Autumn in Maine signals several important maintenance chores at my home, Skylands.
Because winters can be rather harsh in the Northeast, I pay very close attention to the preparations made before the season’s arrival. This includes the meticulous care of the landscape, and the carriage roads that meander through the woods. Danish landscape architect, Jens Jensen, designed the grounds at Skylands for the home’s original owner, Edsel Ford, in 1925. Not only was the main house constructed out of pink granite, but the driveways and all the carriage roads were laid with the same finely crushed stone. To preserve the pink granite gravel, which is very common on Mount Desert Island, I make sure it is removed and stored before winter every year, and then sifted and cleaned in spring before it is laid on the roads for the summer season. Last week, my outdoor grounds crew at Skylands took on the task of removing and storing the stone with the help of our new Kubota M4-071 and its durable front loader and bucket attachment.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I’m always on the lookout for innovative, sensible, and easy-to-use tools and supplies to use around my homes. I am a big fan of Kubota tractors. Not long ago, our new Kubota M4-071 arrived at Skylands, my home in Maine.
This Kubota tractor is sure to get lots of use at Skylands – pulling and pushing, plowing, transporting, and so much more. It was also very important to have a tractor with an enclosed cab. This M4-071 offers a wide cab for increased visibility and comfort during the very cold Maine months.
Rick Andros is my property manager at Skylands. Here he is inspecting the engine and getting familiar with the machinery.
The new Kubota is stored in the tractor garage, where it can be kept dry and in good condition.
Here, one can see the Kubota front loader and bucket attachment. The two provide excellent lifting power. This attachment can also be used and driven with a slanted boom, so the operator has good visibility ahead and on the sides.
This is the compost area at Skylands. On one side, we store all the pink gravel for the winter.
This crushed pink granite is distinct to Mount Desert Island. It is a pink coarse-grained hornblende granite that contains the mineral, biotite.
Last week, the crew at Skylands used the tractor to organize the piles of pink granite, so there was more room for more stone. Rick operates the tractor from inside the cab – completely free from the flying gravel dust.
The rear wheels have about a five-foot radius with deep treads for excellent gripping and traction.
The entire process of picking up all the granite from the carriage roads and storing it neatly takes a few days. Here, the bucket is able to lift hundreds of pounds of stone at a time…
… and then move it to the top of the pile.
This is what my driveway looks like in summer, when all the pink granite gravel covers the roads. Each of the carriage roads is 12-feet across, and is covered with at least a couple inches of the crushed stone.
And here it is as the stone is blown and gathered. Peter Grubb and Amos Price are both using our trusted STIHL backpack blowers – another piece of equipment I’ve been using for many years at Skylands and at my Bedford, New York farm. The gravel is blown to the center – one operator on each side.
… starting at the very edge and working inward.
Here you can see the gravel pile begin to narrow. Underneath the crushed pink granite is pure carriage road – built using layers of crushed rock, and several inches of crown for proper drainage that are perfect for horse-drawn carriage rides, bicycling, and walking.
It takes quite a bit of time to go over all the roads, but it is well-worth the effort to preserve the precious gravel. Here, the pink gravel is ready for the next phase of the process.
The gravel is scooped up and placed into the dump truck and then delivered to the pink gravel storage pile. In spring, the pink gravel will be sifted, washed and then laid down on the roads once again.
This is what my circular driveway at the font of Skylands looks like after the pink gravel is picked up. Now the road is ready for the winter season ahead.
I like to do this process before too many of the leaves start to fall, so leaf debris doesn’t get mixed in with the gravel. This also helps when the gravel is cleaned and redistributed in the spring.
And here’s our Kubota – ready to head to another task at Skylands.
This week I attended the opening party for the newly minted marketplace located at Pier 17 in lower Manhattan. More than 1,200 guests including culinary masters and influencers joined me to celebrate. The 53,000 square-foot building houses six restaurants, six fast-casual counters, four bars, a private dining room, a central grocery, pantry shops, and so much more. There were entertainers and performances at every turn - chefs on stilts, a Shamisen violinist, Japanese artists, and an opening scene of "newsies" who greeted attendees with Tin Building newspapers.
