Here at my Bedford, New York farm, the peafowl are loving their newfound freedom.
Peafowl are very social birds - they usually travel in groups, enjoy exploring, and often play together, especially under the sunlight. They are also very loyal and tend to stay where they are well-fed and well-protected at night. I now have 17 of these magnificent birds. They live in a very safe and comfortable pen near my stable, where they get lots of attention from visiting friends. Recently, I started letting them out of their pen for a few hours during the day to roam and explore the property. And then just before sundown, they are led back to their coop for the night.
Enjoy these photos.
My peafowl are let out of their pen by late morning after all the dogs and cats have been exercised. I always call out to them whenever I drive by… and they always answer.
Here are two of my 17 peafowl in front of my stable. Peafowl are happiest when living in small groups. They often walk around following each other.
Peafowl are members of the pheasant family. There are two Asiatic species – the blue or Indian peafowl native to India and Sri Lanka, and the green peafowl originally from Java and Burma, and one African species, the Congo peafowl from African rain forests.
They are ground feeders. They do most of their foraging in the early morning and evening. As omnivores, they eat insects, plants, grains and small creatures. Here they have found the wild bird seed that has fallen from the feeders above.
Peafowl are very smart, docile and adaptable birds. They are also quite clever. It is not unusual for peafowl to come running when the food appears. Here is one jumping off a perch and back onto the ground.
The peafowl love coming up to my terrace parterre – they come looking for me every day. Remember, only the males are peacocks. The females are peahens, and both are called peafowl. Babies are peachicks. A family of peafowl is called a bevy. This is a male peacock. The peacock doesn’t grow its first train until three. And even then, it won’t be full grown or have showy ocelli. The train gets longer and more elaborate every year until five or six years old when it reaches maximum splendor.
The train of a peacock is used for mating and defense. Male peacocks attract female peacocks by showing off this array of elaborate feathers. When threatened, they also fan their tails out in order to look larger and intimidating. This peacock is very content resting on this bench on my terrace.
Here is a closer look at the mature male’s beautiful long tail with its elaborately colored feathers. The giant tail feathers are called coverts. They spread out in a distinctive train over more than 60 percent of the peacock’s body length. It has vibrant eye shaped markings in blue, green, gold, and other colors. Microscopic, crystal-like structures in the feathers reflect different wavelengths of light creating the bright, fluorescent hues.
Female peacocks are more dull brown in color.
This peahen has a green neck. As beautiful as peafowl are, they don’t make very melodious sounds. Peafowl have 11 different calls, with most of the vocalizing made by the peacocks. And, with their sharp eyesight, peafowl are quick to see predators and call out alarms. Oftentimes, I can hear them from across the farm.
Both male and female peafowl have a fan-shaped crest on their heads called a corona. It may take up to one year for a corona to reach full size.
And look at its feet. A peafowl’s legs are very strong. They have three toes on each foot facing forward, and one facing backwards. They also have sharp, powerful metatarsal spurs that are used for defense. Also, as they develop, males will tend to have longer legs than females.
Peafowl also have acute hearing, but can be poor at discerning from what direction certain sounds originate.
This one has a gorgeous royal blue neck. Some will be more tame and more friendly than others. Since most of them have grown up here at the farm, they aren’t shy at all. In fact, the peafowl are all very accustomed to all the visits.
And here is an all-white peacock. He seems to be the leader of the group – wherever he goes, the rest will follow.
Here they are on the wall in front of my Winter House kitchen – just watching all the activity around the farm.
Peafowl will look at you in the eye; however, if you stare at them or seem aggressive in your body movements, these birds will feel threatened. Talking softly and keeping eyes averted tells them you are not a predator.
Peacocks are one of the loudest animals on earth, calling out to each other during the morning and late evening. Peacocks make meowing sounds when it is going to rain. They also make alarm calls when they sense danger. This one is looking out over the paddocks from the burlap covered urn.
