MOTHER EARTH NEWS

MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine is the Original Guide to Living Wisely. Launched in 1970, each bimonthly issue features practical and money-saving information on cutting energy costs; using renewable energy; organic gardening; green home building and remodeling; fun do-it-yourself projects; and conscientious, self-sufficient lifestyles

Growing Resources

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Dear MOTHER

How to Ask the Right Question at a Farmers Market • Though farmers markets have a reputation for selling locally and sustainably grown food, “greenwashing” is still common. Some sellers buy industrial produce at wholesale prices to pass off as homegrown, and unregulated terms, such as “natural” and “no-spray,” imply more than they mean. While purchasing only Certified Organic products avoids this problem, many farmers markets don’t have Certified Organic sellers.

High-Quality, Hand-Forged HOMESTEAD TOOLS • The Dobkins family crafts long-lasting garden tools to sell from their blacksmith shop in the Ozarks.

MOTHER’s Product Picks

Add Thermal Mass to Your OFF-GRID GREENHOUSE • Install a greenhouse system that can store daytime heat and release it at night to keep the temperature regulated 24/7.

Guide to Energy-Efficient Solar Greenhouses

Warm Your Home with a Gentle Giant • These super-efficient fireplaces produce long-lasting, comfortable warmth with less wood, work, time, and worry.

PROTECT AND SHELTER YOUR GOATS • Construct sturdy housing and fencing for your goats to help them stay safe — and stay put.

Electric Fencing: A Guide to Basics

Reasons to RAISE DUCKS • Consider adding these hardworking birds to your homestead for pest control and year-round eggs.

Coppicing Trees for SUSTAINABLE FIREWOOD • You can grow firewood in a fraction of the time it takes to raise a tree from seed.

Choose Cows for a SMALL-SCALE DAIRY • Before purchasing a cow, consider its history and disposition to ensure your micro dairy’s efficiency and success.

DIY Wood-Fired HOT TUB • Think you can’t enjoy a hot tub because you live off-grid? Check out this wood-fired beauty.

GROW A GREEN ROOF • Turn your roof into a canopy of lovely plants that will keep your house comfortable year-round.

Keep Your Cottage Cozy with Insulation

Build Your Own

Make a TRADITIONAL HEARTH BROOM • Learn the nearly lost American art of broom-making.

All About Growing Sorghum

A Little Winter Greenhouse • One reader shares how she created a small urban greenhouse.

IT HAPPENED AT THE FAIR • You’ll find inspiration at every turn at a MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR. Animals, demos, workshops, and exhibitors will deliver lots of practical ideas and hands-on projects for your own homestead. Check out these scenes from our 2017 events, and then make plans to visit our upcoming FAIR in Asheville, North Carolina, on April 28-29, 2018!

Baffling Squirrels

MOTHER EARTH NEWS • RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS • FOR WISER LIVING •

PREPARING FOR SPRING at Polyface Farm • Spring starts early on the Salatin homestead, where winter is packed with preparations for next season’s new growth.

Pasty Butt in Baby Chicks

Photos from the Field