Precious and Rare

One of our editors recently purchased 248 empty glass jars for canning (at only 25 cents each, and with new lids!) from an online marketplace. Conversation during the jar pickup addressed the weather (good rain for the garden) and then shifted to Mother Earth News, covering how we’ve been inspiring people to build, make, grow, raise, and dream of new possibilities outside of the status quo since the 1970s – and how we’re still here now. “How precious and rare in this digital age,” said the seller of the jars, “a magazine you can hold in your hands and read.”

Once the jars were loaded into the trunk of the car plus every empty seat, she wondered what the plan was for all of them. Her goal is to fill them over the course of this growing season with food from the garden – made extra healthy and vigorous with the help of “Cost-Effective Compost Tea“ – and with wild grape jelly once the vines are heavy with sun-ripened fruit (“Foraging Fall Fruits,”). And thanks to the reminders in “How Common Is Botulism?” she has extra confidence in her ability to safely can food.

There’s beauty to be found in numerous jars slowly but surely filling the pantry shelves as the weeks pass by. There’s satisfaction in taking care of your family with nutritious homemade food, and excitement in freeing yourself from a broken system.

“Precious and rare.” That phrase has stayed with us while tending the garden, foraging in the woods, and walking the pastures to check the animals. These skills and opportunities to grow, preserve, and work with our hands are precious and rare too. Yet, they’re right there in front of us, ready to manifest if we take that first step.

Often, that first step doesn’t have to be complicated. The tips found in “7 Best Spices for Health” can help you make more time for wellness just by placing a shaker of cinnamon and a bowl of paprika on your table, ready to sprinkle on homemade oatmeal or sautéed vegetables fresh from the garden.

Remember that you can put down roots and flourish right now, right where you are. Early fall is a perfect time of year to plant a simple pot of greens anywhere. Let “Bloom Where You’re Planted” guide you further. Or, grab the kids in your life, some vinegar, and some plants, and enjoy a creative day outside together with “DIY Color from Plants“. Find confidence to take the next step on your homestead with the advice of a 15-year-old farmer in “Ask Me About My Beveren“. Help the darker corners of your yard or land thrive with “Native Plants for Shady Places“. And before summer has passed you by, “Try Your Hand at Homemade Marshmallows” and enjoy them toasted over a fire.