March 19, 2024 • 36 mins
In this episode we interview Kymara Lonergan, owner of Thunder Horse Hollow Farm in Ulster County, New York. Kymara shares her unique story of raising emu, the large flightless birds that are cousins of the ostrich. She discusses how she got started farming emu, inspired by her family's agricultural roots in Connecticut. Kamara provides insights into emu behaviors, their diet, housing needs, challenges of raising them in New York's climate, and the growing market for emu meat and oil products. She highlights the benefits of emu oil for skin care and how farms can diversify into emu farming. Kamara also talks about the role of New York Farm Bureau in supporting her farm, lobbying efforts, and promoting education around niche livestock farming. It's a fascinating look at a lesser-known but promising aspect of New York agriculture.
Outline:
On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamps to jump to that time.
(00:00) - Intro to Thunder Horse Hollow Farm
(01:13) - Kamara's Agricultural Roots
(02:59) - The Allure of Emu Farming
(04:39) - Getting Started with Emus
(07:32) - Emu Behavior & Care
(12:46) - The Benefits of Emu Products
(16:36) - Challenges of Emu Farming
(23:23) - The Importance of Agricultural Education
(28:37) - Farm Bureau's Support
(33:48) - Advice for Prospective Emu Farmers
(35:55) - Outro & Contact Info
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
New York State is blessed to have a rich diversity of farms all across New York, and today you're
(00:07):
going to learn about one that raises flightless birds and is looking to soar.
Hi, I'm Steve Ammerman, Director of Communications for New York Farm Bureau, and welcome to News
Bites.
Kamara Lonergan farms about 30 acres in Ulster County, New York, in the Hudson Valley.
Her specialty is raising fresh herbs and flowers that are used in soaps and a whole bunch of
(00:29):
other different products that she produces and sells on her farm.
But she also raises emu.
These are large birds that are very similar to ostrich.
Her farm is a no-kill farm, but she's an expert on raising these animals that can be used
for meat as well as for their fat, which she will explain today.
She's confident that as more people learn about emu, raising them will take off.
(00:54):
Hi, Kamara.
We met recently at the New York Farm Bureau State Convention, where you were showcasing
your great work and what you sell.
It's a pleasure to have you with us on the News Bites podcast.
Well, thank you.
I'm really excited to be able to talk about the farm and Farm Bureau and farming in Ulster
(01:19):
County, New York.
Thanks for having me.
You're more than welcome.
Let's start with a little bit about your farm.
What do you do and where is it located?
Just give us a rundown of your farm.
My farm is a small farm.
We have 33.75 acres in Ulster Park.
(01:42):
It was not a farm when I moved here.
I recreated basically from stories from my family what my family farm looked like, or
at least a part of it, which had always been really my lifelong ambition.
Because of the terrain here in Ulster Park, which equals rocks, we have a lot of rocks
(02:06):
here, I have to diversify what I do and I grow several different things and I have different
animals.
But we are a no-kill farm and the animals do earn their keep by being models and for
advertising of what we grow to sell and the products we create.
(02:31):
We've been here about six years.
Alice and Gina Emu are the big shots on the farm.
They rule the roost and we have four horses.
Their purpose is for a Lakota Sioux-based horse handling and riding program.
And we have our cattle dog Poppy who takes care of everyone.
(02:53):
So we grow saffron, which we just got a high tunnel grant for, and edible flowers and herbs
that are naturally dried and sent off to a chemist up in upstate New York.
And we create our bath products and skin care products that are all FDA compliant.
(03:13):
We don't create them here on the farm.
They're lab created and cruelty free.
They're leaping money certified, not tested on animals.
And it looks like you have one of your animals behind you in that picture that we're seeing.
Who is that?
That's Alice.
Alice is running in her area.
That's a photo of her running because that's what Emu love to do is run in spurts.
(03:38):
So that's my buddy Alice.
She's the model for Vampire Emu, one of our skincare products.
Well before we hear more about Alice and Emu's, I would like to explore just a little bit
more about your background.
You said you've had the farm for six years, but farming goes way back in your family.
What is your family history in agriculture?
(04:01):
Farming goes way back in my family, back to maybe the late 1800s, early 1900s.
Few people realize that, that I know my associates, et cetera.
But my great grandpa came from the Lake Como, Italy area and he bought a large parcel of
land in the Northwest corner of Connecticut.
(04:23):
They grew, they raised hogs, grew hay, but the big thing they did was raise game birds,
quail, pheasant.
And my grandfather was one of the product testers for LLB in the way back.
And he was a guide throughout the Berkshires for fishing and hunting.
(04:46):
But they raised the birds for not only for hunting, but for eating.
And the family lived communally on that area in the Northwest corner and produced just
about everything they ate, even their own wine, cheeses.
We made maple syrup, et cetera.
And that went on until around the 1930s when, you know, people went out, were in the military,
(05:11):
life changed.
But I always was determined to bring the farm back.
And I grew up in Litchfield County, Connecticut in a completely agricultural community.
So I spent all of my time as a child with farm animals.
That's what I did.
And friends who were working in dairy, they had dairy operations because that's primarily
(05:37):
what we were in that area of Litchfield County.
So what was it about farming that you said, you know, I really need to continue this and
why what is it that you enjoy about farming?
I love the land.
And because my family, the stories that my family, I'm the one that listened, you know,
(05:59):
the kid that listened to those stories that were handed down and the stories of the old
farmers in Litchfield County, Connecticut.
And it's a real, you know, the land is such a gift to us and to be able to be on the land
and be part of it and to see what it yields.
(06:19):
And what you can make it yield is an amazing part of life that I never want to give up.
And the animals, whether you raise them for meat or, you know, in my case, we're a no-kill
farm, but they still have a purpose.
They're your partners on that land.
So every day you get up, you're dealing with those animals, you're dealing with the vegetation
(06:43):
of the land, the agriculture, and it's rewarding.
And I feel there is a very, very fine line between art and farming, you know, art and
science because farming is such a great art if you're a creative person.
And I just could never spend my life without being able to create something from the land
(07:08):
and an honor, you know, being a good steward of the land.
I think that's beautiful how you put it.
And really that is at the foundation of what farmers do and, you know, just being stewards.
I also love, I haven't heard of someone, but it makes total sense of calling your animals
partners because you couldn't do what you do without the livestock and the emus.
(07:29):
So let's talk about your partners.