It was the party of the year at the reimagined Tin Building! Enjoy these photos.
I was so happy to attend the opening of the Tin Building by my friend, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Here we are posing for press photos taken in front of what is called a “step and repeat” – a banner printed with a repeating pattern showing the event’s hosting brand logos. (Photo from BFA)
The Tin Building is based within what was once the location for the Fulton Fish Market, which operated in this district from the mid-19th century until relocating to The Bronx in 2005. The design of the structure includes a corrugated metal façade with decorative two-story sheet metal pilasters. Chef Jean-Georges says It was one of the first places he visited when he came to New York City in 1985. (Photo by Nicole Franzen)
On Wednesday, Chef Jean-Georges and The Howard Hughes Corporation marked the Tin Building’s official grand opening. This fish inspired art installation hanging from the ceiling is a nod to the building’s history. It is by Michael Murphy of Perceptual Art and features a school of fish. (Photo by Nicole Franzen)
The building’s interior design by Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors takes a lot of inspiration from early 20th century New York City style. Here is the fish counter filled with the freshest foods – a raw bar, crudo, fried clams, and of course, fish and chips. This photo and several others were taken by our own Kevin Sharkey who accompanied me to the opening. Follow him on Instagram @seenbysharkey.
Tin Building showcases many different shops. This is an Asian food boutique called Mercantile East where customers can find salts, soy sauces, chile oils, teas, spices, and much more. (Photo by Nicole Franzen)
This is Taquito, a taco window located upstairs at the Tin Building. Among the menu favorites – shaved beef a la plancha tacos and roasted chicken tacos. (Photo by Nicole Franzen)
Hard to miss the colorful Spoiled Parrot – a pink candy store filled with artisanal chocolates, candies, and other sweets for both the young and the young at heart. (Photo by Nicole Franzen)
In another corner, the T Cafe offers guests coffee and pastries. (Photo by Nicole Franzen)
Seeds and Weeds is another sit-down eatery offering seasonal, vegetarian plates. (Photo by Nicole Franzen)
And here is one of several cocktail bars in the Tin Building – there’s something for everyone. (Photo by Nicole Franzen)
This is the Chinese restaurant House of Red Pearl, which serves a variety of regional and traditional Chinese dishes. (Photo by Nicole Franzen)
And there’s T Brasserie, where customers can order steak tartare, burgers, ribs, charcuterie, or rotisserie chicken. (Photo by Nicole Franzen)
Soon after entering the marketplace, I was greeted by “newsies” holding copies of Tin Building newspapers announcing the opening. I hope you caught my photo on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48.
And here I am with one of the chefs on stilts.
There were performers in every corner of the market. (Photo from BFA)
Back at the Mercantile, a performer hid under a lampshade – also inspired by entertainers of the 1920s and 30s. (Photo from BFA)
The music filled the space with energy and excitement. (Photo from BFA)
All the opening night bites were fantastic. Of course, I couldn’t pass up the caviar.
I stopped for a photo with celebrated fashion consultant, Fern Mallis.
And here’s a fun photo of me with Anne Dexter-Jones and Brooke Shields.
The Tin Building is an amazing culinary experience for everyone, and a great source for delicious foods and food items from around the world. Congratulations, Chef Jean-Georges. Please visit the Tin Building the next time you’re in New York City – maybe I’ll see you there! (Photo from BFA)
Here in the Northeast, we're expecting cloudy skies today with temperatures in the high 60s with no rain until late tonight - a good opportunity to bale lots of hay before the remnants of Hurricane Ian hit our region this weekend.
