Back to nature for newbies and hippies alike
Pros:
informative, not just for aging hippies ;)
Cons:
doesn't come out often enough
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Author's Review
My first introduction to Mother Earth News was via a post on a message board overpopulated by fundie homesteaders. Since more than a few of them are using outhouses (and computers, what a mix), I suspected they had alternative uses for the magazine. I wouldn't have paid much attention, except for someone's mention of an article on electric power through the useage of wind generators. Since I live in a region where 20 mph winds are an every day thang, I had been doing some research on adding a backup power system that could keep my beer cold when all else failed.
I picked up my first issue, and was hooked. It's like back to the basics for everyone. Whether you're a city dweller looking to raise a few veggies in a square garden, a technology shunning, hippie throwback to the 60s, or just someone who would like to do things a little differently, and perhaps a little more ecologically sound, you're sure to find something of interest in Mother Earth News. I particularly liked an article about a couple who took a VW diesel bus and ran it on recycled cooking oil, touring the country to demonstrate how this could be done. It had me eyeballing a diesel tractor wondering if I could do it as well. Another issue featured a blueberry (or maybe it was blackberries) grower who got phenominal results from a particular strain. I set the mag aside so I could order some plants from him. Of course, I've lost the damn thing now, but it was a good article regardless!
They also have an extensive advertiser's index in the back, which doesn't sound so great, but if you are looking for things like wood burning stoves that offer old fashioned heat and ambiance along with modern efficiency, or alternative energy sources, etc, you'll find yourself typing in a lot of www trying to see all the sites they list. I think it's a bimonthly magazine, because I buy it at the grocery store and it seems like a new issue only appears every other month. I should just break down and get a subscription, because I really like this magazine.
