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If you now operate—or have ever operated—a successful home business that—was inspired by an article you read In MOTHER, tell us (in 500 words or less) when and where—and with how much "seed money"you started your venture. If your story can be fitted into an upcoming Installment of BOOTSTRAP BUSINESSES, you'll receive [1] the warm satisfaction of knowing that you helped someone else find the happiness you enjoy and [2] a free two-year new or renewal subscription to THE MOTHER EARTH NEWS.

In MOTHER NO. 52, page 24, 1 recently read "Livestock Show Photography". As a matter of coincidence, there happened to be a county fair in my area the very same week. So I made arrangements with the show superintendents, invested $4.32 in two rolls of 20-exposure Vericolor II film by Kodak, and hauled my workweary carcass to the fair.

Using my Minolta 35mm, I snapped off 32 shots the first day! And at a rate of $5.50 per shot, I made a NET profit of $153.68 overnight! Not bad, considering the absence of work.

I admit I was more than slightly surprised at my results. I even had repeat sales due to [a) the quality of the prints, and [b] overnight service. (Being a "camera bug", I had previously invested in my own darkroom supplies ... which enabled me to process my film faster, with less expense, and with more clarity of color.) By the end of the week, I had taken 150 shots for a net profit of $825!

Now I plan to travel to other fairs as well. And I owe It all to Ham McQueen and MOTHER! I strongly encourage anyone with an opportunity to go to a fair to Invest In a reasonably good camera and some film. You'll be surprised at the results! Your investments should not exceed $200 If you don't already have a camera ... and you can expect to return a profit in one or two days.

And the best part Is that you don't have to be a technological genius ... all you need is a friendly personality, a little patience, and a relatively steady hand. All I can say Is thank God for dear old MOTHER.

David Arne Stolz V Staunton, Va.

This year my husband Attie and I pulled up roots and moved to Papua, Now Guinea ... where we're living and working as volunteers on a mission hospital station. But—soon after our arrival here—we found ourselves confronted with two major problems: extremely high food costs, and nostalgia for our former homestead-type lifestyle. At first we set out to solve both problems—at least to some degree—by planting a large vegetable garden to supplement the native pineapples, bananas, and yams. But we also noticed that the price of chickens was extremely high In Papua (nearly $6.00 American for a three-pound bird) ... and we soon decided that it would surely be profitable for us to raise the fowl ourselves.

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