Farming / rural life publications.

After Horse Daughter moved out I began a serious 'dunging out' of the house. Threw stuff out, moved furniture, cleaned corners and zapped cobwebs. IT's still a work in progress.

Came across a pile of old Harrowsmith magazines and moved them to the throw-out pile. Then I reconsidered.

Harrowsmith isn't in print anymore and the day they announced they were done, I was truly sad. I do not hoard much of anything, not too many sentimental nicknacks. BUt this pile of a few magazines seems worth keeping. As far as I'm aware, nothing has hit print that compares, for me, to those old Harrowsmith mags.

Every now and then I used to pick up a Mother Earth News but I do not frequent news stands anymore so don't even know if they are still in publication. I also subscribe to Small Farm Canada, whose back page is the domain of Dan Needles, who wrote for Harrowsmith for years. BUt Small Farm, as much as it has its own charms, is NOT Harrowsmith. To be fair, I don't think they're trying to be. THey are filling their own niche and appealing to their chosen readership. I enjoy it, but find that it lacks depth, meat and a stand. Small Farm is a mag that seems to take no stance, right or wrong, on any topic and most of their articles are at best a fleeting introduction to a topic. Yet, I find interesting information that has prompted me to further investigation.

What do you read? I believe the Western Producer still publishes. What do they cover? While internet interaction is fun, I regret what it has done to the print media industry. I used to love sitting down with a hot cup of coffee and opening that glossy front page of Harrowsmith, it was a self indulgent treat. Googling something lacks the same anticipatory glee.

I like to pick up the new chicken dedicated magazines once in a while when I can find them.... its nice to read, like you said, but sometimes its WAY easier to read a magazine in bed quietly then my computer

I like reading anything animal related ( have a huge book collection, of almost anything)   but....Countryside all the way for me.  Have subscribed for

years, love it.    Used to subscribe to Western Producer, but got too expensive, for out of date news, by the time you got it.  Harrowsmith was good for

years, then went not so good.   Still a good read though.

The CKC, before their implosion, put out a great Dogs Annual full of lovely pictures and new dog owner info. Also some great ads. I still look at my Annuals.

SUe, do those huge dog magazines no longer appear? I used to buy them too and kept several for a few years. All those puppy pics!

LadyLeghorn, I have not heard of Countryside. Is it Canadian or American? Tell us more.

It's an American Magazine, they publish a lot of other Magazines and books. Excellent magazine. Just Search for Countryside in the US.

We had a subscription for Harrowsmith here for quite some time. The magazine is missed here especially the inside cover written by Dan Needles. We have purchased "Small Farm" occasionally but have found some articles aimed at farms many times larger than our small farm. The poultry mags seem to be American. We have a subscription to "This Old House". Some of the car and truck magazines I use to read are no longer published and those that remain contain mostly junk for Ford's and Chevy's.

We get Rural Delivery. It's a small magazine out of Nova Scotia. Can cover almost any topic from recipes to gardening to poultry to goodness knows what.

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That's what Countryside does. It's about everything to do with farm animals of all kinds, equipment etc. etc. Very Good.

I enjoy Grit and Mother Earth News. Good publications.

I've picked up a few different ones - Chickens, Hobby Farms, some others I can't remember. I've found they're not really geared to to my lifestyle, they're aimed more at livestock beginners or back yarders or acreage people. Not really my scene.

I used to read lots of equine magazines. Horse & Rider was my favourite back in the day, also Western Horseman, and Northern Horse Review (now Western Horse Review) - I used to freelance for NHR - Horses All, American Cowboy (gorgeous pictorals!!). I sold my horses a few years back, sold my equine-related business, and quit freelancing except for the odd thing here or there, so I don't follow the equine industry as much as I once did.

We used to get the Western Producer - heck, I had a few bylines, editorials and photo credits in it over the years - but we gave up our subscription a few years ago. I liked the lifestyle pieces (that's what I used to write, mostly), where they profile farm families and how they do things - but I don't follow the markets all that closely, and I'm not all that interested in government ag policies for the most part.

Right now, I'm reading chicken genetics books, a poultry health book, and a Jules Verne novel.

The only subscription that I have is to Small Farmer's Journal. I have subscribed for several years. I found a stack of Countryside at a library book sale a couple of years back, and I quite enjoyed it, but I have never subscribed.

uno wrote:SUe, do those huge dog magazines no longer appear? I used to buy them too and kept several for a few years. All those puppy pics!

