There are many websites with great information but there’s also some awesome magazines. Some are commonly found on newsstands while others take some digging to find.
1. Countryside & Small Stock Journal – if you’re looking for hands on information about building, recycling, reusing, livestock, gardening and a host of other homestead topics this is your magazine. An established magazine it is completely reader written by people DOING what they’re writing about. You’re not reading articles about a university test or from someone who researched but is unfamiliar with the topic. The authors have hands on experience in what they’re describing. The current issue at this writing has articles on honeybees, eggplant, cattle, wild parsnips and earthworms. This magazine is a bit different with many small articles and tidbits.
2. Grit magazine is a long established magazine with a new outlook. Many rural youth once delivered Grit newspaper – it’s back and revamped and highly relevant to those of us interested in the rural livestyle. With a variety of articles it offers good advice and guidance. At this writing headline topics are farmers market how-to, safety tips for garden and yard, tools that work and secrets to a perfect fruit tree.
3. Progressive Farmer – with a balance between professional farmers and smaller part time farmers this is an agriculture magazine with nuts and bolts information. A typical fall issue has feature articles on ATVs, Thanksgiving turkeys, preparing livestock for colder weather, growing trees, hunting lodges and more.
4. Successful Farming is another production “serious farm” magazine with relevant information to farm management. The current issue at this writing includes articles on scouting corn, planter applied nitrogen, shop orrices and more. While it might be a bit more crop and farm focused than many of the others there is information from an established magazine.
5. Farm Show is a dream magazine for those who love making things in unusual ways. Busses made into sprayers, portable poultry sheds and hay feeders. There’s new features and using junk to turn into useful things. The special issues have information on repowering machines. For those seriously into farming or those just looking at doing things cheap but functional this magazine is just awesome.
6. Mother Earth News is another longtime established magazine. Heavy on politically correct issues there’s still great information about gardening, alternative energy and other topics useful to those in the country. While it’s a little more ‘slick’ and less information about raising livestock for meat there’s still a great deal of interesting information here – worth the subscription.
7. AcresUSA is another magazine to balance information – heavy on government cautions, speaking against such things as heavy hormone and antibiotic use in livestock, GMO crops and other aspects of commercial agriculture.
8. BackHome magazine – Quarterly magazine full of homesteading information with varied topics. Similar to Countryside but with a different tone.
9. Backwoods Home – As the name implies this magazine is concerned with homesteading but there’s a stronger link to survival than some of the others. Current magazine features are canning meat, noodles, controlling rats & mice, building projects and hydroponic heating.
10. Backyard Poultry, Sheep! magazine and the Dairy Goat Journal – these are sister magazines to Countryside with a tighter focus on individual animals in livestock production and conservation. Anyone interested in these respective species would find it worthwhile to get these magazines.
There are many magazines on store shelves and much information and opinions on many things on these subjects. These magazines are reasonable to subscribe to, they are full of information and it’s information that anyone doing it can learn hands on. Check them out today!