How did you get involved in raising emus?
So it's a very weird story, but...
I like weird stories.
They're more interesting.
When I was a child, and probably you remember the show many people do, there was a show
called Doctari, and it was about animal safari.
(07:50):
And there was an emu on Doctari, and I was so enamored with the emu that I always swore
I would have an emu.
As I was young, you know, I didn't really know you could farm them.
And really, it wasn't until around the 1980s that the American Emu Association advocated
(08:11):
and managed to get the USDA to recognize emu as livestock.
So I didn't know.
I just knew I wanted an emu.
And once, you know, I was able to get my farm, the very first thing I did was get two emus.
I figured I can't have one.
It'll be lonely.
(08:31):
So I told my husband that I knew everything there was to know about emu, and I didn't
know anything about raising emu.
So we picked them up in Vermont, brought them here.
They were chicks.
And it was just a...
It clicked for me.
It's like a calling.
I don't know why, but emu have always been a calling for me, and I relate really well
(08:58):
to them in their space.
How many do you have?
I only have two right now.
I have two females coming.
Because of my age, honestly, I don't feel I want a thousand emu.
And I do know someone that has a thousand emu in Texas.
They really do.
They have a very successful farm.
But for me, four is enough because each laying season, each female can lay 20 to 40 eggs.
(09:26):
So that's a lot of eggs with two breed or pair.
And I will have the four and the farm.
The rest of the things I do is grow my saffron and make my bath products.
So it's a great niche for me and my land.
So what's involved in raising an emu?
What are they like in terms of their character and what do you need to do to be a successful
(09:49):
emu farmer?
They need the right amount, a correct amount of land.
They don't need a ton of land.
They aren't like cattle.
You can micro farm with emu, especially if you intend to raise them for meat and oil.
If you want to process them, you don't need acres and acres of land.
(10:14):
So once for me, because I'm looking at creating breed or pairs, I handled them quite a bit.
I even carried them around in my pockets when they were chicks.
And so for me, they're almost bonded to me.
They do get a little bit crabby, the males in the fall.
(10:37):
When the days shorten, that is when the breeding season begins with them.
So they're looking for a girlfriend.
They don't have a girlfriend.
They have me.
They're getting a little frustrated and one gets a little hissy at me and I have to, you
know, kind of keep that one away from me.
They take it out on me.
But that's only for about a week.
(10:58):
Most of the time, 98% of the time, the males, since they raise the chicks are very friendly
and not really a bird to be afraid of, although they possess qualities you should certainly
respect.
Thankfully in our area, in our area of the country, we have Poulin Grain to get our feed
(11:20):
from.
They are a family run company and they, in my opinion, and they've worked well for me.
They produce a great quality product.
The feed stores are happy to order it for me.
And pretty much that's what the birds eat.
It's called ratite.
And otherwise they forage on all kinds of things, including creatures that may come
(11:44):
into their area, such as spotted lanternfly.
So that's a plus.
That's an invasive species that's moved into New York that's really can be detrimental
to a lot of crops and native plants.
And the vineyards.
Yes.
So Emu like to chow down on them and they certainly, we don't have many snakes in their
(12:10):
area anymore.
And the frogs run in high, you know, they are omnivores.
They're very easy to clean up after because their feed does not stay in their system long.
It doesn't build up ammonia.
They have a very short digestive system and you can use their manure immediately on your
(12:32):
crops for fertilizing.
It will not burn.
You do that as well?
I do on my saffron.
So it's great because in the fall I can take their straw with that has manure in it and
cover my well after I harvest my saffron, I can cover it to protect it from the snow
(12:53):
because we don't lift our bulbs and it's got Emu manure in it.
So it's fertilizing everything as well as protecting it.
But they are wonderful.
To me, they are very wonderful birds to interact with and on a daily basis.
And you know, most people are listening to this versus seeing this podcast.
(13:15):
And if they don't know what an Emu is, I mean, maybe to me the closest bird like is an ostrich,
but they're very different, I would imagine.
They are all related.
The Emu is the cousin of the ostrich and the Emu is also related to the cassowary and the
raya.
They're all rat types.
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world and the Emu is the second largest bird.
(13:42):
So they are all flightless birds and some of them are white.
They are white Emu, but that does not mean they're albino.
And then there's the normal Emu as you see behind me that's like a grayish, blackish
color, but they lay a bit of a smaller leg, like egg than an ostrich.
(14:06):
And it is teal in color with a very rough shape to it, a rough edge, not edge, texture.
So it makes it very good in handcrafts.
People use them to create egg sculptures and such.
Very interesting.
So as you said that, you know, you raise them for the oil, some raise them for meat, which
(14:30):
is actually becoming more popular because of the tick-borne illness known as alpha
gall syndrome, which is essentially creating an allergy to red meat.
So people are turning more to Emu meat.
Is that correct?
Yes.
First of all, my Emu are not raised for oil because you can't get oil without the meat.
(14:51):
So they have to be processed to get the oil.
A lot of people don't realize that.
The oil is rendered, so the hump of the bird and the drumsticks have big particles of fat
on there.
That is rendered, that fat is removed and is shipped to the refinery and there it is
(15:13):
processed into the oil.
The meat is the only red meat theoretically, you know, the only red meat that a person
who has been bit by the Lone Star tick and develops an allergy to that enzyme of that
tick, the allergy is called alpha gall allergy.
(15:34):
That is the meat that the people claim they can eat that does not give them a severe anaphylactic
reaction that mammalian meat does.
So Emu meat is a red meat, but it is not a dark, it's not the same as turkey.
It's a very different type of meat.
And there's a huge, we can't even supply the demand.
(15:57):
We need more Emu farmers now in New York State so that we can supply the demand because this
tick is moving up from the south and it is indeed in New York State.
So you know, Emu farming is a small part of New York agriculture and as you said, you
would love to see it grow and there are opportunities there.
What is the footprint like for Emu agriculture in New York State?
(16:21):
Well right now there is, there's about, you mean how many farmers are there?
Yeah, and how many birds are you, you may not know an exact number, but do you have
an idea of the number?
There's about a hundred, I would say right now in New York State there has to be a hundred
(16:41):
producers of Emu birds.
The problem the farmers are having is the same problem that anyone else that's trying
to get their animals processed, there aren't enough processors.
But I have a solution.
I feel that if we could get together and form a co-op, such as Vermont did some years ago,
(17:08):
it's disbanded now.