While peafowl are ground feeders and ground nesters, they still enjoy roosting at higher levels. In the wild, this keeps them safe from predators at night. Here are three perched on the fence of my flower cutting garden.
Most peacocks will do all their exploring on foot. I am so pleased with how happy they are here at my farm. My ostentation of peafowl is growing and thriving. This peacock is heading down the carriage road back to his pen – it must be time for supper.
It's always so important to keep up with the maintenance at my working Bedford, New York farm - especially the four miles of carriage road that meander around my homes, my gardens, my horse paddocks, and through the expansive woodland.
Yesterday, Pete Sherpa and Fernando Ferrari took on the task of raking the roads with our new Land Pride Power Rake PR1690. It's an attachment that fits our new Kubota M4-071 tractor. The equipment works in tandem to grade, level, and shape the gravel on the surface. Once the road is raked, our trusted Polaris Ranger follows behind with our own soft rake system to pick up any fallen leaves or light debris.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This is our new Kubota M4-071 tractor. It’s designed to use auxiliary equipment such as the L1154 front loader that helps us transport so many things around the farm – potted plants, mulch, wood, etc.
On the back is our Land Pride PR1690 Power Rake. This piece of equipment has a 90-inch rake to work on large properties. We are using it to rake and grade the carriage roads, but it is also capable of windrowing soil, rocks, and debris in a field.
Here is a closer look at the roller of the power rake. When it is lowered onto the road surface and tilted to the proper angle, this attachment moves the gravel and road dust to the center, creating the proper crown for the surface. There should be about a three-percent slope from the shoulder to the center of the 12-foot wide road.
Before any of the road work begins, it is important to blow all the leaves or needles, so the edges of the road are clearly visible. Fernando fills the tanks of our STIHL blowers. I’ve been using STIHL blowers for many years.
Pete and Fernando work together to blow both sides of the carriage road near my tennis court. These blowers are powerful and fuel-efficient. The gasoline-powered engines provide enough rugged power to tackle heavy debris while delivering much lower emissions.
And then Pete takes the wheel of the tractor and slowly drives along the road. One can see the gravel and road dust being picked up by the roller and moved.
Our Kubota tractor has large wheels – almost five feet in diameter. These wheels are made to have big grip pads that “bite” into the ground and also prevent it from sinking into wet soil.
The power rake freshens up the gravel as it turns and brings any compacted gravel to the surface.
Not far behind, Fernando is doing what we call “dragging” the road. Here he is in our Polaris Ranger. I love these off-road vehicles. We use them every day for so many tasks.
We created this special device to rake the gravel, so it is even and also picks up any debris along the way. This is done every couple of weeks to keep the roads looking neat and tidy.
It is made from four soft garden rakes attached to a wooden frame. It is crucial to maintain gravel roads, so water can flow properly during storms.
Here is Pete passing my tropical hoop house. He drives along one side of the carriage road and then the other to cover every part of the surface.
And here is Fernando close behind.
When maintaining a road it is important to ensure it has a crowned driving surface and a shoulder area that slopes directly away from the edge for water drainage. During this time of year, we also place wooden stakes, made right here at the farm, along the carriage roads to delineate the road from the grass. Each stake is about three feet tall, so it is well seen above any snow drifts.
Here is our duo again – this time on the road near my American beech grove going toward the woodland.
In this section of the road, there is a small pothole, or a depression in the surface, where traffic and water have removed the gravel.
As the tractor and power rake drive over it – very slowly – about three miles per hour, it moves the gravel and dust to level the area and get rid of the depression.
This is what it looks like after the power rake clears the road.
And here is Fernando going over the same spot.
I love how the roads look after they are done. I built these carriage roads this way because they provide the best footing for my horses. It takes a bit of time to power rake and “drag” the four-miles of carriage road, but they all look so well-groomed once it is completed.
