We can all work together to eradicate hunger and food insecurity in our communities.
Last week, while I was in southern California attending the Big Game, I also partnered with Ralphs, a division of The Kroger Co. and its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste campaign, to Team Up to End Hunger at a fundraiser in LA's Downtown Arts District. The event benefited The Los Angeles Mission which has been providing vital assistance to people in the area since 1936. On Game Day, the second biggest food consumption day of the year after Thanksgiving, we hosted a fun competition for volunteers and influencers to see who could pack the most meal kits in the shortest amount of time. Up to 200 meals along with a grant for $100,000 were given to The Los Angeles Mission to help the area's neediest residents. It was a very fun event and a very special cause.
Enjoy these photos.
Whenever I travel, I try to do as much as possible. These trips are even more special when I can help a good cause – like fighting hunger and food insecurity in our country. More than 100 volunteers, influencers, spectators, press, and friends gathered at this Zero Hunger | Zero Waste event in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
The inside of the 15-thousand square foot WUF Studios space was decorated with a football sports theme – inspired, of course, by the Big Game itself. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
Cheerleaders welcomed the guests at the entrance…
…And performed spirited cheers throughout the two-hour event.
Band players were also on hand. This sousaphone player and trombone player took a short break to smile for the camera. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
Many volunteers attended to support the initiative and the Los Angeles Mission – a non-profit, private organization that serves the immediate and long-term needs of homeless and disadvantaged men, women and children. The Mission is among the nation’s largest service providers and works hard to supply meals, hot showers, safe shelter, and other life-giving aid to those in need. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
Enthusiastic spectators and fans watched from bleacher seats on the side lines. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
And here I am with Sarah Meyer Michaelson, owner of ROE Caviar – one of my favorite caviars.
Teams worked hard to pack as many meal kits as possible.
Meals included nutritious, delicious, fresh Game Day sandwiches. I made sure they were made big and filled with lots of ingredients. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
Everyone had a fun time working for a very special cause. Do you know… one in eight Americans struggles with hunger every day? According to the USDA, more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, in the United States are food insecure. We can all work to end hunger in our communities. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
Denise Osterhues, senior director of sustainability & social impact at The Kroger Co., addressed the audience and thanked everyone for attending. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
The Kroger communications team was there rooting everyone on, including director of corporate affairs, John Votava, on the right. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
I joined event MC, Ben Glieb, as Ralphs presents its check for 100-thousand dollars to The Los Angeles Mission. Ralphs and Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact campaign team is committed to ridding hunger in its communities by 2025. This check will help feed thousands of Americans. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
I always notice the Frenchies. Here I am with Nikki Star of IG @WTFrenchies, and her furred twosome.
London Kaye, a local yarn artist, also displayed some of her works in the space. See more of her work @madebylondon.
Here, a volunteer stands next to some of the meal kits he helped prepare. Did his team come out victorious? (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
It was a very fun and inspirational event. Ralphs customers are also invited to join in the Team Up to End Hunger effort by rounding up in-store purchases or making cash donations at all 95 Ralphs locations in Los Angeles County throughout February with all proceeds benefitting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. If you are in the area, I encourage you to help. For more information, click on the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste web site. (Photo by Ethan Glanger)
Winter is the best time to cover garden beds with a rich layer of organic mulch.
Last spring, I began planting hundreds of azaleas on both sides of the carriage road leading from my Summer House to my Stable - so far, they're all doing excellently. Recently, I decided to cover the grass surrounding these plants with old burlap and mulch. Mulched areas help prevent the growth of weeds and cuts down on watering and mowing. Fortunately, we are able to make lots of mulch, and compost, right here at my farm. The new layer of mulch has transformed these azalea gardens and they look great.
Enjoy these photos.
I began this azalea project in April of 2021 with the planting of these white azaleas just outside my Summer House garden.
They were followed by more azaleas in different shades of pink.
These azaleas grew beautifully all summer and I continued to add more on both sides of this carriage road, ending with specimens in yellow and orange.
These plants are now dormant – many without their leaves. This winter’s weather has been very erratic. Some days have been bitterly cold and others mild and spring like.
When I planned this garden, I knew I wanted to eventually mulch the entire area, so this week, my outdoor grounds crew took on this task.
Any old burlap no longer suitable for covering boxwood for winter was taken out and repurposed.
