The secret – how enjoyable and rewarding owning and maintaining a backyard hive is – is out! Not only are the benefits of owning your own hive (or hives!) numerous, this hobby that will benefit your family, your land and the environment. More backyard beehives are popping up all over the country. Whether you are a seasoned beekeeper or on still on the fence about taking the leap and starting your own hive, the 5th edition of GRIT’s Guide to Backyard Bees and Honey is an excellent source to help you get started!

This 100-page guide is filled with some of the best articles published in GRIT magazine, covering almost everything you need to know about starting, maintaining and benefiting from owning your own beehive … everything from buying and installing your first package of bees into the new hive to cooking with the delicious honey they produce. Several articles cover step-by-step instructions on how to build your own beehive. Other articles cover how important bees and other pollinators are to the land. Plus, are you brave enough to take the “Name that Bee” quiz and identify more than 10 different species of bees?

More articles included:
• Homesteading With the Bees – Our bloggers offer up their well-earned expertise on keeping backyard bees.
• Getting to Know Your Bees – The sweet truth about the life and times of one of humankind’s most important social insects.
• Building a Top-Bar Hive – A different approach allows the beekeeper a simpler method of checking on his charges.
• Wholesome as Honey – Famous as a sweet treat, this bee staple is packed with good nutrition and health.
• How to Build a Honey Extractor – You can make an inexpensive honey extractor from simple materials available in your local hardware store.
• DIY Beeswax Crafts for the Home – With the increased interest in beekeeping, the use of honey and beeswax has become an artisanal trend.

Eat better. Save money. That’s the theme of the fourth edition of the Mother Earth News Guide to Fresh Food All Year. This 100-page guide shows how to grow, maintain and harvest your own food all year long. At least 20 A wide variety of articles – 20 in all - cover everything from growing the best tomatoes to building a mini-greenhouse, from preserving fresh food to making homemade butter.

Read how to use cedar fence boards to build produce storage bins that move easily from garden to pantry or basement. Discover how to make delicious homemade bread and say goodbye to the intimidation factor in baking bread. Learn how to have the freshest eggs by raising your own backyard chickens.

Other articles include:

• Freezing Fruits and Vegetables from Your Garden - Round out your food preservation regimen! Follow these straightforward freezing tips to turn your garden harvests into sensational, off-season meals.
• Quick Hoops: Easy-to-Make Mini-Greenhouses – Stretch the growing season to savor fresh, homegrown veggies all year by using these nifty quick hoops in your winter vegetable garden.
• The Incredible Versatility of Eggs – Eggs can star in numerous recipes, from simple scrambled eggs to tangy pickled options to elegant soufflés.
• Grow Your Own Mushrooms – With the help of a simple do-it-yourself kit, you can harvest lots of fresh, tasty fungi.
• Make Delicious, Low-Sugar Jams and Jellies – With these simple ingredients, you can craft naturally sweet, low-calorie preserves.

Looking for natural, healthier ways to cure those common ailments or take preventative measures for fighting off heart disease, cancer and other serious health problems? The Mother Earth News Guide to Healing Herbs, 3rd Edition is filled with more than 131 herbs for growing, cooking and healing. You'll learn 21 recipes for better health, read about in-depth plant profiles, make your own cough drops, find cancer-fighting herbs and more.

With cold and flu season upon us we need to arm ourselves with the best information possible on healing herbs. Broken into sections, Guide to Healing Herbs offers information on health basics, cold and flu, heart health, stomach soothers, pain relief, cancer prevention, skin soothers and more. This guide includes more than 20 articles on herbal remedies. Read the plant profile on Eleuthero to boost your immunity and combat stress. Read "Herbs for Good Digestion" to help regulate your digestion with stomach-soothing herbs. Or read "Calm Skin With Homemade Salves" to help with those day-to-day rashes, cuts, bruises, chapped lips and much more.

Articles include:
• Healing With Honey: Soothe an aching throat with this ancient remedy.
• Immunity-Boosting Plants: Stave off the cold by supporting your immune system with herbs, selected supplements and plant extracts.
• Herbs for Arthritis: This ready Q&A explains how you can ease joint pain from arthritis.
• Natural Skin Solutions: Our experts answer questions about herbal solutions for two common skin ailments: eczema and varicose veins.
• Berries for Health: Berries are stock full of phytochemicals and dietary fiber. Pick the best for your health at the peak of their season.
• And more!

Keep your body healthy this winter season with all the tips and helpful articles from the Mother Earth News Guide to Healing Herbs, 4th Edition. This 100-page guide is filled with articles that cover everything from making your own herbal medicines to creating herbal vinegars. You'll be able to read about the best herbal remedies; learn about antibacterial food and herbs; dive into making your own natural arthritis remedies; or discover how to use calendula for treating those minor burns, bruises and inflammation.

