Mink farm (after 1900)

A mink farm in the United States

Fur farming is the practice of breeding or raising certain types of animals for their fur.

Fur used from animals caught in the wild is not considered farmed fur, and is instead known as 'wild fur'. Most of the world’s farmed fur is produced by European farmers. There are 6,000 fur farms in the EU. ^[1][2][3] The EU accounts for 63% of global mink production and 70% of fox production. Denmark is the leading mink-producing country, accounting for approximately 28% of world production. Other major producers include China, the Netherlands, the Baltic States, and the U.S.^[4] Finland is the largest United States supplier of fox pelts. The United States is a major exporter of furskins. Major export markets include China, Russia, Canada, and the EU. Exports to Asia as a share of total exports grew from 22% in 1998 to 47% in 2002.^[5] China is the largest importer of fur pelts in the world, therefore making them the largest re-exporter of finished fur products.^[6]

Fur farming is banned in Austria,^[7][8] Croatia (started on January 1, 2007, with a 10 year phase out period),^[8][9] and the United Kingdom.^[10][11] In Switzerland, the regulations for fur farming are very strict, with the result that there are no fur farms.^[8] Some other countries have a ban on fur farming of certain types of animals.

Demand fell in the late 1980s and 1990s because of a number of factors, including the failure of designers to come up with exciting new lines, and also the efforts of animal rights campaigners. Since the turn of the millennium, however, sales worldwide have soared to record highs, fuelled by radically new techniques for working with fur, and a sharp rise in disposable income in China and Russia. This growing demand has led to the development of extensive fur farming operations in countries such as China and Poland.

History[link]

Cat skins

While wearing fur clothing in cold weather as protection goes back to the stone age, the source for this material came from the wild. As human populations grew, furs, leathers and hides for use in clothing came from farm stock such as sheep (sheepskin), rabbits, cattle, pigs and goats. The earliest records of breeding mink for fur in North America were in the 1860s. Foxes were first raised on farms for fur in Prince Edward Island in Canada in 1895.^[3]

Historically, the fur trade played an important economic role in the United States. Fur trappers explored and opened up large parts of North America, and the fashion for beaver hats led to intense competition for supplies of raw materials. Starting in the latter half of the 20th century, producers and wearers of fur have been criticized by animal rights activist because of the perceived cruelty involved in animal trapping and because the availability of synthetic fibers (from petroleum oil) that competed with natural fibres such as fur and wool.

Today, 80 percent of the fur clothing industry's pelts come from animals raised on farms. The rest is from animals caught in the wild. The most farmed fur-bearing animal is the mink (50 million annually), followed by the fox (about 4 million annually). Asiatic and Finnish raccoon and chinchilla are also farmed for their fur. 64 percent of fur farms are in Northern Europe, 11 percent are in North America, and the rest are dispersed throughout the world, in countries such as Argentina and Russia.^[12]

Various types[link]

Mink[link]

Mink colours

Mink have been farmed for fur in the United States for 130 years. In 2010, the U.S. ranked fifth in production behind Denmark, China, the Netherlands and Poland. Mink typically breed in March, and give birth to their litters in May. Farmers vaccinate the young kits for botulism, distemper, enteritis, and, if needed, pneumonia. They are harvested in November and December. Methods for euthanizing animals on fur farms, as on all farms, are detailed in the American Veterinary Medical Association's Report on Euthanasia which is used as a guideline for state departments of agriculture which have jurisdiction over all farms raising domesticated livestock, including mink.^[13]

Mink are bred once a year, the average litter is three or four kits. The best animals are kept for breeding stock for the next year and the remainder are harvested.

The white mink, a northern European breed, was introduced into Canada in 1968.

Chinchilla[link]

Chinchilla

A 2-year-old standard gray female chinchilla

The international trade in chinchilla fur goes back to the 16th century and the animal (whose name literally means "Little Chincha") is named after the Chincha people of the Andes, who wore its soft and dense fur. By the end of the 19th century, chinchillas had become quite rare. In 1923, Mathias F. Chapman brought the eleven wild chinchillas he had captured to the U.S. for breeding. Only three of these were female. Empress Chinchilla is the breeders association for the chinchilla farmers, many of whom are based in the United States, including California. Empress Chinchilla runs a certification program for farmers. [2]

Fox[link]

"Cross fox" furs. The cross across the shoulders is a common Red fox marking.

Caged red fox (silver morph).

Finland is the world's leading producer of fox pelts. In the USA, fox production is about 10,000 pelts, produced in about 10 states. Wisconsin and Utah have the most mink farms in the USA. Canada produces ten to fifteen times as many fox furs as the USA.^[14]

Dog and cat[link]

The USA banned the import, export and sale of products made from dog and cat fur in 2000.^[15] Italy, France, Denmark, Greece, Belgium and Australia ban the import of domestic cat and dog fur but the sale is still quasi-legal,^[16] and novelty items made from feral cat fur can sometimes be found in remote areas. The European Union ban on imports took effect as of the January 1, 2009.^[17] However, some products made with dog or cat fur may be mislabeled.^[18]

Rabbit[link]

A load of rabbit skins (c. 1905)