We could as Emu farmers in New York State work together, get our birds up to New Hampshire,
where they do process Emu and get some of that meat and get ourselves known as Emu meat
and oil producers once again in New York State.
(17:29):
That would be a great opportunity to see that grow and you know, obviously there is great
potential like you said for the meat as well as the oil and that's something that I know
I wasn't familiar with before you and I had that conversation and met that Emus produce
oil that can be used in different ways.
What exactly is Emu oil and how do you use it on your farm?
(17:52):
Emu oil is high in all of the omega fatty acids and it is very similar to the makeup
of the human skin.
So when you put that Emu oil on your skin, it is going to pass quickly through the barrier
and it is very healing and it imparts a healing quality and it's very nutritious, shall we
(18:19):
say.
That's because of the composition of the oil.
How do I use it on my farm?
If I have an injured animal, I'm putting Emu oil on that animal.
How do I make money from it?
I have it in my Emu oil products.
Now the thing is in the world of Emu oil, there are some no good nicks who come from
(18:45):
away and they create fake Emu oil out of vegetable oil, etc. and the consumer doesn't realize
this.
How would you know if it was Emu oil or I don't know olive oil?
It's mixed with Wesson oil.
You wouldn't know.
You take the word of who is selling it to you.
(19:06):
So an entity exists.
The American Emu Association has an oil certification program and it is very strict.
The committee reviews the composition of what the person is trying to sell and the oil has
a seal on it.
It says American Emu oil certified oil and it's all USA made.
(19:29):
My oil, since I'm the vice president of the Emu Association, I know all the Emu farmers
in the country so I call them up and I say, hey, I'd like to buy some oil from you and
I know exactly where it's coming from and they're all old school farmers that have been
around a long time since the beginning of the Emu boom and have hung in there.
(19:55):
So Emu oil can be used for so many different things.
I'm not talking about eating.
I'm talking about clinically on your skin or in a product.
In fact, we have a dry product, a horse powder that has Emu oil in it.
We found a way to add Emu oil to it without it being clumpy.
(20:15):
So it has tons of uses or you can just bottle it and sell it as it is.
And is the market like where would people purchase this or I guess obviously they can
go directly to you to purchase the products clearly, but is that a growing market as well?
(20:36):
Well, the pioneer in my opinion of the Emu oil market was Montana Emu Ranch and they
have been around eternally.
You can always find them.
They're in like the vitamin stores.
They've done an awesome job of marketing their product, but there are other people.
(20:58):
There's people on Etsy.
There's people on Amazon.
We don't sell the oil.
We're selling blended products.
But the thing is that I feel the consumers have to do their research and be aware of
who you're buying it from, especially on Amazon and that sort of thing.
(21:20):
Because the whole purpose of the Emu oil is the extreme benefit to the skin.
And if you're putting your money out and buying something that's not pure Emu oil, then it's
defeating the purpose.
So the consumer needs to do their research and make sure you're buying the right product.
(21:42):
That's always important.
This is something that if there are growing markets, farms are always looking at ways
to diversify and add to what they do.
If a farmer is interested in raising Emus, let's talk a little bit about that.
We'll start with the challenges.
What's some of the advice you would have to another farmer who would be interested in
(22:05):
raising the birds?
Well, first of all, in our area of New York State, one of the things I want the farmers
to know is that silvopasture, if your farm is in silvopasture, Emu are the exactly most
perfect creatures for that because they are grazers and they would love to go amongst
(22:27):
the trees and eat your bugs and wild berries and worms and such.
They are perfect silvopasture animals.
And silvopasture, just for people, that's literally being pasture raised using incorporating
woods and forests as well, correct?
So not only that, they're eating your berries and things that you've planted these trees,
(22:52):
now they're fertilizing your pasture.
So the challenge we have in New York State is ice.
This is my challenge.
When it's icy, the birds don't have a lot of traction.
You have to keep them in a smaller area.
My birds, I devised a tent that has a light cover so that the sun comes in.
(23:16):
It's almost like a high tunnel and it melts everything and they're nice and warm in there
during the day.
And I don't have to worry about them putting a leg out because if they put a leg out, you
can't fix it.
They have to be put down.
So the ice drives me crazy.
I don't like that, although bigger farmers, you can put your lime out, your barn lime,
(23:41):
et cetera, and the birds are fine.
Some farmers don't offer them shelter because emu make themselves sort of an igloo in the
snow.
I have shelter for mine.
It's just my choice, but I know many farmers that do not.
Worms carry a bacteria that will, if the bird, because they peck at everything.
(24:06):
So if they peck at the feces of a raccoon, that bacteria goes into the spinal cord and
causes a neurological, fatal neurological problem.
They must be warmed with ivermectin, pour over cattle warmer.
And you put a bit of that on the back of their neck.
Of course, I'm not a vet.
I'm just telling you my experience.
(24:28):
And that helps.
They have to be vaccinated against West East West Nile, just like your horses do and everything
else because we're getting more and more mosquitoes around here.
There is a vet there.
Believe it or not, there's an emu vet here.
He's from Australia and his name is Dr. Gunsberg from Hurley vet.
(24:52):
He's been really great with my emu.
And so there is hope for farmers that way.
Otherwise emu are just super easy keepers.
The challenge is the landscape.
Fencing has to be six foot high because you don't want them to escape.
(25:12):
If they get out in our Ulster County woods, they're going to keep on going.
Some hunters going to think he's having a nightmare with it because they will keep running
through the woods.
They run about 30 miles an hour once they get a full head of steam.
It's a pretty good clip.
And they can jump five foot tall, five feet straight up.
(25:34):
But generally if they have their supply of food and water, they don't really go anywhere
because that's what they're looking for.
They'll take off to look for more food and water.
So I keep mine have food all day.
I don't feed them in increments.
And the other challenge is getting them processed if that's what your goal is.
(26:00):
That's a challenge for a lot of livestock producers these days of having that capability
with just the limited amount that we have in New York State.
But this conversation today, it really has been educational.
I know education is very near and dear to you.
You're the vice president of the American Emu Association, is that correct?
And chair of the education committee.
(26:22):
So why is it that, why do you love sharing the story?
Well, I founded the education committee because I felt that the people that know about everything,
know all about cows and know all about chickens, they take it for granted.
(26:44):
They keep all that information inside of them and they don't realize how hard it is for
people to learn about these things on their own.
