MOTHER EARTH NEWS October - November 2015

Nearly 50,000,000 chickens and turkeys living in more than 200 concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and 20 backyard flocks were “depopulated” earlier this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). That’s 50 million ! All because of a devastating bird flu outbreak. The industry’s biosecurity procedures failed, big-time. Most of the birds in this year’s outbreak, about which you can read more on Page 11, weren’t actually killed by the avian flu. Because the highly contagious virus spreads so rapidly in the CAFOs’ crowded, giant barns, the birds were killed by people who were paid by taxpayers to destroy all the exposed poultry as soon as a few birds were diagnosed. Estimated total cost to cope with this latest CAFO catastrophe? About $3.3 billion, plus at least $700…

EDITORS’ PICK Harvesting the Commons for Chickens Joel Salatin’s article “The Lowdown on Rotational Grazing” from your April/May 2015 issue got me thinking about how I could come as close as possible to this ideal in my tiny New York City yard with my flock of three hens. During one of my son’s ball games, I became aware of the abundance of clover and dandelions surrounding me. I thought, if I can’t bring my chickens to the pasture, I can bring the pasture to my chickens. I brought some pickings home to my birds. The next week, I harvested more wild greens from the park. I plan to continue this weekly pattern, until I’m stopped and questioned or winter comes. I encourage my fellow city dwellers to take back their…

Our editors enjoyed hosting a conversation on the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Facebook page about going off-grid without much money. Two of our 2015 Homesteaders of the Year responded with helpful feedback about how their families have achieved homesteading success with limited means. — MOTHER Naysayer here, but how does the Trumpey family (featured in “The Many Paths to Self-Reliant Living: Homesteaders of the Year,” August/September 2015) manage to purchase 40 acres, build a 2,200-square-foot house with expensive glazing and a metal roof, obtain and take care of all the animals, plant and maintain a large garden, preserve foods, and slaughter animals for meat, all while working two full-time jobs? Something isn’t right here. My initial guess is that they had plenty of money prior to doing any of this —…

Imagine you’re a young turkey being raised in an enormous, enclosed barn during a chilly Minnesota spring. You’re fed processed corn and soy products laced with synthetic vitamins. You never ingest a single mouthful of greens, nor any insects or worms — mainstays of your natural diet. You have radiant heaters instead of a mother, and artificial lights are your only sun. Conditions are crowded and filthy. Ammonia in the air makes breathing difficult. Suddenly, other turkeys around you are getting sick and dying. Despite the efforts of your keepers, a deadly virus has blown in. Envisioning what comes next is difficult — a 15-state outbreak of a highly contagious form of bird flu sends government workers in hazmat suits hustling to use lethal gas or foams to kill entire…

Garlic’s pungency complements potatoes’ congeniality in these comforting recipes from around the world. Potatoes and garlic, together or separately, are pillars of the kitchen. Of the major carbohydrate crops of the world — wheat, rice, corn and potato — the homely spud is the easiest for a home gardener to grow in a meaningful amount. And for adding flavor to daily fare, earthy and pungent garlic is almost as essential as salt. “Why should I grow either, when they’re cheap to buy and easy to store? What would a fresh harvest add?” you might ask. Growing your own allows you to try out unusual colors or varieties, such as blue or fingerling potatoes, that are seldom commercially available, and to choose organic seed garlic and potatoes if you wish. Their…

Many fruit trees — including semidwarf varieties — can easily grow to 15 feet and taller. Anyone who has tried to manage one of these large trees in a backyard will instantly appreciate the value of small fruit trees: They require less space, are easy to care for, and produce fruit in manageable quantities. Growing compact trees allows you to tuck more varieties of fruit into corners of your property or a small orchard, and means you can choose those varieties by flavor and climate adaptability rather than by tree size. Nearly any standard and semidwarf tree — from pears, peaches and plums to apples and apricots — can be trained to stay much more compact. The pruning treatment outlined in this article will create an appreciably smaller fruit tree…