Features
Grow $700 of Food in 100 Square Feet!
Edible-landscaping expert Rosalind Creasy reports on the incredible productivity of her 100-square-foot garden, showing that, if more Americans grew a little food — instead of so much grass — our savings on grocery bills would be astounding.
Glorious Heirloom Fruits and Vegetables
With its 2010 calendar filled with garden-fresh recipes and vibrant photos, the Seed Savers Exchange delivers an elegant celebration of garden diversity. This exclusive sampling of the calendar’s recipes showcases everything from green beans to honeydew.
Do-it-yourself Pole-barn Building
Add sturdy shelter to your homestead easily and economically using this pole-building technique. If you’ve never constructed anything large before, then a pole building is a great place to start.
Green Energy Breakthroughs
From smart grids to better solar panels, a world of emerging technology promises to help us produce more renewable energy and consume fewer fossil fuels. Here’s a rundown of five developments we think will make a difference in the near future.
Patagonia: Making a Profit and Meeting Environmental Challenges
Outdoor-clothing company Patagonia is known for its green products and sustainable business model. Founder Yvon Chouinard chats with us about the company’s history, environmental ethic, their recycled and recyclable outdoor clothing, and how they’re leading the way in environmental conscious business.
Departments
News from MOTHER
Grow Your Own Food to Enjoy Flavor and Security
Green Gazette
Roundup Kills More Than Weeds
5 Gifts to Add to Your List
Cough Into Your Sleeve! … and Other Strategies to Fight the Flu
If I Had a Hammer: Do It Yourself and Save!
Renewable Energy in REAL School Gardens
Consumer Guide to Whole Animal Buying
Buy and Sell Handmade Gifts
Crop at a Glance
Growing Onions
The robust, exceptional flavor onions add to meals is worth the few teardrops that may end up on your cutting board. Learn how to grow onions, leeks, scallions and shallots, plus get information on onion harvesting, storage and seed saving.
Eat in Season
Sweet and Savory Barley Recipes
Barley packs a variety of health benefits, and the nutritious grain has many uses beyond just bobbing about in soup. These scrumptious recipes for Chocolate Barley Bundt Cake, Turkey and Barley Meatloaf with Sage, Greek Barley Salad and more will make you a believer in barley’s versatility and deliciousness.
Image by Franz Perner from Pixabay
Firsthand Report
Making the Most of a Small Home
When Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell and her husband, Dale, decided to move to the country, they knew they would be downsizing — but they didn’t realize how much. Find out how they made their petite country cabin a cozy, beautiful and energy-efficient small home, and learn more about the trend toward smaller homes. Plus, Kerri and Dale offer tips for making your own small house an inviting, comfortable home.
Country Lore
Nifty Folding Camp Chair/Game Board
How to Store Food: Build a Pantry
A Handy Fireplace Draft Stopper
How to Make Cakes for a Suet Bird Feeder
DIY Human-powered Snowplow
Greeting Card Organizer: Never Forget to Send the Very Best
Source for Free Christmas Trees
Straw Bale Insulated Cat House
Free Windshield Scraper and Frying Pan Scraper
New Lives for a Used Treadmill
Kitchen Garden
Litchi Tomato
This thorny, cherry-like tomato cousin, also known as the Morelle de Balbis, is easy to grow and has a wide range of culinary uses. Find out why this plant is popular with organic gardeners and professional chefs alike, and try this recipe for Hot and Spicy Litchi Tomato Chutney.
Green Home Improvement
Energy-recovery Ventilators: Ventilate Your Home with Minimal Energy Loss
Adding insulation to your house and sealing air leaks are great ways to save energy, but some houses may be so tightly sealed that indoor air quality becomes a concern. To allow adequate fresh air into your house (without using extra energy to heat or cool the fresh air), consider an energy-recovery ventilator: a mechanical ventilation system that removes stale, polluted air from a house and replaces it with fresh outdoor air.