So I felt we needed an education committee within the Emu Association so that we could
get that information out to people because with the education, of course, more people
(27:04):
will want to farm.
There's so much mystery around Emu and it's not that hard to do.
It's really not a hard thing to raise Emu for farming.
And I feel the more education we get out, the more our farmers will be looking to learn
about value added products, which is another thing I teach them about.
(27:27):
And grant funding, because grant funding is very important if you want to take advantage
of that and Emu certainly help you to qualify.
In fact, I did get Emu into the New York Grown and Certified Program for Feathers.
It took me two years, but this is great for our farmers because now they can apply for
(27:52):
grants and funding programs through New York Grown.
But education to me is just paramount to keeping farming alive.
And you don't know, you could talk to one person or have one bit of information out
there and you might stimulate them to start farming.
(28:15):
And with farms shrinking in our country, keeping the public educated is so important to keep
farming alive.
And that's why it's so important to me because farming is all I care about, except my son.
He might, and my Emus, but farming is my life, no matter how big the farm or how small.
(28:37):
Yeah, and I mean, just in where you are in Ulster County, in the Hudson Valley, there's
a lot of pressure on farms these days, a lot of development pressure.
And so there are many challenges to farming outside of just raising the livestock and
raising the birds.
It was very hard for me because it was important for me to own the farm myself and there was
(29:01):
no farm here.
This was woods and clay and lots of bluestone.
So when I moved here, I ran the projects.
I hired people, but I knew what I wanted.
We put in the barn.
I had all the excavating done.
Of course, I own the farm.
(29:21):
It's a female run farm and I'm an older lady and the gefellas don't like that.
I didn't have an easy time of it.
When I put up the farm stand, it's an old Model T garage, but the artist that I worked
with, he designed it so we use natural elements, cedar and such, and it would look like part
(29:46):
of the landscape.
But the neighbors hated it and they complained to any agency they could think of.
I did get my farm placed into a farm district, which is a tremendous help.
But I still have people complaining.
They think the emu is a silly thing.
(30:08):
So the emu are going to put someone's eye out.
That's like an old wives tale about birds doing that.
The farm stand, they don't lie.
They haven't complained about manure or anything.
The town has been very supportive of the farm because there's not many left here.
Yeah, but you provide so much beyond the products that you sell and the options you have to
(30:34):
consumers.
It's the open land and it's the scenic landscape.
It's what you contribute to your economy, the local economy down there.
There's so much that farms contribute that people sometimes take for granted.
So as you said, education is key.
The more people that learn about it, the more people will appreciate it.
(30:54):
That's important.
Yes, it's true.
And Farm Bureau has helped me a tremendous amount.
And I tell you, number one with Farm Bureau, if you have a organization where there's a
collective voice of smaller people like me, now a smaller person like me has more power.
(31:19):
Because when I get my back up against the wall, which I did the past couple of years,
one was with a piece of legislation that someone was trying to put through that you couldn't
own emu or ostrich period in New York State.
And the DEC had a hand in part of it with this legislator.
(31:40):
And I assume they were thinking of taking our birds away because they were saying they
were not native to New York State.
So Kyle, I guess...
On our staff, our public policy staff, yeah.
Yes, he's become the emu lawyer, I guess, they think he's him.
But he helped me a lot with lobbying.
(32:03):
Not really lobbying, but information gathering.
And I did the rest of educating the senator, but he did too.
And Farm Bureau is like a safety net for me because I'm alone.
There's no farmers here around me.
And if something goes wrong or I can't solve a problem, I'm calling Farm Bureau because
(32:27):
that's what my family did or the Farm Agricultural Society or whatever, or the cattle farmer,
the dairy guys up in Connecticut when I grew up, we called Farm Bureau.
Everybody talked about you.
You couldn't go to the bar at night after work without somebody mentioning Farm Bureau.
So that I just knew from my growing up in an ag community that if I got in trouble here,
(32:55):
call Farm Bureau.
And I did, and I have to say I called a lot.
I had a New York State audit.
It was horrible audit on my farm and Farm Bureau didn't...
They couldn't make the audit go away, but they helped me to understand it.
And that was really important.
And I don't care about the discounts or anything.
I just care that that safety net is there for me to get some questions answered.
(33:22):
And I like it so much that I asked them if I could be on the board.
I think it's awesome.
I don't ever want to see Farm Bureau go away.
Are you on the Ulster County board?
Yeah, this is my first...
I didn't realize that.
That's exciting.
Yeah.
It's my first year and everybody's really nice.
I hope I can be a voice for some of the minority, the female farmers, like me.
(33:48):
I hope I can help others and get more education out there.
Well, and I think just being on our podcast today, you're doing your part and I greatly
appreciate that.
And thank you for those kind words.
And it's nice that you had a positive experience and we were able to help.
That's our goal for our members is to help them.
Last thing, if people are interested in learning more, where would you encourage them to go?
(34:13):
Obviously they could reach out to you.
You have your farm website.
We should probably say what is the name of your farm and your website that's important.
It's ThunderHorseHolo.com and you can find me on Facebook Thunder Horse Hollow Farm.
Just look for the emu.
That's me.
Hard to miss.
I will teach people about emu farming.
(34:36):
I can't, because of the new farm law, I cannot use my emu to teach anybody anything.
I would be able to come and help you at your farm.
I can talk to you on the phone to get you started.
If I cannot answer your question, I will get your questions answered because I know everybody
that knows what they're doing in the emu industry.
(35:01):
So if a person wants to go to a website that has vast amounts of information, the American
Emu Association has generations of information.
It's aea-emu.org.
Very good.
(35:24):
People can find whatever they are looking for, but if you remember, then they have an even
bigger category of things that you can reference.
Absolutely.
Well, Kamara, we really appreciate you taking your time today to talk about what you do
and share your passion, which is very exciting to see.
(35:45):
I wish you the best of luck with your farm as you continue to grow and do more.
Hopefully, we will see each other again soon.
Thank you very much.
I'm very excited that you gave me this opportunity and there's nothing I love more than to talk
about emu.
That's my favorite thing.
Well, very good.
This was a great conversation.
Thanks so much, Kamara.
(36:06):
Thank you.
So if you'd like to learn more about Kamara, just go to her website at ThunderHorseHolo.com.
And we look forward to telling more member stories in future editions of News Bites and
exploring all that New York agriculture has to offer.