The main breed in the rabbit fur farming industry, is the Rex (Castor Rex and Chinchilla Rex). Breeding animals are kept for up to 3 years, and usually give birth twice a year. The kindle are taken from their mothers at 4 weeks old to be put in a nursery with other kindle. After this the mothers are kept separated from their kits, and they get put together only for feeding. When the kits are 7 to 8 weeks old, they are put in solitary cages, where they are kept for about 6–7 months, and are harvested after they have shed their winter fur. The rabbits are kept in bare wire mesh cages. A cage for one rabbit have the floor space of about two shoe boxes. The mortality rate for caged Rex is 10 – 15%, mostly from respiratory disease.^[19] Another breed of rabbit, is the Orylag, which is farmed only in France. The Orylag is bred for fur and meat. They are slaughtered at about 20 weeks. It was bred by the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA). The mortality rate for caged Orylag is 25 – 30%, mostly from respiratory disease.^[19] Broken bones and traumatic lesions are common when rabbits are transported to the slaughter. A small percent is also dead on arrival, often due to the rabbits being tightly packed in, with poor ventilation.^[19]

By-products[link]

Fur farms dispose of their dead animals as economically as possible. The meat from most fur-bearers is not usually eaten by humans, therefore the carcasses will go on to become various products such as pet food, animal feed, organic compost, fertilizer, paint and even tires. Carcasses will sometimes go to animal sanctuaries, zoos and aquariums to feed animals, and some end up as crab bait. Mink faeces are used as organic crop fertiliser and their fat is turned into oil to manufacture soap, face oils, cosmetics and leather preservatives.^[20]

Controversy[link]

Anti-fur activists have claimed that methods used on fur farms are focused on maximizing profits at the expense of the welfare of fur producing animals.^[21][22][23]

As with other types of animal farming, living conditions of animals do vary and the extreme cases are ones of much contention. According to PETA, the majority of fur farmers pack animals into small cages, preventing them from taking more than a few steps back and forth.^[21] PETA claims foxes and other animals suffer equally and may even cannibalize each other as a reaction to their crowded confinement.^[21] In other cases, as with passing of animal welfare legislation in Italy, animals are required to be "given enriched living environments in which they can climb on branches, dig holes, use a nest of 50 × 50 cm and also have a water basin of at least 2 × 2 metres and 50 cm deep in which to swim."^[24] Farmers argue that 50 years ago, the animals were kept in large outdoor holding areas, with pools of water. However, such "farms" resulted in high disease rates for the animals and were not practical. Farmers claim that today's farmed animals only know farm life as they have been domesticated through over hundred years of selective breeding.^{[citation needed]} The methods used for euthanizing the animals on farms and in the wild vary depending on the animal. For farmed mink, the American Veterinary Medical Association researches the best methods and publishes a report on the subject every 7 to 10 years. This report is used to guide state departments of agriculture which have jurisdiction over farm animals, including farm-raised mink. For those harvesting wild furs, biologists and wildlife managers dictate seasons, methods of kill and numbers of animals to be taken.

United Kingdom[link]

After UK mink farmers were submitted to almost daily protests, they agreed to shut down their farming in exchange for compensation in England and Wales in 2000. At second reading, the "ban" in England and Wales was justified principally on grounds of public morality since there was no supporting evidence for banning the farming on humane grounds.^[24] Prior to the ban, there had been 11 fur farms in the UK producing about 100,000 pelts annually.^[25] While the last fur farm in Scotland had closed in 1993, fur farming was nevertheless banned by the Scottish Parliament in 2002. Raising rabbits and sheep for meat fur pelts remains legal although animal rights campaigners are also working to ban this type of farming too.

Austria[link]

In Austria, six of the nine federal states have banned fur farming and in the remaining three there are such strict welfare regulations, in relation to the availability of swimming water, that fur farming is no longer economically viable.^[24]

Republic of Ireland[link]

In the Republic of Ireland there are currently five fur farms in operation. These farms focus mainly on the trade of mink fur (some farms which have used fox fur are currently winding down operation as such trade is no longer economically viable). In 2006, approximately 170,000 mink and 300 foxes were harvested in the Republic of Ireland.^[26] Furs are exported from the Republic of Ireland to other EU member states or to countries in Asia and North America. In the Republic of Ireland, fur farms are monitored by the Department of Agriculture and welfare standards at both an Irish and European Union level must be adhered to at all times. In October 2009, there were discussions within the political sphere on the banning of fur farms in the Republic of Ireland.^[27] Animal welfare groups have welcomed such proposals,^[28] though concern has been highlighted, in terms of its impact on rural communities where alternative industries are scarce. At the moment fur farming in the Republic of Ireland contributes about €3.1 million per year to the economy.^{[citation needed]}

Netherlands[link]

Fur farming is banned for some animals, such as foxes and chinchillas. A legislation to phase out all fur farming by 2018 is pending.^[29]

China[link]

The State Forestry Administration (SFA) is set to offer training courses for fur farmers.^[30] Legislation was drafted in September 2009 to address any cruelty to animals in China. If passed, the legislation would regulate how farm animals are raised, transported and slaughtered.^[31] In 2005, animals right group The Swiss Animal Protection accused the Chinese of skinning fur-bearing animals including the Asiatic raccoon while still alive, and produced a controversial video on the subject.^[32][33] The fur industry in Europe requested the original unedited footage from the Swiss animal rights group and was refused. The China Fur Commission and China Leather Industry Association challenged the authenticity^[34] of the material, saying: "Pictures showing animals being skinned alive are obviously plotted. All those with common sense would not choose this slaughter method to attain fur." The government of Suning County, Hebei Province also issued a statement^[35] outlining welfare practices on its fur farms, calling the alleged practice of skinning animals alive "unimaginable", and urging Swiss Animal Protection Organization to "respect the truth".

