Here in Bedford, New York, we’re expecting rain throughout most of today with temperatures in the 50s - good weather for the recent overseeding we did in my pastures.
I am very fortunate to have several paddocks where my horses and donkeys can graze. Late winter to early spring is the best time to overseed these areas. Yesterday, my outdoor grounds crew tackled two enclosures. These tasks can be done with a variety of tools depending on the size of the space. In the larger paddock, we used a 60-inch tow behind lawn aerator and then a commercial sized rotary-spin broadcast spreader. In the other, a Ryan walk-behind core aerator and manual seed spreader. All the equipment got the jobs done quickly and efficiently.
Enjoy these photos.
The best day to overseed is when there is little to no wind, so the application can be done as evenly as possible. This day was perfect – no wind, mild temperatures, and a beautiful blue sky.
Early in the morning, Helen and Juan remove all the mangers from the two paddocks scheduled to be aerated and seeded.
Meanwhile, Chhiring attaches the tow-behind Pro-Aerator to our tractor. I am glad to be able to have all the farm equipment we need, but pieces like these can also be rented for a small fee.
Tow behind units tend to be at least twice as wide with twice as many spoons or tines as a residential walk behind aerator. Here is a close look at the tines that will aerate the soil. The main reason for aerating is to alleviate soil compaction. Compacted soils have too many solid particles in a certain volume or space, which prevents proper circulation of air, water, and nutrients.
Chhiring starts by going around the paddock clockwise from the outer edge working inward. He also overlaps his passes, so he doesn’t miss any areas.
As the Pro-Aerator runs over the field, the finger-like tines push into the soil making the holes.
After the winter, some areas are wetter than others. Fortunately, the large tire tread pattern allows the tractor to stay above the soil without getting stuck, especially in moist patches.
Here is one of the holes left by the aerator.
And here is one of the soil plugs. This paddock took about 20-minutes to complete.
After Chhiring is done aerating the paddock, he rinses off the equipment, so it is ready to use the next time. I always instruct the crew to take good care of our tools, so they can last many, many years.
This is a 3-point spreader, which can be attached to a variety of tractors to spread fertilizer or seed. This is great for spreading seed in our paddocks and in the hayfields.
Chhiring hooks it up to the center rear of the tractor.
We’re using a specialized pasture mixture formulated for horses.
This seed contains Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Timothy, Birdsfoot Trefoil, and Ladino Clover.
Once the spreader is attached and filled with enough seed, Chhiring heads out to the paddock again to begin overseeding – a process where grass seed is added to an already existing area which after germination serves to increase the density of the grass plants. This process reduces the aging process or natural decline of the turf.
Here, one can see the seed coming out of the spreader and onto the ground below. These seeds will get a good watering with the expected rain.
Meanwhile, Fernando is in the donkey paddock with our Ryan Lawnaire IV walk-behind aerator. This core aerator is self-propelled, which makes pushing and turning much easier. Fernando guides the aerator up and down the entire lawn, making sure he passes through every section.
These gas-powered walk-behind units are great for residential yards or smaller lawn spaces.
This aerator has 30 steel tines, which also remove small cores of soil from the ground.
Here is a section where the core aerator passed. The aerator removes soil plugs approximately two to three inches deep and about three inches apart.
All the excavated plugs are left alone to dry in the sun and crumble. The plugs can also be raked up after aerating.
The same equine pasture mix is used for the donkey field.
Pete works from the other side of the paddock, overseeding with a smaller, manual spreader. This will help to fill in any spots, and blend the new grass with the existing grass.
These paddocks will remain empty for a couple of weeks until the seeds germinate and grow – and then they’ll be beautiful, lush, and ready for grazing once again. What early outdoor spring chores are keeping you busy? Let me know in the comments section below.
Fashion industry icon, author, and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg is this year's recipient of the prestigious Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership Award.
Last weekend, I traveled to our nation’s capital to attend the exclusive third annual award ceremony and gala at the Library of Congress. The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation created the leadership award in 2020 in honor of Justice Ginsberg’s exemplary career and life. It was designed to 'acknowledge and celebrate exceptional women who have devoted themselves to the betterment of society, regardless of background, place and purpose.' It was a very special evening.
Enjoy these photos and see the images I posted on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48.
This is the United States Library of Congress. The library’s primary mission is to research inquiries made by members of Congress, which is carried out through the Congressional Research Service. It also houses and oversees the United States Copyright Office and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country.
I arrived right on time. It was a lovely evening. Behind me is the United States Capitol, also known as the Capitol Building, home of the United States Congress and the seat of the legislative branch of the US federal government. The Capitol is just across the street from the Library of Congress.
My friend Ari Katz attended the event with me. Here we are in front of the Library.
Many of the Library of Congress’ sculptures wore decorative masks made using Diane von Furstenberg fabrics with lace in memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg who was well known for wearing high lace collars.
The ceiling of the Library’s Great Hall at the front of the building is inlaid with six decorative stained-glass skylights and aluminum plating. Along the perimeter of the ceiling are the names of 10 authors, considered to have made great contributions to literature. They are Dante, Homer, Milton, Bacon, Aristotle, Goethe, Shakespeare, Moliere, Moses, and Herodotus.
The Library of Congress’s copy of the Gutenberg Bible was on display for all of the guests to see. The Gutenberg Bible is the first great book printed in Western Europe from movable metal type.
Ari and I took this photo at the entrance to the Library’s Main Reading Room on the ground floor of the Jefferson Building.
Above is a 160-foot-high, elaborately painted copper dome.
In all, there are 16 Reading Rooms at the Library of Congress, all with meticulously maintained desks where one can research, read, work, and in these modern times, sit and check emails.
