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds is a privately held, employee-owned organic seed producer. Johnny’s offers hundreds of varieties of organic vegetable, herb, flower, fruit and farm seeds that are known to be strong, dependable growers.
And all the beautiful vegetables start out here in my head house seeded in small pots or trays. My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, prepares the pots ahead of time, so there are always some ready to use.
When starting from seed, it is best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss. Seed starting mixes are available at garden supply stores. I use Miracle-Gro seed starting potting mix.
Holes for the seeds can be made in the center of the containers with one’s finger or end of a marker.
Ryan writes the seed variety on small wooden markers also from Johnny’s. This information is good to know for planting the next season.
Ryan places markers in the pots to identify the varieties.
Seeds are small, so be very careful when pouring them out of the packet. Seeds are planted at different times depending on their maturity durations.
Ryan drops one to three seeds in each cell. Any weak seedlings will be thinned out later. When buying or ordering seeds, be sure to read the hardiness of the plant. And know your hardiness zone, so you can select the right seeds for your area.
Once the pots are seeded, they are covered up with another layer of soil mix.
Ryan spreads the soil mix across the pots completely and evenly.
Ryan gives the seeds a thorough watering. These seeds will be selectively thinned in a few weeks. The process eliminates the weaker sprout and prevents overcrowding, so seedlings don’t have any competition for soil nutrients or room to mature.
And then finally, the pots are placed under plastic covers and put on a shelf under lights in a warm area of my greenhouse. It’s still February, but let the growing season begin – I’m ready!
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