Well, thanks for listening to today's podcast.
It was edited by Seth Mozart Katz.
(36:27):
Until next time, make sure to thank a farmer for all that they do.
New York State is blessed to have a rich diversity of farms all across New York, and today you're
(00:07):
going to learn about one that raises flightless birds and is looking to soar.
Hi, I'm Steve Ammerman, Director of Communications for New York Farm Bureau, and welcome to News
Bites.
Kamara Lonergan farms about 30 acres in Ulster County, New York, in the Hudson Valley.
Her specialty is raising fresh herbs and flowers that are used in soaps and a whole bunch of
(00:29):
other different products that she produces and sells on her farm.
But she also raises emu.
These are large birds that are very similar to ostrich.
Her farm is a no-kill farm, but she's an expert on raising these animals that can be used
for meat as well as for their fat, which she will explain today.
She's confident that as more people learn about emu, raising them will take off.
(00:54):
Hi, Kamara.
We met recently at the New York Farm Bureau State Convention, where you were showcasing
your great work and what you sell.
It's a pleasure to have you with us on the News Bites podcast.
Well, thank you.
I'm really excited to be able to talk about the farm and Farm Bureau and farming in Ulster
(01:19):
County, New York.
Thanks for having me.
You're more than welcome.
Let's start with a little bit about your farm.
What do you do and where is it located?
Just give us a rundown of your farm.
My farm is a small farm.
We have 33.75 acres in Ulster Park.
(01:42):
It was not a farm when I moved here.
I recreated basically from stories from my family what my family farm looked like, or
at least a part of it, which had always been really my lifelong ambition.
Because of the terrain here in Ulster Park, which equals rocks, we have a lot of rocks
(02:06):
here, I have to diversify what I do and I grow several different things and I have different
animals.
But we are a no-kill farm and the animals do earn their keep by being models and for
advertising of what we grow to sell and the products we create.
(02:31):
We've been here about six years.
Alice and Gina Emu are the big shots on the farm.
They rule the roost and we have four horses.
Their purpose is for a Lakota Sioux-based horse handling and riding program.
And we have our cattle dog Poppy who takes care of everyone.
(02:53):
So we grow saffron, which we just got a high tunnel grant for, and edible flowers and herbs
that are naturally dried and sent off to a chemist up in upstate New York.
And we create our bath products and skin care products that are all FDA compliant.
(03:13):
We don't create them here on the farm.
They're lab created and cruelty free.
They're leaping money certified, not tested on animals.
And it looks like you have one of your animals behind you in that picture that we're seeing.
Who is that?
That's Alice.
Alice is running in her area.
That's a photo of her running because that's what Emu love to do is run in spurts.
(03:38):
So that's my buddy Alice.
She's the model for Vampire Emu, one of our skincare products.
Well before we hear more about Alice and Emu's, I would like to explore just a little bit
more about your background.
You said you've had the farm for six years, but farming goes way back in your family.
What is your family history in agriculture?
(04:01):
Farming goes way back in my family, back to maybe the late 1800s, early 1900s.
Few people realize that, that I know my associates, et cetera.
But my great grandpa came from the Lake Como, Italy area and he bought a large parcel of
land in the Northwest corner of Connecticut.
(04:23):
They grew, they raised hogs, grew hay, but the big thing they did was raise game birds,
quail, pheasant.
And my grandfather was one of the product testers for LLB in the way back.
And he was a guide throughout the Berkshires for fishing and hunting.
(04:46):
But they raised the birds for not only for hunting, but for eating.
And the family lived communally on that area in the Northwest corner and produced just
about everything they ate, even their own wine, cheeses.
We made maple syrup, et cetera.
And that went on until around the 1930s when, you know, people went out, were in the military,
(05:11):
life changed.
But I always was determined to bring the farm back.
And I grew up in Litchfield County, Connecticut in a completely agricultural community.
So I spent all of my time as a child with farm animals.
That's what I did.
And friends who were working in dairy, they had dairy operations because that's primarily
(05:37):
what we were in that area of Litchfield County.
So what was it about farming that you said, you know, I really need to continue this and
why what is it that you enjoy about farming?
I love the land.
And because my family, the stories that my family, I'm the one that listened, you know,
(05:59):
the kid that listened to those stories that were handed down and the stories of the old
farmers in Litchfield County, Connecticut.
And it's a real, you know, the land is such a gift to us and to be able to be on the land
and be part of it and to see what it yields.
(06:19):
And what you can make it yield is an amazing part of life that I never want to give up.
And the animals, whether you raise them for meat or, you know, in my case, we're a no-kill
farm, but they still have a purpose.
They're your partners on that land.
So every day you get up, you're dealing with those animals, you're dealing with the vegetation
(06:43):
of the land, the agriculture, and it's rewarding.
And I feel there is a very, very fine line between art and farming, you know, art and
science because farming is such a great art if you're a creative person.
And I just could never spend my life without being able to create something from the land
(07:08):
and an honor, you know, being a good steward of the land.
I think that's beautiful how you put it.
And really that is at the foundation of what farmers do and, you know, just being stewards.
I also love, I haven't heard of someone, but it makes total sense of calling your animals
partners because you couldn't do what you do without the livestock and the emus.
(07:29):
So let's talk about your partners.
How did you get involved in raising emus?
So it's a very weird story, but...
I like weird stories.
They're more interesting.
When I was a child, and probably you remember the show many people do, there was a show
called Doctari, and it was about animal safari.
(07:50):
And there was an emu on Doctari, and I was so enamored with the emu that I always swore
I would have an emu.
As I was young, you know, I didn't really know you could farm them.
And really, it wasn't until around the 1980s that the American Emu Association advocated
(08:11):
and managed to get the USDA to recognize emu as livestock.
So I didn't know.
I just knew I wanted an emu.
And once, you know, I was able to get my farm, the very first thing I did was get two emus.
I figured I can't have one.
It'll be lonely.
(08:31):
So I told my husband that I knew everything there was to know about emu, and I didn't
know anything about raising emu.
So we picked them up in Vermont, brought them here.
They were chicks.
And it was just a...
It clicked for me.
It's like a calling.
I don't know why, but emu have always been a calling for me, and I relate really well
(08:58):
to them in their space.
How many do you have?
I only have two right now.
I have two females coming.
Because of my age, honestly, I don't feel I want a thousand emu.
And I do know someone that has a thousand emu in Texas.
