MOTHER EARTH NEWS June-July 2013

Garden Insects Guide It’s a bug-eat-bug world out there, and you can take advantage of the teeming insect community already at work in your garden to achieve natural pest control sans any toxic chemicals. With our new Organic Pest Control Series, you’ll learn how to identify 15 common garden pests and bring in 14 beneficial bugs that feed on them, a strategy that will foster a healthy, balanced garden ecology. The Series details each pest’s life cycle; the telltale signs of its damage; its natural enemies and how to enlist their assistance; and the best organic pesticides, such as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), insecticidal soap and neem. Find it all at www.MotherEarthNews.com/Pest-Control-Series, or get this info on your smartphone or tablet with our new Garden Insects Guide app, available at www.MotherEarthNews.com/Apps.…

If you follow environmental issues closely, you’re probably aware of the steady stream of alarming news about neonicotinoid insecticides, now the most widely used insecticides in the world. These chemicals have been strongly linked to the deaths of huge numbers of honeybees. Environmental groups and beekeepers have been pressing the Environmental Protection Agency to ban neonics, but as is so often the case, years can pass before enough evidence accumulates to allow the agency to ban toxic pesticides. Two recent studies indicate that more than honeybees are endangered by neonicotinoids. A 2012 study by Japanese scientists concluded that these persistent, systemic insecticides “may be potent risks to human health.” (“Systemic” means the chemical is taken up inside the plants — you can’t wash it off or peel it away.) The…

No-Frills Gardening In response to the letter “Does Gardening Really Pay?” (Dear MOTHER, December 2012/January 2013): I think it comes down to your values and what suits you. The quality, freshness and flavor of homegrown food are hard to put a price on. When you involve your children in gardening, you’re not only teaching them the skills, but also how you get rewarded for your work with the food on your table. It’s always exciting when a child gets to pick the first ripe tomato, strawberry or carrot! I agree with the letter writer that people can spend a lot of money on garden gadgets if they want. But they don’t need to. You can start small — even just a container or two — and then build on that.…

Buying a Mower: Don’t Cut Corners I appreciate your assessment in “Zero-Turn Mowers: Best Rides and Best Buys” (April/May 2013) that there was a major difference between the less expensive mowers and the high-end units. I’ve been in the mower business for about 50 years, and the easiest person to match up with a quality machine is one who has experienced the problems that a low-quality mower brings with it. Your comment about finding a good dealer for parts and service is great advice for anyone. Besides being a wonderful mower, one of your highest-rated machines, the Grasshopper 725DT, can also be used to move dirt or gravel with a dozer blade and move snow with a snowblower. You can attach a front rotary broom, a sprayer, or a high-volume…

Thank you for the hoop house plans in your October/November 2011 issue (“Build This Easy Hoop House to Grow More Food”). I built it in August 2012 and started planting in it in September. We ate lettuce, mustard, chard, scallions, mâche and more throughout winter. Our last delicious salads came in February, after Winter Storm Nemo dumped 12 inches in our backyard. I’m a lifelong MOTHER EARTH NEWS fan, and I cherish the memories of visiting your ecovillage in North Carolina in the ’70s. Keep up the great work. Joe Mironov Oradell, New Jersey…

Sips of Inspiration There’s just something about reading your magazine cover to cover over a nice cup of tea. I particularly want to thank you for the article “Live Simply: Save Money, Smile More!” (February/March 2013). What beautiful families with real stories. I commend them for following their dreams and living the sort of life many of us long for. I was inspired. Best of luck to them. Patti Nathan Pellston, Michigan Is Full-Time Homesteading Feasible? I read with much interest about homesteaders Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton (“Live Simply: Save Money, Smile More!”). Homesteading is a full-time job for both. They mention a micro-business on the side, and that they just published a book. What happens to folks like them when they get older and need to pay for…