The company that created CKC's breeder magazine started publishing less things of interest to breeders and more things for cross breed owners.  Funny strategy coming from Canada's purebred registry.  Anyway, they alienated all their purebred readers and did not gain any mutt readers as the publication was really not to their interest.  The magazine and annual became defunct.  

Now they are offering an online publication...bare minimum...called the Kennel and Bench.  As well the old Annual is pared down.  Who wants to pay big bucks to put your ad in a magazine that gains you no sales, when Internet is free?

I still own annuals that go back to 1985.

Rural Delivery is by far my favorite magazine. I find Mother Earth, and some of the magazines are almost always one sided and lack the scientific meat to back them up. So I stick with this because I know the stuff in their is good stuff

Sue you mentioned cross bred dogs... made me laugh.  The number of people who insist that their goldendoodle or labradoodle is a F1 F2 second generation, something or other purebred, makes my head spin! I ran in to the lady I got my beloved mutt Revi from, she had a pup with her that looked like a purebred pug (almost) I asked if he was pb or a cross like my Revi.  She replied "Your girl is not a cross.  She is a purebred".  "Purebred?" I asked with a doubtful look.  "I thought she was Chihuahua Pug cross?"  The emphatic  reply made my day...."She is a  PUREBRED, purebred Pug crossed on a purebred Chihuahua, she's a purebred".  At that point I gave up...there was simply no point!    Sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread

Here, now Echo, I have a Golden Doodle, whom I refer to as a mutt. Because that's what he is. Oh he may well be an intentional mutt as opposed to a back alley oops. But he is a mutt (or cross) nonetheless.

There are some mags being mentioned that I have never heard of. Will have to Google.

My mom used to read one called Country WOman or something like that. Had lots of recipes, none of which were aimed at a long life or good health. Take one pound of butter, add some cream, drop in a half cup of lard, one cup of corn syrup, top with cream cheese and bacon bits. Die fat and happy!

uno wrote:My mom used to read one called Country WOman or something like that. Had lots of recipes, none of which were aimed at a long life or good health. Take one pound of butter, add some cream, drop in a half cup of lard, one cup of corn syrup, top with cream cheese and bacon bits. Die fat and happy!

I totally make that all the time!!

Once upon a time I subscribed to Country Woman.  I really enjoyed it!  Loved the recipes and the crafts. As I recall there was not much info on farming. I believe the days of the glossy pages that carry the aroma of printers ink might be on the decline..... We bred and showed Arabian horses for many years. There were several beautiful publications, full of stunning professional pictures that took your breath away. I am not sure any of them still publish today......

Uno, as for the Goldendoodle, they are amazing dogs but as you said an "intentional mutt"  Nothing against these wonderful animals......some of the best temperaments ever! It is just how many people insist they are a "purebred" that tickles me!  All of my dogs are mutts...... some intentional and some back alley oops's.  My big black goof, Carver,  is a Rottweiler x GSD x Belgian Sheep Dog.  Yes I paid money for him and the lady was insistent she was starting a new breed and the CKC would have to recognize it.  He is an awesome dog!  Oddly enough I never did get his promised papers....hummmmm. Perhaps his papers went the way of the glossy Arabian publications?

Authentic, next time you make that, call me over for coffee. I'll bring my purebred mutt and Echo will join us and we'll start a new mixed dog breed, if we don't die of heart attacks first. I am so excited!

I always thought I might get more for crossbred chicks that way.

For example, right now my flock includes some Silkfleurs and an Amaranaucana.

uno wrote:Authentic, next time you make that, call me over for coffee. I'll bring my purebred mutt and Echo will join us and we'll start a new mixed dog breed, if we don't die of heart attacks first. I am so excited!

You guys will fit right in. My purebred Bugg and extra high faluting Lab/cocker spca dog will be overjoyed to have more purebreds like them to play with.

Fowler wrote:I always thought I might get more for crossbred chicks that way.

For example, right now my flock includes some Silkfleurs and an Amaranaucana.

I hatched some Chantingtons. Sounds fancy, right?

Uno, I would be delighted to participate in the festival of cholesterol while we create a new breed of dog! I may have to look for a suitable breeding candidate ...... ALL my guys and gals have been "fixed". Creating a new breed may turn out to be more work than I originally thought! I'll see if I can find any of my Country Woman magazines just in case Authentic's masterpiece isn't enough.

In NZ my fav mag was Growing Today but it is no more :-(. found this just now, not sure if it has heart stoppingly sofa king bad delicious recipes but it looks quite good to me. Think it might be Ausie?

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