What do people think of Backhome Magazine? Here is an amazon link to it if you want to see it/subscribe: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006K55B/rs12-20

My parents gave me a few years of this mag as a christmas present, and I must admit I'm not that into it.  The political views tend towards the Tea Party side of things, there's a lot of emphasis on canning as the apparently sole method of food preservation, and I dunno, a lot of articles written about what seem to be obvious things (to me).  We haven't learned anything new, and with a lot of stuff we out right disagree -- Like the article on how and why you want to pasteurize milk from your own dairy animals.  We were just like "what?  and NO!" 

I read one issue and thought the editorial was so reactionary and over-heated that I didn't need to read any others.

I read it regularly, and take the politics and happiness-is-a-warm-gun stuff with a fairly large grain of salt.

They are libertarian. Interestingly, they published a series a few years back titled The Coming American Dictatorship.  As much as they don't like "libruls", they predict the dictatorship will come from the right.

They are hunkering down for the end of the world as we know it. While I think the potential dangers looming in front of us could lead to disaster, I also think people have an amazing capacity to adapt positively and creatively to changing circumstances, which is why I identify with permies rather than survivalists.

I usually read this one at the library, and occasionally buy it.

Are we talking about Back Home or Backwoods Home?  I've found Backwoods home to be very political/suvivalist, but not Back Home. 

OOps, you're right. Backwoods Home is the libertarian mag, BackHome is like a less-flashy Mother Earth News.

I like Backwoods Home, political views and all (I'm pretty right-wing conservative, myself).  Wrote an article on Kinder goats for them a few years ago.  I don't subscribe (to any magazine), but do read it at the library once in a while when I have time.

Kathleen

I used to subcribe but dropped it because there were so many political articles and not enough about homesteading/sustainability.

I loathe and despise politics and have a tendency to write in my own choices. In the last presidental election I voted for Joe (Effing) Walsh.

Oops, my comments were concerning Backwoods Home.....sorry!  Didn't know there was another one with almost the same name. 

I let my subscription expire... too much politics in too emotional a presentation.  Not enough down-to-earth useful information.  I don't have a lot of spare time, so if I get a chance to read something, I want to take away something positive and/or useful.  I don't think this magazine does that for me.

Doc K

Is there a better magazine out there worth supporting?  It's gonna be pretty easy to rag on anyone who mixes politics with their other messages.  Just doesn't seem right to have that kind of thread on permies.

If a subscriber wanted to support a mag that contains more homesteading and less politics, which would it be?

I am a huge fan of Mother Earth News and Countryside and Small Stock Journal ("the magazine of modern homesteading").

It seems to bear repeating that while Backwoods Home is extremely political, Back Home is a totally different magazine and is about homesteading and not politics.  In fact, I'd say it's far less political than Mother Earth News-though I love Mother Earth News as well.

All four of them have their good points and bad points. They also all have good information, it all depends on what style of writing you prefer. Several of the BackHome founders came from Mother Earth. If I could afford it I would subscribe to all of them. I can read around the politics if an article has something worth my time.

thanks for the heads up on a few more magazines to look at. i can count on one hand the number of people i agree with politically, so i try to find magazines that focus a bit more on the meat. read some acres, and most of their politics is focused on what effects growers. Wonder if any of the gun huggers use permie (indian) buckshot? best stop before i offend.

Some good info, i'm always looking & learning but keep the salt at hand. Heres some that I actually subscribe to "Acres USA" and "Small Farmers Journal".    A book series that has to be mentioned "Ringing Cedars" and "Ten Acres Enough". Love your soil,  it's the heart of it all:-)

I do check out the Backwoods magazine online occasionally, but don't remember seeing one in print format.  Of course, not all articles are available to the casual reader at their computer keyboard.  Hadn't noticed any political bias, but wasn't looking either. 

Great magazine. Have had  a subscription for years. A little to liberal for my taste but good info. Always has great gun articles and self reliance articles.If you are a lefty id suggest it for the info,same as I do with alot of permaculture stuff. Take what you need and leave the rest.

I like Backwoods Magazine and subscribe to Backwoods Home Magazine. Reminds me, time to renew my subscription. There are politics in most magazines and news sources, I try to read everything to expand my horizons and see things from multiple points of view. It's amazing the clarity that can come from doing so.

Yes I do read backwoods home, Mother earth news, and countryside. I am intelligent enough to sort out, and not be bothered by, the politics. I enjoy the backwoods mag for what it is... Information. I especially like the lack of advertisements. If I find something that I dont quite agree with, I research it and find an all inclusive answer that I am happy with.

I LOVE Backwoods Home and Back Home.  We have a lifetime subscription to one with the "Whole Shebang" before they stopped doing it and the other we renew every 2/3 years where we bought their anthology 4/5 years ago too.  I've Mother Earth too and we've the 40 years cd thingy too.  While I enjoy Mother I like their old stuff much better (fyi old Mother was ran by the folks at BWH or BH but I ALWAYS mix them up.).  The "new new" Mother is better but seems to be for....those who are just starting to learn "homesteading" skills aka those who like to dip their toe to check the water temperature.  

One thing I love is that Backwoods Home shares lives and the journey they have been through.  It gives me a sense of being mentored and I love it.  And yes there is a lot of gun info and animal butchering but I enjoyed it on a whole even as a vegan/vegetarian of 31-ish years.  If an anti-gun vegan can find useful info I think meat eaters can definitely do so too.

~Honey