Here I am with Nancy Pelosi and Diane von Furstenberg. (Photo by Tony Powell)
Photos were taken soon after all the guests arrived. I was in very good company. Some of those in attendance included Jennifer Flavin Stallone, Brendan Sullivan Jr., Ghada Irani, Julie Opperman, David Rubenstein, Teresa Carlson, Lynda Carter Altman, Howard Lorber, Diane von Furstenberg, Sylvester Stallone, Adrienne Arsht, and Carla Hayden.
Here is another photo where I join David Rubenstein, Howard Lorber, Brendan Sullivan Jr., Jennifer Flavin Stallone, Teresa Carlson, Adrienne Arsht, Diane von Furstenberg, Julie Opperman, and Ghada Irani.
Violinists played as we walked into the dining hall on the upper level of the Library.
Place cards were displayed on a large round table.
Here is Ari with Nicky Hilton Rothschild.
Distinguished attorney and Williams & Connolly senior partner, Brendan Sullivan Jr., addressed the audience.
Barry Diller looks on as his wife, Diane von Furstenberg, receives her award.
After dinner, a cake was brought out to celebrate Brendan Sullivan Jr.’s birthday.
And here is one more photo of the Capitol Building at night – so beautiful. Congratulations, Diane! What a wonderful evening.
So many of you comment on how much you enjoy my pet blogs - especially those that provide tips for making food for my four dogs, Bete Noire, Creme Brulee, Empress Qin, and Emperor Han.
Every few months, when I see that my supply is running low, I set aside time to make my dogs a batch of home-cooked food. Preparing my own dog food has many benefits - fewer preservatives and additives, more varied and better ingredients and, of course, more of what I know my dogs like to eat. I also know the food is from wholesome, organic, reputable sources - and that is very important to me. Over the weekend, we prepared a giant amount of food filled with excellent quality quinoa, turkey, fish, venison, and lots of nutritious, organic vegetables.
Enjoy these photos. And go to my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 for more.
Here’s my handsome Chow Chow Emperor Han, watching the birds from the terrace outside my Winter House kitchen. My dogs are very healthy. Look at Han’s coat – it’s so thick and abundant. My dogs’ good health and appearance are due, in part, to the food they eat. I love cooking for my dogs because I know exactly what they’re getting.
Inside, on the kitchen counter are some of the ingredients for my next batch of dog food. I currently have four dogs – my Chow Chows, Han and Empress Qin, and my French Bulldogs, Bete Noire and Creme Brulee. Having multiple dogs means there’s a lot to prepare. I use the best ingredients – butternut squash, carrots, broccoli, sweet potato, sweet peas, mixed vegetables of corn, green beans and more carrots, kale and Swiss chard from my greenhouse, and quinoa.
The meats include salmon, venison, and turkey. Each protein is cooked separately until tender.
These broccoli heads are cooked until fork tender also and placed in a big stainless steel bowl. All my food is completely organic and full of flavor.
Here are the carrots. My dogs love carrots. They are low in calories and high in fiber and vitamins. Occasionally crunching on raw carrots can also be good for their teeth.
In this pot, I cooked some of the mixed vegetables and added venison, which is deer meat.
The squash is roasted and then cut into chunks.
Here is a bowl filled with the mixed vegetables including the kale and Swiss chard from my greenhouse garden.
Sweet potatoes are also great for digestive health because they’re high in dietary fiber. They’re low in fat and contain vitamin B6, vitamin C, and manganese, and they’re rich in the powerful antioxidant beta-carotene.
In another pot, I include a turkey – the wild turkey that found its way to my chicken yard almost two years ago. Once the turkey meat is removed from the bones, any carcasses are saved for the coyotes – nothing goes to waste.
All the foods are cooked thoroughly and distributed equally into the bowls.
Next, Elvira runs everything through the food processor. This step may seem extraneous; however, I have found that my dogs prefer their food ground rather than in big chunks. And watch out for bones. While some of the bones will be ground in the processor, it is a good idea to always carefully check for potentially dangerous bones. Making my own dog food takes a bit of time to complete, but it is well worth the effort to feed my dogs the best food possible.
These quart-sized containers were pulled from the rack and laid out. This step of filling the containers is done in a production line process, so it can be completed quickly and efficiently. Can you guess how many containers we filled?
This was my biggest batch yet – 72 quarts in all! It’s very important that dogs also get adequate amounts of calcium, and omega-three fatty acids – add supplements if needed. And, always talk to a veterinarian or canine nutrition expert before changing a dog’s diet.
If planning to freeze, only fill up to the first line around the container so it has room to expand. The quarts of food are left to cool a bit before securing the lids.
Each lid is marked with the contents and the date it was prepared.
Some of the food will be stored in my Winter House kitchen refrigerator, so they are easy to access. The rest will be stored in freezers elsewhere until needed.
Here’s Enma scooping some food into the dog bowls for supper. We mix high quality kibble with a scoop of their home-prepared food. Enma mixes it thoroughly with the dogs’ additional vitamins and supplements.
And then it’s meal time! My dogs eat two meals a day – once in the morning and once in the evening. Splitting meal times is good for their digestion. Cooking for one’s dogs is a personal choice, but if you have time, and are interested in giving it a try, I know your pets will love every meal. Creme Brulee and Bete Noire are ready to eat!
This day was so nice, all the dogs ate al fresco in their yard behind my kitchen.
Han is the first to get his food and the first to finish. My dogs love their food and always lick their bowls clean.
It was a delicious meal for all. Qin seems very content. Now it’s time for a nap.
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