I’m always so excited to see photos of our staff’s Thanksgiving Day celebrations.
Every year before Thanksgiving, I send out an email to all our employees and partners, extending my very best wishes for a safe and lovely holiday. I also urge them to take photos of their table settings, their feasts, their families, and their friends. And, every year, I’m always so thrilled to see the pictures and to read the many stories that accompany them.
Many of you also comment on how much you look forward to seeing our annual Thanksgiving gallery, so here it is - enjoy.
Marquee SVP of Marketing, Stella Cicarone, hosted Thanksgiving at her lovely home. Here is the beautifully set table. This year, Stella was inspired by one of my decorating ideas to place pumpkins upon cake stands. They look great.
Our CEO, Neil Fiske and his wife, Sonya, enjoyed a wonderful holiday at their home with family and friends. Sonya says they always use her grandmother’s vintage Metlox Red Rooster dinnerware for the table setting.
Here’s a closer look at the Red Rooster plates. Metlox Pottery was founded in 1927 by T.C. Prouty and his son Willis Prouty. This collection was among a few that were well known for the brightly colored glazes derived from locally mined metallic oxides. The place cards are from a local shop in Old Chatham, New York called The Punctilious Mr. P’s.
This was the first time the Fiskes used my Perfect Roast Turkey 101 recipe. Here is their turkey with the cheesecloth ready to be removed.
It was a huge success! This recipe really is excellent. It makes a plump and regal roast turkey, with crisp, golden-brown skin.
Here’s Neil carving the turkey just before serving.
Of course, Sonya also loves a bit of whimsy, so she made turkey shaped butter molds for the table.
There’s always time for a group photo! Here are some of their friends who attended the Fiske feast – Lance, Laura, Matt, Francie, along with Sonya’s son Jonah Ernst and his dog Ziggy.
Marquee Brand Manager, Sabrina Blaustein, celebrated Thanksgiving at her boyfriend’s parents’ home in Katonah, New York. This is a photo of their beautiful table before all their Thanksgiving favorites were served.
And here’s Brandy, the family’s happy Golden Retriever.
Since Chanukah started early this year, Sabrina also celebrated at her aunt’s house in Connecticut with a feast of latkes, a family gift exchange and games! In this group photo – Morgan Fried, Natalie Fried, Steven Fried, Jacob Fried, Leslie Brazda, Allison Mason, Sharon Mason, Glenn Mason, Fran Blaustein, Cheryl Podob, and Emily Podob.
Vanessa Arnold, Manager of Strategic Partnerships, had her family dinner in Nutley, New Jersey – my hometown, and hers. Her family started with castelvetrano olives, fig jam, artichoke hearts, and aged cheddar.
There was also homemade stuffed olive bread – how can one go wrong?
Here’s a view of Vanessa’s table and all the fixings. It was a very relaxed Thanksgiving filled with good food, humility, and love during a rather rough year.
In this photo – Vanessa’s husband Scott, her daughter Hadleigh, son Liam, and mother Mary Ann.
This photo includes Vanessa herself.
My longtime Special Projects Producer, Judy Morris, enjoyed her holiday with the family at her Weston, Connecticut home. She decorated her table with mismatched copper candlesticks bought at various tag sales, an Indian sari silk table runner Judy made herself, and an antique bench she painted raccoon fur gray then covered with a faux fur blanket for the meal.
She also used a variety of greens and fall-colored flowers as part of her centerpiece.
Our own Brand Director, Alexa Halsell, made the Coconut-Pecan-Caramel Sandwich Cookies, from my Baking Handbook. Alexa says “they were a huge hit with my family and disappeared shortly after I set them down to take this photo.”
This table for six was set by my Operations Manager, Stephanie Lofaro, at her Fairfield, Connecticut home where she enjoyed the holiday meal with her husband, Chuck, and some friends.
Jen Cho, Design Director for Branch & Twig, shared this photo of her sons at the table. Beckett is three and Asher is six. Jen’s caption read, “this is going great.”