They really do.
They have a very successful farm.
But for me, four is enough because each laying season, each female can lay 20 to 40 eggs.
(09:26):
So that's a lot of eggs with two breed or pair.
And I will have the four and the farm.
The rest of the things I do is grow my saffron and make my bath products.
So it's a great niche for me and my land.
So what's involved in raising an emu?
What are they like in terms of their character and what do you need to do to be a successful
(09:49):
emu farmer?
They need the right amount, a correct amount of land.
They don't need a ton of land.
They aren't like cattle.
You can micro farm with emu, especially if you intend to raise them for meat and oil.
If you want to process them, you don't need acres and acres of land.
(10:14):
So once for me, because I'm looking at creating breed or pairs, I handled them quite a bit.
I even carried them around in my pockets when they were chicks.
And so for me, they're almost bonded to me.
They do get a little bit crabby, the males in the fall.
(10:37):
When the days shorten, that is when the breeding season begins with them.
So they're looking for a girlfriend.
They don't have a girlfriend.
They have me.
They're getting a little frustrated and one gets a little hissy at me and I have to, you
know, kind of keep that one away from me.
They take it out on me.
But that's only for about a week.
(10:58):
Most of the time, 98% of the time, the males, since they raise the chicks are very friendly
and not really a bird to be afraid of, although they possess qualities you should certainly
respect.
Thankfully in our area, in our area of the country, we have Poulin Grain to get our feed
(11:20):
from.
They are a family run company and they, in my opinion, and they've worked well for me.
They produce a great quality product.
The feed stores are happy to order it for me.
And pretty much that's what the birds eat.
It's called ratite.
And otherwise they forage on all kinds of things, including creatures that may come
(11:44):
into their area, such as spotted lanternfly.
So that's a plus.
That's an invasive species that's moved into New York that's really can be detrimental
to a lot of crops and native plants.
And the vineyards.
Yes.
So Emu like to chow down on them and they certainly, we don't have many snakes in their
(12:10):
area anymore.
And the frogs run in high, you know, they are omnivores.
They're very easy to clean up after because their feed does not stay in their system long.
It doesn't build up ammonia.
They have a very short digestive system and you can use their manure immediately on your
(12:32):
crops for fertilizing.
It will not burn.
You do that as well?
I do on my saffron.
So it's great because in the fall I can take their straw with that has manure in it and
cover my well after I harvest my saffron, I can cover it to protect it from the snow
(12:53):
because we don't lift our bulbs and it's got Emu manure in it.
So it's fertilizing everything as well as protecting it.
But they are wonderful.
To me, they are very wonderful birds to interact with and on a daily basis.
And you know, most people are listening to this versus seeing this podcast.
(13:15):
And if they don't know what an Emu is, I mean, maybe to me the closest bird like is an ostrich,
but they're very different, I would imagine.
They are all related.
The Emu is the cousin of the ostrich and the Emu is also related to the cassowary and the
raya.
They're all rat types.
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world and the Emu is the second largest bird.
(13:42):
So they are all flightless birds and some of them are white.
They are white Emu, but that does not mean they're albino.
And then there's the normal Emu as you see behind me that's like a grayish, blackish
color, but they lay a bit of a smaller leg, like egg than an ostrich.
(14:06):
And it is teal in color with a very rough shape to it, a rough edge, not edge, texture.
So it makes it very good in handcrafts.
People use them to create egg sculptures and such.
Very interesting.
So as you said that, you know, you raise them for the oil, some raise them for meat, which
(14:30):
is actually becoming more popular because of the tick-borne illness known as alpha
gall syndrome, which is essentially creating an allergy to red meat.
So people are turning more to Emu meat.
Is that correct?
Yes.
First of all, my Emu are not raised for oil because you can't get oil without the meat.
(14:51):
So they have to be processed to get the oil.
A lot of people don't realize that.
The oil is rendered, so the hump of the bird and the drumsticks have big particles of fat
on there.
That is rendered, that fat is removed and is shipped to the refinery and there it is
(15:13):
processed into the oil.
The meat is the only red meat theoretically, you know, the only red meat that a person
who has been bit by the Lone Star tick and develops an allergy to that enzyme of that
tick, the allergy is called alpha gall allergy.
(15:34):
That is the meat that the people claim they can eat that does not give them a severe anaphylactic
reaction that mammalian meat does.
So Emu meat is a red meat, but it is not a dark, it's not the same as turkey.
It's a very different type of meat.
And there's a huge, we can't even supply the demand.
(15:57):
We need more Emu farmers now in New York State so that we can supply the demand because this
tick is moving up from the south and it is indeed in New York State.
So you know, Emu farming is a small part of New York agriculture and as you said, you
would love to see it grow and there are opportunities there.
What is the footprint like for Emu agriculture in New York State?
(16:21):
Well right now there is, there's about, you mean how many farmers are there?
Yeah, and how many birds are you, you may not know an exact number, but do you have
an idea of the number?
There's about a hundred, I would say right now in New York State there has to be a hundred
(16:41):
producers of Emu birds.
The problem the farmers are having is the same problem that anyone else that's trying
to get their animals processed, there aren't enough processors.
But I have a solution.
I feel that if we could get together and form a co-op, such as Vermont did some years ago,
(17:08):
it's disbanded now.
We could as Emu farmers in New York State work together, get our birds up to New Hampshire,
where they do process Emu and get some of that meat and get ourselves known as Emu meat
and oil producers once again in New York State.
(17:29):
That would be a great opportunity to see that grow and you know, obviously there is great
potential like you said for the meat as well as the oil and that's something that I know
I wasn't familiar with before you and I had that conversation and met that Emus produce
oil that can be used in different ways.
What exactly is Emu oil and how do you use it on your farm?
(17:52):
Emu oil is high in all of the omega fatty acids and it is very similar to the makeup
of the human skin.
So when you put that Emu oil on your skin, it is going to pass quickly through the barrier
and it is very healing and it imparts a healing quality and it's very nutritious, shall we
(18:19):
say.
That's because of the composition of the oil.
How do I use it on my farm?
If I have an injured animal, I'm putting Emu oil on that animal.
How do I make money from it?
I have it in my Emu oil products.
Now the thing is in the world of Emu oil, there are some no good nicks who come from
(18:45):
away and they create fake Emu oil out of vegetable oil, etc. and the consumer doesn't realize
this.
How would you know if it was Emu oil or I don't know olive oil?
