Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2025 i MOTHER EARTH NEWS

MOTHER EARTH NEWS has been here since the 1970s, addressing what’s wrong with our modern world and helping you find more sustainable solutions to doing it better yourself. Over the decades, we’ve explored energy independence, growing a garden, raising livestock, saving money, practical DIY projects, and escaping from the rat race that can be modern life. Right now, the U.S. is dealing with high food prices (those eggs are really too much!), questions about supply chain availability, intensifying wildfire seasons, grids that are down after natural disasters, questionable water supplies, and more. If this makes you wonder whether it’s better to just do it yourself, this issue is here to help. If you’re ready to get started with egg-layers or improve the quality of life of the birds you already…

To reduce such food waste, Jordan Grieg and his mother, Jan Rem, cofounded Ambrosia Produce Bags. Together, they’ve built a family company they say is rooted in care, sustainability, and the belief that small, thoughtful choices—like how we store our vegetables—can create lasting ripple effects. Ambrosia’s signature product is a collection of reusable, U.S.-made linen produce bags designed to help fruits and vegetables stay fresh significantly longer than when they’re wrapped in plastic. Grieg says the bags can help keep romaine lettuce and kale crisp for up to two weeks longer than other packaging and can keep chopped carrots fresh for over a month. The breathable, woven linen wicks away excess moisture while allowing produce to stay gently hydrated—creating a balance optimal for slowing spoilage. Each bag is handcrafted under…

The American bison (Bison bison) is an icon of the American West and was once almost hunted to extinction. Now, it’s struggling to make a slow comeback. This article isn’t about the slaughter, though it’ll touch on the ecological impacts of that carnage. Instead, we’ll look at the recovery and how this recovery is helping to rebalance our natural world. Why Bison? Bison have fascinated me since I saw my first one at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. This may seem weird, as I was born and raised in New Hampshire, and, historically, since bison weren’t in this part of the country, they were never part of my Native culture. Despite that, there was some sort of connection, an almost spiritual link, between the bison and me.…

With current egg prices at the grocery store, there’s heightened interest in keeping a personal flock of egglaying hens. I’ve been incubating eggs collected from my backyard flock to sell to local folks who want to start or build their own flocks. I tried a new smart incubator from Brinsea, and it’s performing well. I set eggs for the next round as soon as the incubator is chick-free and cleaned up. It takes 21 days, give or take, to hatch chicken eggs. Some come early and some are late. Here are some tips to keep your incubator running, as well as desired breeds, brooder ideas, and where to find buyers. 1 Keep an eye on the humidity and watch your reservoir water level. Humidity is more important than you might…

SHOW US! Share your unique perspective with our community by submitting photos of inviting gardens, nutritious foods, wild animals, and more to the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Photo Group on Flickr (www.Flickr.com/Groups/MotherEarthNewsPhotos/Pool). We’ll feature our favorites here and online!…

“Everyone who’s in the market for land to build a little homestead should read your insights and advice. … You’ve probably saved many from unthinkable nightmare situations!” Skip the Money Pit I just finished reading your incredibly smart article (“Avoid Surprises When Shopping for Land,” April/May 2025). Wow, you nailed it! Everyone who’s in the market for land to build a little homestead should read your insights and advice. I’ve been looking for that perfect parcel here in Arizona and have run up against most of what you caution about, including the need to be patient and do a ton of research before jumping or assuming it’ll all somehow work out. Thank you for publishing that article. You’ve probably saved many from unthinkable nightmare situations! Donna, via email Treated Lumber…

You only need to look out your window to witness how our world is changing: extreme weather, wildfires, and the explosive spread of invasive plant species that are encroaching on grazing lands and limiting foraging opportunities. Many of these challenges impact poultry and other livestock. Commercial breeds bred for production in highly controlled environments can be particularly vulnerable to these challenges. The good news is that non-commercial breeds have adapted over centuries to thrive in a wide range of circumstances, many of which are extreme. Choosing animals built for heat or drought tolerance can give producers an upper hand in areas experiencing these challenges. It’s worthwhile to “look outside the box” at animals that may not be the type that once flourished in a region. Researching the origin and background…

It’s no secret that our world is full of waste. Plastic bags are generated for one-time use, then left in landfills to exist forever. Fabric trash is a generally unknown yet unfathomable source of waste; tons of fabric are tossed annually, unused, as “deadstock.” Even the gift-wrap industry is a study in strange modernity, with high-gloss, extensively produced papers created for the sole purpose of being torn up and thrown away. So, what’s one tiny way you can take a stand against such needless waste? By making your own bento bag, of course! These easy-to-sew, easy-to-use bags can be made by hand or by machine, and they’re an excellent way to end plastic use, save fabric from the landfill, and do away with paper gift wrap—a personal vendetta, admittedly,…

Gone Off-Grid with Hoss Boyd The “Culling Energy Hogs” article in the April/May 2025 issue had me looking for the elephant in the room — the house water heater. The energy use tag on our water heater shows an estimate of 3,331 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. One would think the “green” way to have hot water could be with solar panels — not so fast! When we were adding solar electric panels to our roof, we wondered if it made sense to remove our two solar water-heating panels and replace them with electric panels. The answer was no. A single 300-watt panel will produce 2.4 kWh per eight-hour day with 100% sunshine and optimum angle to the sun. If there are 180 days of full sunshine, this one panel will…

It’s 3 a.m. and a storm has whipped up out of nowhere. The wind is howling, the trees are thrashing, and my mind immediately goes to my small herd of two dozen brush-management goats in our valley. What if a tree has squished a fence and the goats are already in the next county? Should I throw on my raincoat and head out into the maelstrom to check for chaos? But then, I remember: My goats are all wearing Nofence collars and are virtually fenced. All it takes to calm my mind is a quick check of the Nofence app on my phone. The goats are hunkered down where they should be and in the correct county. All is well; I go back to sleep. We’re about to start our…

Gardening in raised beds requires less equipment compared with traditional in-ground methods and offers a more controlled growing environment. In a raised bed, you can add, supplement, and monitor the exact soil and nutrient combinations each plant requires, as well as adjust the water intake more easily than in traditional farming. We talked to the gardening experts at The Farm at Okefenokee near Folkston, Georgia, for their tips on getting started with raised beds. The Design Height. Use the natural width of a board, or double or triple up the boards, up to 14 inches. Those with limited mobility might prefer their raised beds to be waist-high to reduce back or leg strain. Raised beds that are too short run the risk of making the middle of the bed less…

Welcome to our series answering reader questions and concerns about how to cut the utilitycompany cord. Hoss Boyd is founder, president, and CEO of TeraVolt Energy and a recognized solar and energy-storage expert. Learn more about TeraVolt Energy at http://TVNRG.com. How can I convert my off-grid energy system to a grid-tied system? David, Texas We’ve all heard the adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So, why would someone who likely spent considerable effort and money to get off the grid later choose to tie their system back into the grid? It may seem backward, but getting back onto the grid is actually an option worth looking into—when it’s not cost-prohibitive. Because most off-grid systems are built in remote areas where bringing in distant utility power would cost more…