The burlap was unrolled and placed around the azaleas and area trees.
Holes were made where the azaleas were planted.
And where there were no plants, the burlap was positioned in long swaths following the shapes of the tree pits.
Here’s Chhiring unloading the mulch from the dump truck, so it can be transported in wheelbarrows to various areas. 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. This mulch is made right here at my farm from downed trees that have been put through the tub grinder multiple times.
Each wheelbarrow is filled with mulch and then walked to a designated place in the garden. The crew works efficiently in a production line process.
The mulch is then dropped in mounds and spread evenly throughout the space. Spreading a two to three inch layer of mulch will suppress weed germination, retain moisture, and insulate the soil.
During the course of the year, my outdoor grounds crew amasses large amounts of organic debris – felled trees, branches, leaves, etc., but none of the material goes to waste. It is either repurposed quickly as milled lumber and wood chips, or made into mulch and compost.
Chhiring uses a hard rake to spread the mulch and break up any clumps that are still frozen.
Working from another side, Phurba uses a soft rake to even the mulch nicely around the plantings, making sure every bit of burlap is covered.
Once an area is complete, it looks so pretty.
With this organic mulch, heavy soils are better equipped to hold water and resist compaction – reducing erosion and runoff. There is still some snow left over from a previous storm, but on this day, temperatures rose to almost 60-degrees Fahrenheit – there was a lot of melting everywhere.
Remember, when mulching tree pits, be sure to pull the mulch away from the base of the tree trunk and not up against the trunk.
Using mulch around the farm is a wonderful way to beautify the gardens and to give back to the earth. It all looks great – I can’t wait to see these azaleas bloom again.
And it won’t be long now – look, there are already signs of spring buds on some of these plants. I will be sure to share many more photos of my azaleas when they flower this year – stay tuned.
There's never a dull moment here at my Bedford, New York farm. Not only does my outdoor grounds crew work hard to maintain the property, but they also keep on top of any repairs that need attention.
Recently, my Fell pony, Banchunch, accidentally broke the hay manger out in his paddock. He was rubbing against the side to soothe an itch when all of a sudden the wooden stand collapsed and broke. Fortunately, Pete Sherpa, who has worked here at my farm for many years, is an excellent carpenter and was able to fix the manger quickly - and now it's stronger than ever.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Horses often back up to fences or other objects to rub their rumps, hips, and tails. On this day, Banchunch rubbed a little too hard on the hay rack and the stand fell apart. Some of the wood was already timeworn and in need of replacing, so Pete took on the task right away.
The manger, hay feeder, or hay rack is wooden or metal structure for feeding domestic livestock such as cattle, horses, and goats. This one is made of galvanized steel, but I had custom stands made for all my hay feeders for easier access. Pete took the manger up to our wood shop and removed the remaining broken pieces.
Here is one side of the stand that needs replacing. Luckily, we always save wood from other projects, so Pete had everything he needed for this job.
One of the most important rules in carpentry is to double-check one’s measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood. Here, Pete makes sure he cuts the wood to match the existing pieces of the stand.
I have all the necessary tools to do most tasks here at the farm. Pete uses this circular table saw to cut the cedar 2 x 4 and miter its ends.
And then he measures again to ensure it’s perfect – and it is.
Next, he makes pilot holes for the large screws he will use to keep the pieces secure and “Banchunch” proof.
Longer leg pieces are measured and cut.
The stand is coming together pretty quickly, but Pete wants to make it extra durable.
Here, Pete measures wood for a center piece half way down the side.
This piece will give it more stability. Pete makes sure it is straight before attaching it to the existing pieces.
One side down and one more to go.
Pete secures the newly built side to the manger using three inch screws.
Here is a view from the top.
Then he uses four inch bolts with matching washers and nuts to make it even stronger. Both sides are now attached to the manger.
Pete stops for a quick photo. The hay feeder is almost done.
Next, he measures a piece to secure across the bottom so the two sides are also connected.
Finally, Fernando, who is our resident painting expert, paints the entire piece my signature “Bedford Gray.”
Fernando applies two good coats of paint. The stand will dry overnight in the wood shop.
Early the next morning, Dawa and Pete return the manger to the paddock.
This stand looks as good as new, and should now last several years. Thanks Pete and Fernando!
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