See also[link]

• Fur
• Fur trade
• Factory farming
• Leather
• Tanning

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fur farming

• Fur is Green Fur Council of Canada
• Time Line – A Brief History of the Fur Trade at White Oak Society
• http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/refarticle.aspx?refid=761574462 Fur Industry] at MSN Encarta (another archive)

Videos[link]

• Fur Farming in Europe – The Truth
• Chinchilla farm investigation

Michelangelo's "Last Judgment" - St Bartholomew holding the knife of his martyrdom and his flayed skin; it is conjectured that Michelangelo included a self portrait depicting himself as St Bartholomew after he had been flayed (skinned alive). One scholar has theorized that this is reflective of the feelings of contempt Michelangelo had for being commissioned to paint "The Last Judgment."^[1]

Flaying also known colloquially as Skinning is the removal of skin from the body. Generally, an attempt is made to keep the removed portion of skin intact.

Scope[link]

An animal may be flayed in preparation for human consumption, or for its hide or fur; this is more commonly called skinning. Flaying of humans is used as a method of torture or execution, depending on how much of the skin is removed. This article deals with flaying in the sense of torture and execution. This is often referred to as "flaying alive." There are also records of people flayed after death, generally as a means of debasing the corpse of a prominent enemy or criminal, sometimes related to religious beliefs (e.g. to deny an afterlife); sometimes the skin is used, again for deterrence, magical uses, etc. (e.g. scalping).

History[link]

Flaying is an ancient practice. There are accounts of Assyrians flaying a captured enemy or rebellious ruler and nailing the flayed skin to the wall of his city, as a warning to all who would defy their power. An Assyrian torture practice consisted of indirectly punishing a person by flaying his young child before his eyes. The Aztecs of Mexico flayed victims of ritual human sacrifice, generally after death. Searing or cutting the flesh from the body was sometimes used as part of the public execution of traitors in medieval Europe. A similar mode of execution was used as late as the early 18th century in France; one such episode is graphically recounted in the opening chapter of Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish (1979). The Subprior and the Sacrist of Westminster Abbey broke into the Chapel of the Pyx in 1303, the abbey muniment and treasury chamber, and stole from the contents. The Pyx chapel door has been found to have fragments of human skin attached to it as have the three doors to the revestry. The Copford church in Essex, England has been found to have human skin attached to a door.^[2] In Chinese history, Sun Hao, Fu Sheng and Gao Heng were known for removing skin from people's faces.^[3] The Hongwu Emperor flayed many servants, officials and rebels.^[4][5] In 1396 he ordered the flaying of 5000 women.^[6] Hai Rui suggested that his emperor flay corrupt officials. The Zhengde Emperor flayed six rebels,^[7] and Zhang Xianzhong also flayed many people.^[8] Lu Xun said the Ming Dynasty was begun and ended by flaying.^[9]

Examples of flayings[link]

'The Flaying of Marsyas' after challenging Apollo. Painting by Titian.

• Yahu-Bihdi, ruler of Hamath, was flayed alive by the Assyrians under Sargon II.
• According to Herodotus, Sisamnes, a corrupt judge under Cambyses II of Persia, was flayed alive for accepting a bribe.
• In Greek mythology, Marsyas, a satyr, was flayed alive for daring to challenge Apollo.
• Also according to Greek mythology, Aloeus is said to have had his wife flayed alive.
• Tradition holds that Saint Bartholomew was flayed before being crucified.
• In Aztec mythology, Xipe Totec is the flayed god of death and rebirth. Slaves were flayed annually as sacrifices to him.
• The Talmud discusses how Rabbi Akiva was flayed by the Romans for the public teaching of Torah.
• Mani, founding prophet of Manichaeism, was said to have been flayed or beheaded (c. 275).
• Totila is said to have ordered the bishop of Perugia, Herculanus, to be flayed when he captured that city in 549.
• Pierre Basile was flayed alive and all defenders of the chateau hanged on 6 April 1199, by order of the mercenary leader Mercadier, for shooting and killing King Richard I of England with a crossbow at the siege of Chalus in March 1199.
• In 1314, the brothers d'Aulnoy, who were lovers to the daughters-in-law of king Philip IV of France, were flayed alive, then castrated and beheaded; and their bodies were exposed on a gibbet. The extreme severity of their punishment was due to the lèse majesté nature of the crime.
• The Polish Jesuit Saint Andrew Bobola was burned, half strangled, partly flayed alive and killed by a sabre stroke by Eastern Orthodox Cossacks
• In a particularly acute example of deadpan, Jonathan Swift's narrator in "A Tale of a Tub" says, "Last week I saw a woman flay’d, and you will hardly believe how much it alter'd her person for the worse".
• One of the plastinated exhibits in Body Worlds includes an entire posthumously flayed skin, and many of the other exhibits have had their skin removed.
• In 991 AD during a Viking raid in England, a Danish Viking was flayed by London locals for ransacking a church.
• Daskalogiannis, a Cretan rebel against the Ottoman Empire was flayed alive and it is said that he suffered in dignified silence.
• The Rawhide Valley in Wyoming is said to have gotten its name from a white settler who was flayed alive there for murdering a Native American woman.
• Marcantonio Bragadin, last Venetian governor of Cyprus, was flayed alive after the Conquest of Famagusta by the Turks.
• Krokodeilos Kladas, a military leader flayed by the Turks.
• In medieval Turkey, convicted pirates were slowly tortured to death by being flayed alive.
• In 1404 or 1417, the Hurufi Imad ud-Din Nesîmî, an Islamic poet of Turkic extraction, was flayed alive, apparently on orders of a Timurid governor, and for heresy.
• In the United States, Nat Turner was hanged on November 11, 1831. His body was then flayed, beheaded and quartered.
• In Haruki Murakami’s novel The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994-1995), the character Mamiya is traumatised by having witnessed a colleague being flayed to death in Manchukuo in the late 1930s.

