MOTHER EARTH NEWS

The longer we live on Earth, the more we recognize the need to learn the skills required to take care of our families and ourselves. With each passing year, we also increasingly want to take care of our communities, in times of certainty and uncertainty. Many of you have been doing this quietly for years, growing food, sustainably foraging wild foods, learning how to make and use herbal remedies, dreaming of—and sometimes even achieving — energy independence. Perhaps you engage in these activities to live more lightly on the Earth, because truly, there’s nothing sustainable about papayas flown in from Peru in April, or in solely relying on tired, drought-prone areas in the United States to produce the bulk of our country’s food. Or, maybe rising prices and various shortages…

Growing with MOTHER EARTH NEWS I’m a lifelong fan. I grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, at Fort Bragg/Liberty, and MOTHER EARTH NEWS was instrumental in getting me interested in off-grid living, self-sufficiency, and preparedness and survival. Thank you for that—it’s helped me become the person I am today, and informed my career path. Michael Via email Response to ‘Plan Your Garden 2025’ Video We’ve grown a pollinator acreage for two summers and are noticing more birds than anything else. The bees were always here. The bees love my herb garden more than any other plants. Butterflies are rare now, even with providing the plants they’re said to love. Sherri Via Facebook We want to hear from you! Connect with our editorial team by reaching out on social media, such…

Now, in Cleveland, where thousands of vacant houses have been deteriorating for years, fungi are being used to eat away at the toxic waste resulting from the teardown of these homes. The mushroom substrate is provided through Biocycler, a program of Cleveland-based architect firm Redhouse Studio. Biocycler combines the substrate with pulp made from organic-based construction and demolition waste, such as plywood and asphalt. The fungi extract and neutralize toxins from the waste, including heavy metals, as they grow. The remaining material is compacted into insulative, fire-resistant, bio-degradable bricks called “mycoblocks,” which can then be used in new construction. “Normally, there’s a lot of waste in the construction industry,” says Christopher Maurer, principal architect at Redhouse Studio. “Even when you’re building a home, you end up throwing away dumpsters full…

My husband and I own ⅓ acre smack-dab in the middle of a small town in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, in our small town, we have only one daycare facility that’s licensed and accepts children under 2, so I left my career in logistics to stay home to raise our children. Being a single-income family didn’t come without its difficulties! However, using our land to create an urban homestead has alleviated much of the financial stress. We have two apple trees (with plans to expand this year) and 14 raised garden beds, with plenty of yard left for the kids to play! We also have our house on a bidirectional meter with 33 solar panels and a backup system for potential power outages. Outside of solar panels and gardening, I focus on…

There’s so much to enjoy about raising turkeys. In addition to providing a source of meat and eggs, they’re entertaining, and there are a variety of beautiful heritage breeds to choose from. The dayto-day experience of raising turkeys is rewarding, and many people form a special bond with their birds. Turkeys as a Source of Eggs A beautifully speckled turkey egg is lovely to behold! The shell color varies from light cream to light tan, with variation in the size and pattern of lightbrown speckles on the eggshells. Turkey eggs can vary in shape from the familiar oval of chicken eggs to more pointed on one end or even almost round. Turkeys have a shorter laying cycle than chickens because they haven’t been bred to maximize egg production like chickens…

This article is available online in audio form at MotherEarthNews.com We’ve all heard the story of the $900 tomato, stereotyped by first attempts at gardening in which costs keep spiraling until, finally, the novice gardener is able to harvest a single luscious tomato. When all the expenses are tallied up, that tomato ends up costing at least $900. Many people dive into gardening to save money, so the tale of that expensive tomato can be hugely discouraging. When you consider the cost plus the work involved, is it worth it? There are two reasons behind the $900 tomato. First, every start-up garden needs infrastructure. This could include soil improvements, raised beds, tillers or other devices to turn over soil, fencing, drip irrigation or other watering options, pots, mulch — whatever…