Hay is a harvested plant that’s dried and cured after being cut in the field. In most cases, hay is cut during the late bud or early bloom stage to maximize its nutritional value. This week, my outdoor grounds crew cut, tedded, raked, and then baled the hay from one of my three giant fields - they'll continue today. They did a first cut in late June. This is the second cut - it's greener, more dense, and filled with lots of protein - my horses love it.
Enjoy these photos.
This time every year, we always hope for at least several days of good, dry weather, so we can get a nice cut of hay from the fields. Timing is everything when it comes to cutting the hay crop. The last few days have been perfect for this year’s second cut.
The best time to do any cutting is when grasses have reached what is called the “late boot stage”. This stage is typically reached after six to eight weeks of growth after a previous cutting. The “late boot stage” is when the seed head of the grasses first pops out of the sheath. Second cut hay has a finer texture and usually, a greener color and heavier leaves. It is more dense, the leaves are more tender. This field was cut at the beginning of the week and then left to dry for three days.
This is a hay tedder. A tedder spreads and fluffs the hay in a uniform swath after it is cut. It basically turns the hay, so it can dry completely.
The tedder uses a rotary motion to grab the hay with spinning tines and then casts it out the back of the machine. Here is a closer look at the tines, or moving forks, which aerate or “wuffle” the hay and speed up the drying process.
After the hay is tedded, it is then raked. Raking the hay is the fastest part of the process. There are different kinds of rakes – they include wheel rakes, rotary rakes and parallel bar or basket rakes. Domi is using a parallel bar rake. This type uses a gentle raking action with a lower chance of soil contamination than the wheel rake.
The parallel bar rake picks up the cut and drying hay and rakes it into windrows that can be baled. A windrow is a long line of raked hay laid out to dry in the wind. Here, one can see the hay being lifted by the rake.
In this photo, one can see the windrow as it is made. The hay rake is pulled at a slight angle to the tractor as it moves. Domi moves at about six to eight miles per hour. The speed actually makes a difference in creating the windrows – slower speed results in a wider windrow that is not well filled in the middle. High speed results in a narrower windrow that is over filled in the middle.
And here, one can see the windrow after Domi passes by. Domi goes over the entire hayfield to make as many wide, fluffy windrows as possible.
Next, Chhiring pulls the baler with our trusted Kubota M4-071 tractor – a vehicle that is used every day here at the farm.
A 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.
Here is the motor that helps to move and propel the bales into the wagon. A measuring device – the spiked wheel on the left – is turned by the emerging bales. It measures the amount of material that is being compressed and then knotters wrap twine around the bale and tie it off.
Once it is tied, it moves up this conveyor belt…
…and then gets thrown into this trailer where Pasang and Phurba work together to grab the bales and stack them. Our wagon is covered to protect the bales from any unexpected rain and to offer shade to the crew stacking the bales as they are thrown.
The bales are 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.
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. In less than an hour, the wagon is almost completely filled with bales of hay.
Chhiring drives the tractor and starts the process midday when there is the least amount of moisture. The tractor rides to one side of the windrow while the baler passes directly over it to collect the hay.
And every few seconds another bale emerges and shoots into the wagon. 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 a closer look at the “square” of hay. My hay is a mixture of timothy, orchard grass, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and clovers – all great for my horses.
Once the wagon is full, it is brought to this run-in shed at one end of the field. This is where the hay bales will be stored until it is needed.
To get the bales up into the hayloft, a long motorized bale conveyor, or hay elevator, is set up. A hay elevator is an open skeletal frame, with a chain that has dull three-inch spikes every few feet to grab bales and drag them along. It is powered by a portable generator and it works as a pulley system on a track that moves the bales up to the loft.
The bales are loaded one by one onto the elevator and then at the top each bale is released from the elevator for manual stacking. This process continues one bale at a time from the wagon to the hayloft… until the entire wagon is empty.
In general, a standard 40-pound “square” bale of hay lasts one horse about three days, but this also depends on the individual horse, the type of hay, and the amount of access to pasture grass. It makes me so happy to know I can grow good, nutritious hay for my horses right here at my farm. They all love it.
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