Mother Earth News has been here since the 1970s, addressing what’s wrong with our modern world and helping you find more sustainable solutions to doing it better yourself. Over the decades, we’ve explored energy independence, growing a garden, raising livestock, saving money, practical DIY projects, and escaping from the rat race that can be modern life. Right now, the U.S. is dealing with high food prices (those eggs are really too much!), questions about supply chain availability, intensifying wildfire seasons, grids that are down after natural disasters, questionable water supplies, and more. If this makes you wonder whether it’s better to just do it yourself, this issue is here to help.
If you’re ready to get started with egg-layers or improve the quality of life of the birds you already have, check out “7 Things Your Chickens Need” and our update on the avian flu. Shore up your supply of eggs raised right, and enjoy watching your birds scratch around and find insects in the yard. We like to call it “Chicken TV,” and sometimes it’s better than the real deal. Wouldn’t it be neat if our communities could duplicate the free hen program in France?
When you grow your own strawberries, greens, and more, you’ll similarly have to worry less about what’s happening at the grocery store. It’s never too late to start a garden, and there’s still ample time to get pretty much everything in the ground (or into a container). Did you know that New York City has about 40,000 acres of rooftop that could be used for gardens? Find dwarf varieties that’ll do well in small spaces, such as rooftops and balconies, and get tips for customizing your raised beds. Take steps to increase your produce’s nutrient value with “Grow a Healthier Garden.” Then, once your produce has grown, tuck it into DIY bento bags.
Let Jeannette Beranger of The Livestock Conservancy remind you why heritage breeds are such hardy options for a homestead in a changing world. We’ve been tending these resilient breeds for decades, if not centuries, and they’re more valuable now than ever before as they help clean up invasive species, thrive in heat and drought, and more. They may just help solve some of our biggest challenges as farmers. Dana Benner shares how bison used to, and still can, heal and improve the land they graze.
There’s a lot of wisdom in the way things used to be done, if we’re willing to pay attention. But there are also new methods worth considering: Virtual fencing, for example, can provide a viable way for you to get your animals out on pasture. Responsible grazing will improve your pastures and clear out excess vegetation for wildfire season.
We hope your chickens are laying lots of eggs, the rain and the wind have been gentle on your garden, the squash bugs aren’t taking over your zucchini, and that you find some inspiration in these pages to grow and raise more of your own. It’s within your power, and we’re here to help you every step of the way, whether you want to try an old method or a new one. Drop us a line at Letters@MotherEarthNews.com.