It's mixed with Wesson oil.
You wouldn't know.
You take the word of who is selling it to you.
(19:06):
So an entity exists.
The American Emu Association has an oil certification program and it is very strict.
The committee reviews the composition of what the person is trying to sell and the oil has
a seal on it.
It says American Emu oil certified oil and it's all USA made.
(19:29):
My oil, since I'm the vice president of the Emu Association, I know all the Emu farmers
in the country so I call them up and I say, hey, I'd like to buy some oil from you and
I know exactly where it's coming from and they're all old school farmers that have been
around a long time since the beginning of the Emu boom and have hung in there.
(19:55):
So Emu oil can be used for so many different things.
I'm not talking about eating.
I'm talking about clinically on your skin or in a product.
In fact, we have a dry product, a horse powder that has Emu oil in it.
We found a way to add Emu oil to it without it being clumpy.
(20:15):
So it has tons of uses or you can just bottle it and sell it as it is.
And is the market like where would people purchase this or I guess obviously they can
go directly to you to purchase the products clearly, but is that a growing market as well?
(20:36):
Well, the pioneer in my opinion of the Emu oil market was Montana Emu Ranch and they
have been around eternally.
You can always find them.
They're in like the vitamin stores.
They've done an awesome job of marketing their product, but there are other people.
(20:58):
There's people on Etsy.
There's people on Amazon.
We don't sell the oil.
We're selling blended products.
But the thing is that I feel the consumers have to do their research and be aware of
who you're buying it from, especially on Amazon and that sort of thing.
(21:20):
Because the whole purpose of the Emu oil is the extreme benefit to the skin.
And if you're putting your money out and buying something that's not pure Emu oil, then it's
defeating the purpose.
So the consumer needs to do their research and make sure you're buying the right product.
(21:42):
That's always important.
This is something that if there are growing markets, farms are always looking at ways
to diversify and add to what they do.
If a farmer is interested in raising Emus, let's talk a little bit about that.
We'll start with the challenges.
What's some of the advice you would have to another farmer who would be interested in
(22:05):
raising the birds?
Well, first of all, in our area of New York State, one of the things I want the farmers
to know is that silvopasture, if your farm is in silvopasture, Emu are the exactly most
perfect creatures for that because they are grazers and they would love to go amongst
(22:27):
the trees and eat your bugs and wild berries and worms and such.
They are perfect silvopasture animals.
And silvopasture, just for people, that's literally being pasture raised using incorporating
woods and forests as well, correct?
So not only that, they're eating your berries and things that you've planted these trees,
(22:52):
now they're fertilizing your pasture.
So the challenge we have in New York State is ice.
This is my challenge.
When it's icy, the birds don't have a lot of traction.
You have to keep them in a smaller area.
My birds, I devised a tent that has a light cover so that the sun comes in.
(23:16):
It's almost like a high tunnel and it melts everything and they're nice and warm in there
during the day.
And I don't have to worry about them putting a leg out because if they put a leg out, you
can't fix it.
They have to be put down.
So the ice drives me crazy.
I don't like that, although bigger farmers, you can put your lime out, your barn lime,
(23:41):
et cetera, and the birds are fine.
Some farmers don't offer them shelter because emu make themselves sort of an igloo in the
snow.
I have shelter for mine.
It's just my choice, but I know many farmers that do not.
Worms carry a bacteria that will, if the bird, because they peck at everything.
(24:06):
So if they peck at the feces of a raccoon, that bacteria goes into the spinal cord and
causes a neurological, fatal neurological problem.
They must be warmed with ivermectin, pour over cattle warmer.
And you put a bit of that on the back of their neck.
Of course, I'm not a vet.
I'm just telling you my experience.
(24:28):
And that helps.
They have to be vaccinated against West East West Nile, just like your horses do and everything
else because we're getting more and more mosquitoes around here.
There is a vet there.
Believe it or not, there's an emu vet here.
He's from Australia and his name is Dr. Gunsberg from Hurley vet.
(24:52):
He's been really great with my emu.
And so there is hope for farmers that way.
Otherwise emu are just super easy keepers.
The challenge is the landscape.
Fencing has to be six foot high because you don't want them to escape.
(25:12):
If they get out in our Ulster County woods, they're going to keep on going.
Some hunters going to think he's having a nightmare with it because they will keep running
through the woods.
They run about 30 miles an hour once they get a full head of steam.
It's a pretty good clip.
And they can jump five foot tall, five feet straight up.
(25:34):
But generally if they have their supply of food and water, they don't really go anywhere
because that's what they're looking for.
They'll take off to look for more food and water.
So I keep mine have food all day.
I don't feed them in increments.
And the other challenge is getting them processed if that's what your goal is.
(26:00):
That's a challenge for a lot of livestock producers these days of having that capability
with just the limited amount that we have in New York State.
But this conversation today, it really has been educational.
I know education is very near and dear to you.
You're the vice president of the American Emu Association, is that correct?
And chair of the education committee.
(26:22):
So why is it that, why do you love sharing the story?
Well, I founded the education committee because I felt that the people that know about everything,
know all about cows and know all about chickens, they take it for granted.
(26:44):
They keep all that information inside of them and they don't realize how hard it is for
people to learn about these things on their own.
So I felt we needed an education committee within the Emu Association so that we could
get that information out to people because with the education, of course, more people
(27:04):
will want to farm.
There's so much mystery around Emu and it's not that hard to do.
It's really not a hard thing to raise Emu for farming.
And I feel the more education we get out, the more our farmers will be looking to learn
about value added products, which is another thing I teach them about.
(27:27):
And grant funding, because grant funding is very important if you want to take advantage
of that and Emu certainly help you to qualify.
In fact, I did get Emu into the New York Grown and Certified Program for Feathers.
It took me two years, but this is great for our farmers because now they can apply for
(27:52):
grants and funding programs through New York Grown.
But education to me is just paramount to keeping farming alive.
And you don't know, you could talk to one person or have one bit of information out
there and you might stimulate them to start farming.
(28:15):
And with farms shrinking in our country, keeping the public educated is so important to keep
farming alive.
And that's why it's so important to me because farming is all I care about, except my son.
He might, and my Emus, but farming is my life, no matter how big the farm or how small.
(28:37):
Yeah, and I mean, just in where you are in Ulster County, in the Hudson Valley, there's
a lot of pressure on farms these days, a lot of development pressure.