Susanne Ruppert, who is Editorial Director of my books, shared the following photos of some of her Thanksgiving dishes. Here are Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and beets roasted in a cast-iron skillet.
These potpies were made with the leftovers from Susanne’s Thanksgiving – sometimes leftovers are the best part of the meal!
These are homemade marshmallow fluff, toasted on twice baked sweet potatoes made by Rich Aiello, father of Robert Aiello from our Inventory Costing/AP team. Robert says his dad is an incredible home cook and also loves big football tailgate parties where he serves a full buffet style spread that includes a deep-fried turkey for all his guests.
Marquee Chief People Officer, Nicole Mascera, shared this photo of her table. Nicole hosted alongside friends in Westport, Connecticut. Her celebration included 24 in all.
This is the home of Christian Martin, President of Marquee Media. He and his family hosted a gathering for eight in Sharon, Connecticut.
Their table was decorated in white, gray, and fall shades of orange.
Later that afternoon, they also got three inches of snow. Their 10-month old Labrador Retriever, Appa, seems more interested in the snowfall than any of the delicious foods.
This photo came from Claudia McKenna-Lieto, Executive Assistant to Chef Daniel Boulud. She calls it “Apple Pie en Deux.” Claudia says these apple tarts should have been one pie, but turned into two rustic tarts in order save about 15 minutes or so! I think they look amazing – and I am sure they tasted even better.
This table photo was submitted by Sara Dennis, SVP Design for Motherhood and A Pea in a Pod. Her Thanksgiving table was set in Princeton, New Jersey by her brother, Greg Dennis and his wife Sarah Rulon-Miller Dennis. The placemats are from gregorydennis.com, her brother’s newly launched homewares line.
Here’s my Stable Manager, Helen Peparo, with her niece, Adriana, and her nephew, Giovanni.
Seven year old Adriana loves a theme and set the table for the family gathering.
Here she is posing with a loaf of sourdough bread Helen baked to look like a “turkey.”
And here is Helen’s sister-in-law, Kristen Peparo, with the full entree spread. Kristen hosted this year and did a wonderful job.
My business partner for my skincare line, 86 Elm, Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali, had a wonderful Thanksgiving with his family. They enjoyed an Indian and American vegetarian Thanksgiving at his parent’s upstate New York home. It included tofurkey, vegetarian pot pie and stuffing, pomegranate Brussel sprouts with a date glaze, and smaller Indian sides such as thepla – flavorful flatbreads made with spices, herbs, yogurt, whole wheat flour and millet flours.
Here is Dr. B with his niece and twin nephews. The little ones gave me a shout out – “Hi Martha Aunty!”
Cheryl DuLong, who works up at Skylands, my home in Maine, celebrates Thanksgiving a couple weeks early every year when she visits her son, Torrey Grant, and his fiancee, Michaela, in Syracuse, New York. Cheryl sends photos from her family and “Friendsgiving” every year.
To start – Maine oysters!
Cheryl’s son makes a big platter of short ribs every Thanksgiving.
They also had all those well-loved sides including this roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon.
And garlic mashed potatoes.
For dessert, Cheryl makes her own rendition of pumpkin charlotte – a creamy, no-bake dessert that’s perfect for entertaining. Instead of the traditional lady fingers, she uses Milano cookies. It is always a big hit.
And here is Cheryl’s no-bake chocolate eclair cake made with vanilla wafers.
J.C. Roberts is my Business Manager at my farm. He enjoyed turkey at his parents’ home.
And when he and his wife returned to their own home, his kitty Ivy was already tucked in bed, but waiting up for any treats they may have brought with them. I love seeing all these photos. I hope you did also. And I hope you all enjoyed a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving with those near and dear. Happy holidays.
And here’s a photo from one of our Instagram @marthastewartshop followers tagged with #imsomartha!
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