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

Under Cover

EDITORS’ PICK

Dear MOTHER

What's a Food Policy Council? • Federal transformation of the U.S. food system is slow. For this reason, many communities are beginning to regain control of their foodscapes through food policy councils. These civic organizations are created and controlled by local populations, and they’re designed to fill the gaps in national food policies.

Organize Your Homestead Stats • Monitor your farm’s facts and figures to manage daily tasks and track your progress.

MOTHER’S Product Picks

Affinage Aging Like Fine Cheese • Feeling pressed by the limitations of fresh cheeses? Try your hand at aged cheeses.

Farmhouse Wheel Cheese Recipe

Mild Colby Cheese Recipe

Learn the Fundamentals of Making Cheese at Home

Transform Your Driveway Into a Vegetable Garden • Use containers and straw bales to create an edible oasis.

Grow Delicious Tomatoes with This Beautiful Guide

How to Wine & Dine a Chef • Use this expert advice to get your home-raised meat served up at local restaurants.

Natural Sinus Support • Bolster your immune health and eliminate sinus pain by incorporating these herbal sinus remedies into your everyday routine for long-term relief.

Craft a Better Leather Apron • Turn a deer hide into a multipurpose apron that’s a perfect fit for garden chores or workshop projects.

Some Riveting Information

Saddle Stitching

Undertaking a Backyard Burial • Prepare for the legal and practical considerations of a backyard burial with these tips from a green-burial expert.

Grave-Digging Tips • These tips are adapted from advice given by Jonny Yaxley, England’s 2014 Gravedigger of the Year.

Burial Ground Types

Mull Over Mead • Enjoy an in-depth look at the components and creation of this versatile, honey-based beverage — a hearty addition to any homebrewing arsenal.

Basic Mead Recipe

Traditional Techniques for Creating Ancient Ales and Other Ferments

Stay Prepared with the Latest Emergency Products • You can hope for the best but prepare for the worst with these durable off-grid innovations for any crisis.

Be Prepared for Any Disaster

Build a Timber Frame Chicken Coop • A reader shares how his family built a new coop using salvaged materials and traditional techniques.

Homestead Safety • Pay attention and practice prevention to keep yourself secure while doing farm work.

Seeing Possibilities

Hay, That’s a Nifty Scrubby!

Bugs Boost Birds’ Health

Use Your Chickens as Compost Workers

Photos from the Field