See also[link]

• Anthropodermic bibliopegy (books bound in human skin)

References[link]

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Flaying

• 1575 Painting: The Flaying of Marsyas, by Titian.

Olivia Munn
Munn at the 2009 Attack of the Show panel
Born	Lisa Olivia Munn (1980-07-03) July 3, 1980 (age 31) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, model, presenter
Years active	2004–present
Website
www.oliviamunn.com

Lisa Olivia Munn (born July 3, 1980^[1][2]) is an American comedic actress, model, television personality and author. She began her career being credited as Lisa Munn. Since 2006, she has been using the name Olivia Munn personally and professionally.^[3]

Early life[link]

Lisa Olivia Munn was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She is of Chinese descent on her mother's side (though her mother was raised in Vietnam)^[4] and of German and Irish descent on her father's.^[5] When Munn was two, her mother re-married, this time to a man in the United States Air Force. Although the family relocated many times, Munn was predominantly raised in Tokyo, Japan,^[3][6] where the military stationed her stepfather. During this time, she had appeared in a number of local theater productions, and later became a model within the Japanese fashion industry.^[7] Her parents divorced and she moved back to Oklahoma, where she attended Putnam City North High School for her junior and senior years and where she was a contemporary of Hinder bassist Mike Rodden, future Oklahoma state senator David Holt and author Aaron Goldfarb.^[8][9] She also attended the University of Oklahoma, majoring in journalism and minoring in Japanese and dramatic arts.^[3]

Munn moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. In 2004, she interned at Fox Sports Net and worked as a sideline reporter for college football and women's basketball. She has gone on to say that she disliked the experience, explaining "I was trying to be something I wasn't, and that made me really uncomfortable on live TV."^[6]

Career[link]

Olivia cosplaying as Princess Leia Organa.

Soon after her move to Los Angeles, Munn was cast in a small role in the straight to video horror film Scarecrow Gone Wild. She appeared in rock band Zebrahead's video for their song "Hello Tomorrow" as the love interest of the lead singer Justin Mauriello.^[10]

In late 2005, Munn began her portrayal of Mily Acuna, a teen surfer, over two seasons of the TV drama Beyond the Break^[11] on The N network. She enjoys surfing and continues to practice the sport.^[12] She originally auditioned for the part of Kai, but the producers wanted a "local girl."^[13] She also appeared in the film The Road to Canyon Lake.

In 2006, Munn moved on to the G4 network, where she began co-hosting Attack of the Show! with Kevin Pereira on April 10. She replaced departing host Sarah Lane. The network, devoted to the world of video games and the video game lifestyle, was at first hesitant to hire Munn. Although she admits video games were her "weak point," she was confident in her technical knowledge.^[14] On the show, Munn was featured with journalist Anna David in a segment called "In Your Pants," which deals with sex and relationship questions from viewers. While working on Attack of the Show!, Munn hosted Formula D, a now defunct program about American drift racing, and an online podcast called Around the Net (formerly known as The Daily Nut), for G4. Munn left Attack of the Show! in December 2010 and was replaced by Candace Bailey.

Munn appeared in the Rob Schneider movie Big Stan. She played Schneider's character's receptionist Maria.^[6] Munn also had a significant role in the 2008 horror film Insanitarium, in which she played a nurse at an insane asylum. She had roles in the 2010 movies Date Night and Iron Man 2. Robert Downey, Jr. praised Munn for her improvisation skills and led the crew in a round of applause.^[15]

Munn hosted Microsoft's Bing-a-thon, an advertisement on Hulu for the Microsoft search-engine Bing^[16] on June 8, 2009, alongside Jason Sudeikis.

Munn appeared in ABC Family's Greek, portraying Cappie's love interest, Lana.