Guide to Healing Herbs is separated into six sections that cover everything from medicines to healthy recipes. Filled with beautiful color photos, this guide will arm you with valuable information on keeping you and your family healthy and happy this winter season.

Other articles include:

• Guide to Aromatherapy - Diminish stress, boost energy and improve mood by learning the basics of this ancient art.
• Sweet Medicine - Honey is rich with healing antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
• Natural Dental Health - Keep chemicals off your pearly whites with these expert tips.
• Herbs for Skin - Find relief for skin disease including eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.
• Drying Herbs & Spices - Growing and drying herbs is one of the easiest forms of food preservation.
• Stealth Health With Culinary Herbs - Discover the everyday healing power of flavorful culinary herbs.

More and more households are using herbs and herbal remedies for growing, cooking and healing. The fifth edition of the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Guide to Healing Herbs is filled with articles to help guide you through growing and using herbs. Learn the household uses for tea tree oil, witch hazel, turmeric, cinnamon and more. Read what herbs you should have on hand in your medicine chest and what herbs help with what ailment. Delicious recipes and helpful gardening tips are also included.

Filled with beautiful color photos, this guide will arm you with the most valuable information on keeping your family happy and healthy this cold and flu season with natural, herbal remedies.

Other articles include:

• Guide to Home Herbalism: Learn these herbal medicine-making basics.
• Herbal Hair Care: Try these herbal tips and recipes on your hair.
• Medicines in Your Spice Rack: Turn to remedies that are likely already available in your kitchen.
• How to Be a Seed Eater: Add nutritious seeds to recipes for a tasty health boost.
• Growing, Harvesting and Using Rosemary: Grow rosemary for numerous culinary and health benefits.

Mother Earth News Guide To Living on Less, 3rd Edition

Are you looking for simple ideas to save money? The Mother Earth News Guide to Living on Less, 3rd Edition has dozens of ideas to help you save money on food, housing and energy, while also living a greener life.

The articles featured are fun and will help you save a few dollars. Some tips and advice included in these articles include:

• Cut Your Food Bills in Half
• Backyard Chicken Basics
• Adding Insulation Can Save You Money!
• Brew Your Own Beer
• Start Your Own Tool-Sharing Program
• And more!

This great, money-saving guide will teach you how to keep a family cow and have delicious milk, cream, cheese and more! You'll find everything you need to know from buying and caring for a dairy cow to enjoying and saving money on delicious dairy products.

You'll also find articles on building a passive solar water heater, homegrown medicine, building a sturdy clothesline, home energy improvements and more!

Get ready, it’s time to start living on less and loving it!

The sixth edition of Mother Earth News Guide to Living on Less is filled with articles on DIY projects, organic gardening, modern homesteading, livestock and more. The great thing that all of these articles have in common: saving you money!

It’s never too early to start planning this year’s garden. Where to plant your herbs? Where should your row of cabbage grow? How many tomato plants should you have? The sixth edition of the Guide to Organic Gardening from Mother Earth News is a great reference to help you plan your bountiful garden this year. Starting with soil, fertilizer, seed starting, what plants you should grow and so much more, this guide is 100 pages of helpful articles to help you grow your best garden yet!

Read how to build better soil with free organic fertilizer. Learn how beneficial chickens in the garden can be! Discover the best summer cover crops to help suppress those pesky weeds. Follow instructions on how to grow great lettuce, strawberries, potatoes, carrots, beans, peas and more!

More articles include:

• Grow More Food in a Movable Greenhouse: Boost productivity in spring, summer, fall and winter with a do-it-yourself greenhouse you can transport around your plot.
• Plant Pollination Primer: Learn the facts on how insects and wind pollinate your crops so you can plant smarter and haul in heftier harvests.
• How to Make Compost: Choose from many easy ways to make compost for increased garden productivity – low-cost homemade bins, piles sans bins, chicken power, pest-proof tumblers … even indoor worm bins!
• 4 Garden Plans for Kitchen Herbs: Supplement your food garden with a patch of delightful herbs.
• Expert Tips for Growing Early Tomatoes: Add a whole month to your fresh-tomato season with these proven techniques.

More then 119 herbs for growing, cooking and healing are covered in this glossy-paged guide from Mother Earth News. The Guide to Women's Health covers a variety of topics for women of every age. From learning which herbs you should be using at what age, to strengthening your bones, this guide is filled from cover-to-cover with valuable information, tips, advice and recipes for women's health.

This 100-page guide has helpful tips and advice for which ever stage of life you're in. Articles in this guide include:

• 5 Herbs for Women's Health
• Color Your Hair Naturally
• Natural Fertility Enhancers
• Healing by Way of Berries
• Breathe Well, Be Well
• And much more!

Read about beauty treatments such as homemade soothing glosses and balms. Learn how to make floral waters and colognes. Read how you can help relieve PMS symptom with herbs. Try great new recipes and read about 10 anti-aging superfoods that are not only help fight aging but are also delicious.