And so there are many challenges to farming outside of just raising the livestock and
raising the birds.
It was very hard for me because it was important for me to own the farm myself and there was
(29:01):
no farm here.
This was woods and clay and lots of bluestone.
So when I moved here, I ran the projects.
I hired people, but I knew what I wanted.
We put in the barn.
I had all the excavating done.
Of course, I own the farm.
(29:21):
It's a female run farm and I'm an older lady and the gefellas don't like that.
I didn't have an easy time of it.
When I put up the farm stand, it's an old Model T garage, but the artist that I worked
with, he designed it so we use natural elements, cedar and such, and it would look like part
(29:46):
of the landscape.
But the neighbors hated it and they complained to any agency they could think of.
I did get my farm placed into a farm district, which is a tremendous help.
But I still have people complaining.
They think the emu is a silly thing.
(30:08):
So the emu are going to put someone's eye out.
That's like an old wives tale about birds doing that.
The farm stand, they don't lie.
They haven't complained about manure or anything.
The town has been very supportive of the farm because there's not many left here.
Yeah, but you provide so much beyond the products that you sell and the options you have to
(30:34):
consumers.
It's the open land and it's the scenic landscape.
It's what you contribute to your economy, the local economy down there.
There's so much that farms contribute that people sometimes take for granted.
So as you said, education is key.
The more people that learn about it, the more people will appreciate it.
(30:54):
That's important.
Yes, it's true.
And Farm Bureau has helped me a tremendous amount.
And I tell you, number one with Farm Bureau, if you have a organization where there's a
collective voice of smaller people like me, now a smaller person like me has more power.
(31:19):
Because when I get my back up against the wall, which I did the past couple of years,
one was with a piece of legislation that someone was trying to put through that you couldn't
own emu or ostrich period in New York State.
And the DEC had a hand in part of it with this legislator.
(31:40):
And I assume they were thinking of taking our birds away because they were saying they
were not native to New York State.
So Kyle, I guess...
On our staff, our public policy staff, yeah.
Yes, he's become the emu lawyer, I guess, they think he's him.
But he helped me a lot with lobbying.
(32:03):
Not really lobbying, but information gathering.
And I did the rest of educating the senator, but he did too.
And Farm Bureau is like a safety net for me because I'm alone.
There's no farmers here around me.
And if something goes wrong or I can't solve a problem, I'm calling Farm Bureau because
(32:27):
that's what my family did or the Farm Agricultural Society or whatever, or the cattle farmer,
the dairy guys up in Connecticut when I grew up, we called Farm Bureau.
Everybody talked about you.
You couldn't go to the bar at night after work without somebody mentioning Farm Bureau.
So that I just knew from my growing up in an ag community that if I got in trouble here,
(32:55):
call Farm Bureau.
And I did, and I have to say I called a lot.
I had a New York State audit.
It was horrible audit on my farm and Farm Bureau didn't...
They couldn't make the audit go away, but they helped me to understand it.
And that was really important.
And I don't care about the discounts or anything.
I just care that that safety net is there for me to get some questions answered.
(33:22):
And I like it so much that I asked them if I could be on the board.
I think it's awesome.
I don't ever want to see Farm Bureau go away.
Are you on the Ulster County board?
Yeah, this is my first...
I didn't realize that.
That's exciting.
Yeah.
It's my first year and everybody's really nice.
I hope I can be a voice for some of the minority, the female farmers, like me.
(33:48):
I hope I can help others and get more education out there.
Well, and I think just being on our podcast today, you're doing your part and I greatly
appreciate that.
And thank you for those kind words.
And it's nice that you had a positive experience and we were able to help.
That's our goal for our members is to help them.
Last thing, if people are interested in learning more, where would you encourage them to go?
(34:13):
Obviously they could reach out to you.
You have your farm website.
We should probably say what is the name of your farm and your website that's important.
It's ThunderHorseHolo.com and you can find me on Facebook Thunder Horse Hollow Farm.
Just look for the emu.
That's me.
Hard to miss.
I will teach people about emu farming.
(34:36):
I can't, because of the new farm law, I cannot use my emu to teach anybody anything.
I would be able to come and help you at your farm.
I can talk to you on the phone to get you started.
If I cannot answer your question, I will get your questions answered because I know everybody
that knows what they're doing in the emu industry.
(35:01):
So if a person wants to go to a website that has vast amounts of information, the American
Emu Association has generations of information.
It's aea-emu.org.
Very good.
(35:24):
People can find whatever they are looking for, but if you remember, then they have an even
bigger category of things that you can reference.
Absolutely.
Well, Kamara, we really appreciate you taking your time today to talk about what you do
and share your passion, which is very exciting to see.
(35:45):
I wish you the best of luck with your farm as you continue to grow and do more.
Hopefully, we will see each other again soon.
Thank you very much.
I'm very excited that you gave me this opportunity and there's nothing I love more than to talk
about emu.
That's my favorite thing.
Well, very good.
This was a great conversation.
Thanks so much, Kamara.
(36:06):
Thank you.
So if you'd like to learn more about Kamara, just go to her website at ThunderHorseHolo.com.
And we look forward to telling more member stories in future editions of News Bites and
exploring all that New York agriculture has to offer.
Well, thanks for listening to today's podcast.
It was edited by Seth Mozart Katz.
(36:27):
Until next time, make sure to thank a farmer for all that they do.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial
Introducing… Aubrey O’Day Diddy’s former protege, television personality, platinum selling music artist, Danity Kane alum Aubrey O’Day joins veteran journalists Amy Robach and TJ Holmes to provide a unique perspective on the trial that has captivated the attention of the nation. Join them throughout the trial as they discuss, debate, and dissect every detail, every aspect of the proceedings. Aubrey will offer her opinions and expertise, as only she is qualified to do given her first-hand knowledge. From her days on Making the Band, as she emerged as the breakout star, the truth of the situation would be the opposite of the glitz and glamour. Listen throughout every minute of the trial, for this exclusive coverage. Amy Robach and TJ Holmes present Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, an iHeartRadio podcast.
Good Hang with Amy Poehler
Come hang with Amy Poehler. Each week on her podcast, she'll welcome celebrities and fun people to her studio. They'll share stories about their careers, mutual friends, shared enthusiasms, and most importantly, what's been making them laugh. This podcast is not about trying to make you better or giving advice. Amy just wants to have a good time.