In May 2010, NBC announced that Munn would star in the upcoming television series Perfect Couples. The half-hour romantic comedy premiered at on January 20, 2011.^[17] The show was cancelled before it completed its first season run.^[18]

On June 3, 2010, Munn debuted in her new role as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show.^[19] Her hiring prompted criticism from Irin Carmon of Jezebel, who questioned Munn's credentials and accused the show's production of sexism in hiring Munn, whom Carmon characterized as a sex symbol.^[20] Carmon saw Munn's hiring as a perpetuation of the show production office's history as a male-dominated atmosphere marginalizing and alienating to women.^[21] A group of thirty-two female Daily Show production staff members condemned Carmon's piece as inaccurate and misinformed, as did Munn herself in an interview, in which she stated that Carmon's assertion was an insult both to her and to the rest of the Daily Show staff.^[22][23]

In 2010 Munn guest-starred in NBC's Chuck as a CIA agent.^[24]

In print[link]

Munn has booked modeling campaigns for Nike, Pepsi and Neutrogena. She appeared on the Fall 2006 cover of Foam magazine in September, in Men's Edge magazine in August, and was featured in a pictorial in Complex in November 2006, where she later became a columnist.^[25] In February 2007, she appeared as "Babe of the Month" in a non-nude pictorial in Playboy magazine.^[26] She discusses this shoot in her book, Suck it, Wonder Woman.^[27]

Munn also appeared in the July/August 2007 issue of Men's Health. In September 2007, she was featured in the Italian Vanity Fair for their "Hot Young Hollywood" Issue. Munn appeared in the Winter/Spring 2009 issue of Men's Health Living.^[28] She was featured as the cover girl for the July/August 2009 issue of Playboy, and later on the cover of the January 2010 and February 2011 U.S.Maxim. Munn appears on the cover of FHM Magazine's January 2012 issue. ^[29]

Munn's book, Suck It, Wonder Woman: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek (ISBN 0-312-59105-5), was released on July 6, 2010. One critic said it offers glimpses into Munn's life but does not go into depth.^[30]

Charity work[link]

In 2011, Munn teamed up with Dosomething.org's Green Your School Challenge. She was a spokesperson for the campaign by filming a PSA regarding the challenge, and sat on the panel of judges that evaluated the entries.^[31]

Munn helped PETA with a campaign that ultimately freed a sick elephant from a touring circus. Her blog for The Huffington Post^[32] was credited with encouraging fans to contact the USDA on the elephant's behalf.^[33]

Munn posed for PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign in April 2010,^[34][35] and again in January 2012.^[36]

Filmography[link]

Magazine appearances[link]

• Maxim's Hot 100 Women, 2008 (#99)
• Maxim's Hot 100 Women, 2009 (#96)
• Maxim's Hot 100 Women, 2010 (#8)
• Maxim's Hot 100 Women, 2011 (#2)
• Maxim's Hot 100 Women, 2012 (#2)
• FHM's 100 Sexiest Women of 2008 (#85)
• FHM's 100 Sexiest Women of 2009 (#85)
• FHM's 100 Sexiest Women of 2010 (#52)

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Olivia Munn on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons

• Official website
• Olivia Munn on Twitter
• Olivia Munn on Facebook
• Olivia Munn on Myspace
• Olivia Munn at the Internet Movie Database

Martha Helen Stewart
Stewart at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Vanity Fair party
Born	Martha Helen Kostyra (1941-08-03) August 3, 1941 (age 70) Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Residence	Katonah, New York, Mount Desert Island, Seal Harbor, Maine
Nationality	Polish American
Education	Nutley High School
Alma mater	Barnard College
Occupation	Host of Martha Founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Publisher of Martha Stewart Living
Home town	Nutley, New Jersey
Net worth	US$2,000.000.000.00 million (2011)[1]
Spouse	Andrew Stewart (1961–1989; divorced)
Children	Alexis Stewart (b. 1965)
Relatives	Jude (b. 2011) (granddaughter)
Signature	150px
Website
Official website

Martha Stewart (née Kostyra; August 3, 1941) is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, merchandising, and electronic commerce. She has written numerous bestselling books, is the publisher of the Martha Stewart Living magazine, and her syndicated talk show, Martha, is broadcast throughout the world.

In 2004, Stewart was entangled in the ImClone insider trading affair and there was speculation^[2][3] that the incident would effectively be the end of her media empire.^[4] She began a comeback campaign in 2005^[5] and her company returned to profitability in 2006.^[6] Stewart rejoined the board of directors of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2011^[7] and became chairman of her namesake company again in 2012.^[8]

Early life[link]

Martha Stewart was born in Jersey City, New Jersey to middle-class Polish American parents, Edward "Eddie" Kostyra (c. 1912 – 1979) and Jadwiga Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra (b. September 16, 1914, Buffalo, New York – d. November 16, 2007, Norwalk, Connecticut).^[9][10] She lived in Jersey City until the age of 3, when her family moved to Nutley.^[11][12] She was raised in Nutley along with her five siblings.^[13] She took the name "Grace" for her confirmation name before graduating from Nutley High School.^[14]

At the age of 15, Stewart was featured in a television commercial for Unilever soap.^[15] Her next brush with fame came in 1961, when she became the occasional babysitter for the children of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Gil McDougald of the New York Yankees. The Mantles had four boys, all under the age of ten and Merlyn Mantle was overwhelmed. Martha would organize birthday parties and babysit for all four. "They would behave for Martha", declared Martha, and her domestic career thus began.^[16]

Stewart's mother taught her how to cook and sew. Later, she learned the processes of canning and preserving when she visited her grandparents' home in Buffalo, New York. Her father had a passion for gardening, and passed on much of his knowledge and expertise to his daughter. Stewart was also active in many extracurricular activities, such as the school newspaper and the Art Club. During this time, Stewart began a modeling career. She was hired and appeared in several television commercials and magazines, including one of Tareyton's famous "Smokers would rather fight than switch!" cigarette advertisements.