Not only are there great articles on growing a successful garden in the Mother Earth News How to Grow and Preserve Your Own Food guide, you’ll also read how to make those delicious fruits and vegetables last throughout the year. Filled with helpful tips, step-by-step instructions, beautiful photographs and more, this guide contains hundreds of great ways to achieve food security for you and your family.

Learn how to grow a great fall garden with broccoli, carrots, spinach and more. Follow the simple instructions on an easy-to-make mini-greenhouse to help you stretch your growing season. Save money and enjoy delicious, homemade foods all winter with food preservation instructions. Read how to master the art of fermentation to make your own cheese, sauerkraut, beer, bread and more. Discover how to keep backyard chickens and bees for the best homegrown eggs and fresh, enjoyable honey.

The guide also includes:

• Top Gardening Challenges and How to Overcome Them: From rogue rabbits and 4-inch-long grasshoppers to clay soil and summer drought, a variety of problems can vex us in our gardens. Veteran organic growers detail how they cope.
• Instant, No-Dig Garden Beds: Create or expand your food garden with this simple, time-saving technique.
• Pick for Peak Flavor: Knowing when to harvest each crop will guarantee the freshest, most flavorful and nutritious produce from your garden.
• Freezing Fruits and Vegetables From Your Garden: Round out your food preservation regimen! Use these great freezing tips to turn your garden harvests into delicious, off-season meals.
• Sweet Cider Roundup: Make your own cider using this advice, which includes instructions for converting a washing machine into an extra-large juicer.

Mother Earth News is pleased to bring you 100 pages of expert advice for self-sufficient living in the new Premium Issue: Modern Homesteading. More than 25 articles cover off-grid living, easy food gardens, solar heating plans, preserving food, and much more.

Read how to start a quick and easy food garden with a no-dig, easy-care bag garden that features 25 favorite crops. Discover how to make a food self-sufficiency plan by estimating how much to grow or buy, and learn how to achieve food security with these handy charts and guidelines. Learn how to keep bees and produce fresh, delicious honey in your own backyard. Make your own herbal medicine by finding ingredients for many basic herbal remedies.

Other articles include:

• Easy, No-Knead Crusty Bread: Bake crispy, gorgeous loaves from scratch using this simple technique. All you need are a few ingredients and a blazing-hot Dutch oven for miraculous results.
• Five DIY, Low-Cost and Multipurpose Greenhouses: Use recycled materials to create an affordable garden greenhouse so you can enjoy fresh food all year long!
• Emergency Power Options: With the right generator, you’ll be prepared when storms or blackouts leave you without electricity.
• Backyard Chicken Basics: They’re less work than house pets and more fun than a tire swing. Plus, they provide delicious, nutritious eggs.
• How to Make Yogurt, Kefir and Cheese: Tap the health benefits of rich, tangy fermented milk products.

This first Best of Mother Earth News edition covers a wide range of topics, including the best articles on organic gardening, renewable energy, self-reliance, do-it-yourself projects, delicious recipes, raising livestock and so much more.

The more than 100 pages of articles capture exactly what Mother Earth News stands for. Whether you are a new reader to the magazine or a loyal subscriber, you will find helpful, interesting and intriguing articles in this premium edition. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to save money on groceries by growing a bountiful garden and raising livestock, or for those who have chosen to live completely off the grid.

Articles include:
• Chickens in the Garden – You can “recoop” much of the expense of raising chickens by putting their manure to work in your garden, and by enlisting your birds for organic pest control.
• Rainwater Harvesting: A Better System – Think beyond the rain barrel: This simpler, cheaper approach will help you harvest much more free water for your garden!
• Craft These Fresh, Easy Cheeses – Learn how to make fresh cheese, and get easy recipes for paneer, mascarpone, chèvre and fromage blanc.
• 65 Self-Reliance Tips That Will Save You Money – Apply a DIY approach to any facet of your life, and you can start saving big today.
• Organic Pest Control: What Works, What Doesn’t – Our nationwide reader survey reveals the best methods for managing common garden pests.
• Build an All-in-One Outdoor Oven, Stove, Grill and Smoker – For about $350, you can build Mother’s versatile and durable cooking unit.

The Herb Companion Guide to Healing Herbs is packed with valuable and illuminating information on more than 136 favorite herbs for growing, cooking and healing.

A 100-page guide is filled with articles on herbs that help you save money and help you stay healthy throughout the year. Articles cover everything from skin-soothing herbs to herbs that help with cold and flu.

Other articles include:

• Don't Break the Bank: Discover 15 herbs that will save you money on medical bills
• Beat Winter Colds: Treat and prevent winter colds with natural remedies
• Lower Your Blood Pressure: Help correct hypertension with four effective herbs
• Soothe Psoriasis: Control this skin condition with natural remedies

Discover much more about healing herbs and how you can benefit from them! Also included are 14 delicious recipes, in-depth plant profiles and more!