Initially intending to major in chemistry, she switched to art and European History, and later architectural history. It was around this time that she met and later married Andrew Stewart, on July 1, 1961. She left Barnard but continued her moderately successful modeling career, while her husband finished his law degree at Yale Law School. She returned to Barnard a year later, to graduate with a double major^[17] in History and Architectural History. In 1965, her only child, daughter Alexis Stewart, was born.

Career[link]

At this time, Stewart began to hone and develop her business skills.

Andrew and she moved to Westport, Connecticut. They purchased and undertook a restoration of the 1805 farmhouse on Turkey Hill Road that would later become the model for the TV studio of the Martha Stewart Living show. Martha and her husband undertook the entire venture by themselves. During the project, Stewart's panache for restoring and decorating became apparent. In 1976, Stewart started a catering business in her basement with a friend from her modeling days, Norma Collier. The venture quickly became successful, but soured when Collier alleged that Stewart was difficult to work with, and was also taking catering jobs on the side. Stewart soon bought her portion of the business. Stewart was also hired as the manager of a gourmet food store, the Market Basket but after a disagreement with the owners at the mini-mall she was forced out and opened her own store.^[18]

Stewart at the 2010 Time 100 Gala

Andrew had become the president of prominent New York City publisher, Harry N. Abrams, Inc.. In 1977, he was responsible for releasing the English-language edition of The Secret Book of Gnomes series, by Dutch authors Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet, which quickly became a blockbuster success and was on The New York Times Best Seller list. He contracted Stewart's company to cater the book release party, where Stewart was introduced to Alan Mirken, head of Crown Publishing Group.^[19]

Mirken was impressed by Stewart's talent and later contacted her to develop a cookbook, featuring recipes and photos from the parties that Stewart hosted. The result was her first book, Entertaining (December 13, 1982),^[20] ghostwritten by Elizabeth Hawes.^[21]

Following Entertaining's success, Stewart released many more books under the Clarkson Potter publishing imprint, including Martha Stewart's Quick Cook (1983), Martha Stewart's Hors D'oeuvres (1984), Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts (1985), Weddings (1987), The Wedding Planner (1988), Martha Stewart's Quick Cook Menus (1988), and Martha Stewart's Christmas (1989), among others. During this time, she also authored dozens of newspaper columns, magazine articles and other pieces on homemaking, and made numerous television appearances on programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live. Andrew and Martha Stewart divorced in 1989.

Later career[link]

In 1990, she also signed with Time Publishing Ventures to develop a new magazine, Martha Stewart Living, for which Stewart would serve as editor-in-chief. The first issue was released in late 1990 with an initial rate base of 250,000. Circulation would peak in 2002 at more than 2 million copies per issue. In 1993, she began a weekly half-hour service program based on her magazine, which was quickly expanded to a full hour, and later to a daily format, with half-hour episodes on weekends. Stewart also became a frequent contributor to CBS's The Early Show, and starred in several prime time holiday specials on the CBS network.

On the cover of the May 1995 issue, New York Magazine declared her "the definitive American woman of our time".

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia[link]

In September 1997, Stewart, with the assistance of business partner Sharon Patrick, was able to secure funding to purchase the various television, print, and merchandising ventures related to the Martha Stewart brand, and consolidate them into a new company, named Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Stewart served as chairwoman, president, and CEO of the new company and Patrick became Chief Operations Officer. By organizing all of the brand's assets under one roof, Stewart felt she could promote synergy and have greater control of the brand's direction through the business's activities. That same month Stewart announced in Martha Stewart Living the launch of a companion website and a catalogue business, called Martha by Mail. The company also has a direct-to-consumer floral business.

On October 19, 1999, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MSO. The initial public offering was set at $18 per share, and rallied to $38 by the end of trading, making Stewart a billionaire on paper. The stock price slowly went down to $16 per share by February 2002. Stewart was then and continues to be the majority shareholder, with a commanding 96% control of voting power in the company.

Stock trading case and conviction[link]

According to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Stewart avoided a loss of $45,673 by selling all 3,928 shares of her ImClone Systems stock on December 27, 2001, after receiving material, nonpublic information from Peter Bacanovic, who was Stewart's broker at Merrill Lynch. The day following her sale, the stock value fell 16%.^[22]

In the months that followed, Stewart drew heavy media scrutiny, including a Newsweek cover headlined "Martha's Mess". Notably, on June 25, 2002, CBS anchor Jane Clayson grilled Stewart on the air about ImClone during her regular segment on The Early Show. Stewart continued chopping cabbage and famously quipped, "I just want to focus on my salad".^[23] On October 3, 2002, Stewart resigned her position, held for four months, on the board of directors of the New York Stock Exchange, following a deal prosecutors had made with Douglas Faneuil, an assistant to Bacanovic.^[24]

On June 4, 2003, Stewart was indicted by the government on nine counts, including charges of securities fraud and obstruction of justice. Stewart voluntarily stepped down as CEO and Chairwoman of MSLO, but stayed on as chief creative officer. She went on trial in January 2004. Prosecutors showed that Bacanovic had ordered his assistant to tell Stewart that the CEO of ImClone, Samuel D. Waksal, was selling all his shares in advance of an adverse Food and Drug Administration ruling. The FDA action was expected to cause ImClone shares to decline.^[25] After a highly publicized five-week jury trial that was the most closely watched of a wave of corporate fraud trials, Stewart was found guilty in March 2004 of conspiracy, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and making false statements to federal investigators, and was sentenced in July 2004 to serve a five month term in a federal correctional facility and a two year period of supervised release (to include five months of electronic monitoring).^[25]

Bacanovic and Waksal were also convicted of federal charges and sentenced to prison terms.^[26][27] Stewart also paid a fine of $30,000.^[28]

In August 2006, the SEC announced that it had agreed to settle the related civil case against Stewart. Under the settlement, Stewart agreed to disgorge $58,062 (including interest from the losses she avoided), as well as a civil penalty of three times the loss avoided, or $137,019. She also agreed to a five-year ban from serving as a director, CEO, CFO, or any other officer role responsible for preparing, auditing, or disclosing financial results of any public company.^[29] In June 2008, the UK Border Agency refused to grant her a visa to enter the United Kingdom because of her criminal conviction for obstructing justice. She had been planning to speak at the Royal Academy on fashion and leisure industry matters.^[30]

Incarceration[link]

Federal Prison Camp, Alderson, where Martha Stewart was confined

Stewart wanted to go to prison in Connecticut or Florida. She did not want to serve at Federal Prison Camp, Alderson in West Virginia, due to its remote location; in 2004, her lawyer said that the remoteness would make it difficult for Stewart's then-90 year old mother to visit.^[31] Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum recommended to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that Stewart be given her first choice, Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury, or her second choice, Federal Correctional Complex, Coleman.^[32] However, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice said that the BOP would not send her to FCI Danbury because the news media could too easily access the facility. The bureau could not send Stewart to FCC Coleman because of complications from Hurricane Ivan; the Coleman complex filled because inmates from Federal Correctional Institution, Marianna were moved to Coleman. Therefore, the Federal Bureau of Prisons assigned Stewart to Alderson. The spokesperson said that he was concerned that the assignment to Alderson could be perceived as being vindictive.^[31] Alexis Stewart said that she believed that the BOP "may have made a point of sending her far away".^[33]

Cedarbaum ordered Stewart to report to her prison sentence before 2 pm on October 8, 2004.^[32] By September 27, 2004, Stewart received the BOP ID 55170-054.^[32][34] At about 6:15 am on October 8, 2004,^[35] she reported to FPC Alderson.^[36] Stewart said that her prison nickname was "M. Diddy".^[37] While in confinement, she took a job and became an informal liaison between the administration and her fellow inmates. The People special, Scandals! That Rocked America, stated "Some expected America's goddess of domestic perfection to fall into terminal despair. Instead, with the drive that would make her a billionaire, Stewart took her lemon of a sentence and made lemonade. Heck, she made a lemon soufflé."^[38] Stewart was released from FPC Alderson at 12:30 am on March 4, 2005.^[39] She was then placed in a two year term of supervised release; during five of those months, she was placed in home confinement with electronic monitoring.^[35][39] Stewart served her home confinement at her residence in Bedford, New York.^[37] She was allowed to leave her house for 48 hours per week for work-related visits.^[40] After her home confinement ended, but while her supervised release continued, she was required to remain employed and not to associate with people with criminal records. In addition, during the supervised release, she was required to receive permission from federal officials if she was going to leave the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.^[41]

Current projects[link]

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Martha Stewart at the Metropolitan Opera opening in 2008

Following her release from prison in March 2005, Stewart launched a highly publicized comeback, and was once again involved in Martha Stewart Living. Offerings of her company's Martha Stewart Everyday line at Kmart were expanded to include a new line of ready-made home furnishings, and its mass market interior paint line became available at the larger Sears stores. However, the most heavily promoted aspect of her comeback was in television. Stewart returned to daytime television with The Martha Stewart Show and appeared in an adapted version of The Apprentice (called The Apprentice: Martha Stewart). Both shows premiered in September 2005, and both were produced by Mark Burnett. The Martha Stewart Show is currently in its sixth season.

However, New York Magazine reported in 2011 that Martha Stewart Living had only managed to make a profit in one of the previous eight years.^[42] Her prime time Apprentice spin-off received poor ratings, which some attribute to popular dislike for the opportunistic tone of the network's massive promotional campaign and to NBC's slotting the show up against the hit drama Lost. The Apprentice: Martha Stewart was not renewed for a second season.

In October 2005, Stewart also released a new book called The Martha Rules on starting and managing a new business, and a month later her company released Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. In October 2006, Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook, a reference book about looking after your house, was published by Clarkson Potter. She also is a regular contributor of cooking, gardening, and crafts segments on NBC's Today show. Stewart's daily talk show was nominated in six categories for the 33rd Daytime Emmy Awards in 2006, including Best Host and Best Show.

Stewart in 2008.

MSLO launched a line of houses that carry her name to be built by KB Home, initially in Cary, North Carolina and various other locations nationwide. The first homes, which were inspired by Stewart's homes in New York and Mount Desert Island in Maine, were completed in early 2006. Ultimately 650 homes are planned with prices from low $200,000 to mid-$400,000s. A line of paper-based crafts for EK Success is also in development. In September 2007, she launched an upscale line of homewares for Macy's, which was the largest brand launch in Macy's history. Appearing in commercials for the line, Stewart stated she has designed more than 2,000 items exclusively for Macy's. The line includes bedding, bath, cookware and dinnerware. In addition to television and merchandising, MSLO launched a 24-hour satellite radio channel with Sirius in November 2005, on which Stewart currently hosts a weekly call-in show.

Stewart also made a special appearance on the comedy-drama series, Ugly Betty, in the November 16, 2006 episode "Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral", in which she gave her friend Wilhelmina Slater (played by Vanessa Williams) tips on how to prepare a turkey. Justin Suarez (played by Mark Indelicato) is a fan of Stewart.

In July 2006, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced a multi-year agreement with FLOR, Inc., the eco-friendly manufacturer of high-style modular floor coverings, to manufacture and market a new line of Martha Stewart-branded carpet tiles. The Martha Stewart Floor Designs by FLOR^[43] line debuted in 2007 with the distinctive design and color palette associated with the Martha Stewart brand. The agreement with FLOR was part of the Martha Stewart organization's growing home furnishings program, which includes a wide range of products such as furniture with Bernhardt, wall color with Lowe's, and floor coverings with FLOR.

On September 14, 2007, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced that it inked a partnership with E & J Gallo Winery to produce a wine brand with label "Martha Stewart Vintage" (for sale in 6 cities, January, at $15). 15,000 cases to be sold include: 2006 Sonoma County Chardonnay, 2005 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon and 2006 Sonoma County Merlot (for Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina, Denver, Phoenix, and Portland, Oregon). Martha Stewart also signed a contract with Costco to offer frozen and fresh food (label - Kirkland Signature).^[44]

In July 2008, Craft items under the names "Martha Stewart Celebrate" and "Martha Stewart Create", two divisions of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, premiered in Wal-Mart stores. The deal came about in part due to the closing of more than 600 K-Mart stores in the U.S. In a move from broadcast television to cable, on January 26, 2010, Hallmark Channel and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced a multi-year strategic partnership. The award-winning, popular daytime series, "The Martha Stewart Show" would move to the Hallmark Channel in September 2010. Following the flagship program, Hallmark concluded it would air multi-hour blocks of exclusive MSLO developed programming.^[45] In 2011, she will have a new show titled "Martha Bakes" on the Hallmark Channel.

Stewart will begin her acting debut on the long running NBC legal drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Stewart will play a private school headmaster in an episode titled "Learning Curve," scheduled to air in April 2012.^[46]

In Fall 2012, the TV series 'Cooking School’ is expected to debut on PBS. Each weekly 30 minute episode will cover a cooking technique.^[47] It is based on her book of the same name.^[48]

Personal life[link]

Alexis Stewart(left) and Martha Stewart(right), in September 2008

At age 19, she married Andrew "Andy" Stewart, on July 1, 1961. She left Barnard College for a year after she married but later returned. Her daughter Alexis Stewart was born in 1965. In 1989, Martha and Andrew divorced. Stewart dated Sir Anthony Hopkins, but the relationship was short-lived since she decided to cut it short after seeing The Silence of the Lambs, due to her being unable to avoid associating him with the character of Hannibal Lecter.^[49]

Stewart reportedly dated billionaire Charles Simonyi, who was an early employee of Microsoft and head of their software group, on-and-off for 15 years. She featured footage of him as a space tourist aboard Soyuz on her television show in 2007. They broke up around February 2008.^[50]

Stewart is an avid animal lover. Her pets include champion show Chow Chow dogs, French Bulldogs, Himalayan cats, and Friesian horses, including her dark horse Rutger.^[51] Stewart also created a video^[52] on behalf of fur-bearing animals after being approached by PETA while in jail. Stewart stated, "I used to wear real fur, but, like many others, I had a change of heart when I learned what actually happens to the animals".^[53] Stewart filmed a public service announcement on behalf of the farm animal welfare organization Farm Sanctuary.^[54]

Martha Kostyra, Stewart's mother, died at the age of 93 on November 16, 2007.^[55] Martha Kostyra, also called "Big Martha" by her family, had appeared on Martha Stewart Living numerous times.

Stewart currently resides in Katonah, New York, a hamlet of Bedford, New York. She also maintains a 35,000 square foot residence on Mount Desert Island in Seal Harbor, Maine, known as 'Skylands', the former summer estate of automobile designer and tycoon, Edsel Ford, with gardens designed by renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen (1922).^[56][57]

In an episode of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., it was discovered that Martha Stewart's maternal line has its roots in the Lipka Tatar people of Poland.

Recognition[link]

In 2011, Stewart was inducted the New Jersey Hall of Fame.^[58]

See also[link]

	United States portal
	Biography portal
	Food portal

• Martha (TV series)
• Martha Stewart Living
• Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart, 2003 NBC TV movie
• Martha: Behind Bars, 2005 TV movie

Further reading[link]

• "Mariana Pasternak's 'The Best of Friends'". Good Morning America. ABC News. 16 March 2010. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/mariana-pasternaks-best-friends-martha/story?id=10105063. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 
• Pasternak, Mariana (2010). The Best of Friends: Martha and Me. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-166127-3. 
• Sellers, Patricia (14 November 2005). "Remodeling Martha". Fortune (CNN). http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/11/14/8360708/index.htm. Retrieved 29 October 2010. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Martha Stewart

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Martha Stewart

• Official website
• The Martha Blog - Martha Stewart's Official Blog
• Martha Stewart on Twitter