I realize that in the modern day and age we are in, it makes perfect sense to start your new membership offers exactly where you did. Screens are about the most universally looked at items nowadays.
I want to present a different viewpoint. I speak for all plain people in general and for anybody else who does not, for whatever reason, use digital devices. Could you, by some special arrangement, make the printed Acres U.S.A. magazine available to farmers who do not make use of modern technology, for a price that reflects only the magazine itself?
The way it is, we would need to choose the 2nd option. By doing that, we would be paying for everything in option #1, of which there are many benefits we could never get use out of. What I’m saying is that your cheapest option isn’t even an option for us, but by choosing the 2nd option, which includes the magazine, we still need to pay for all that.
Ezra Bontrager
Hillsboro, WI
Ed.: Thanks for your response. It is absolutely a high priority for us to continue to serve the Plain community. We apologize that this has not been clear in the ads for our new membership program. But please know that there is a $10 add-on option for the $29 Seedling membership that adds the print magazine. In other words, for $39 — the same as the current subscription price — you can still receive the print magazine. Just call 970-392-4464 or mail us at P.O. Box 351, Viroqua, WI 54665.
I received my March 2024 Acres magazine and was surprised to see it was sold! I love the magazine and bought my ex-landlady in Georgia a gift subscription. She also read the magazine cover to cover, then sends the copy to her son who has an herb farm around Statesboro, Georgia.
Hopefully the magazine was sold to someone that can really do something with it! I only regret that I didn’t run across the magazine years ago, as it is a wealth of information about soil, plants, animals and health. Not to mention all of the great books that are offered. I sincerely hope that you will be able to take this great magazine to new heights! I will try to help by subscribing, recommending it to others, and buying the books. If there is a downside of the magazine and books, it would be that I’ve gotten so smart that I can no longer afford myself!
Edward Anderson
Troup, Texas
I couldn’t believe the report that urban agriculture has six times the greenhouse emissions of conventional agriculture. I would like to see the study. Did they use the buy-everything, heavy-infrastructure gardens of recent magazine articles, books and YouTube videos? Or, the traditional, recycling, low-impact gardens of old Organic Gardening articles?
Of course, you can make a study say anything you want, depending on how you choose the data. This is weaponized in current politics. For example, Michigan banned the sale of seed and vegetable starts during COVID. Apparently, COVID spreads in garden departments, mom-and-pop stores and churches, but not in liquor stores, riots or big-box stores.
Kudos to Joel Salatin’s column questioning the wisdom of covering up prime farmland for variable daytime-only renewable energy. Another maddening issue is environmental groups and state agencies tearing down sources of reliable 24/7 renewable energy. For example, in New Jersey, they destroyed a public lake with a hydro plant that produced 4,800-kilowatt hours a day and acres of wetlands that were noted as wildlife habitat. They did this despite local opposition to its destruction. (So much for their claims of working with local people.)
Much of the environmental/climate-change agenda isn’t about climate or the environment. It’s about control. Like the push for electric everything and smart meters. How soon will the environmental extremists ban home gardens? This is going down the same road as Stalin and Mao. It’s taking away people’s ability to feed themselves based on skewed studies.
Walter Johnson
Rochelle Park, New Jersey
Ed.: Yes, there has been a lot of backlash against that study. Most critiques point out that the researchers lumped together urban farms and community gardens. Community gardens — places urbanites can go to grow a small patch of vegetables for themselves — are not geared toward commercial production and thus are far less efficient. Once you remove community gardens from the dataset, it turns out there’s no substantive difference in carbon emissions between urban farms and large-scale commercial operations.
I first learned about Acres U.S.A. magazine back in 1972. At the time, I was just starting my farming career while finishing up my agricultural college studies in entomology and applied ecology at the University of Delaware. I then took over my family farm in southeast Pennsylvania. Although I had an interest in organic farming, I didn’t know much about it initially. My interest grew as I learned more and was influenced by organic farming and gardening magazines like Rodale’s.
In 1975, I attended the first Acres U.S.A. conference and met prominent figures in the eco-agriculture movement. Over the years, I learned about soil testing methods and the Albrecht method of soil analysis. This knowledge, combined with my own farming experiences, reinforced the importance of healthy soil and organic practices in farming.
My ancestors had been farming in Pennsylvania for generations, and I spent time on my grandfather’s farm, where I witnessed diverse farming operations and the use of sustainable practices. However, over time, modern agriculture shifted towards monoculture farming, leading to soil degradation and environmental issues.
My interest in organic farming and sustainability grew further as I delved into biocontrol, soil nutrition and plant health. I became a consultant, working with growers to implement organic practices and soil testing programs based on the principles advocated by Acres U.S.A. I also explored new techniques and substances like humates, which proved to have a significant impact on soil health and plant growth.
As I continued my research and attended international conferences, I gained insights into the importance of biological processes in agriculture and the detrimental effects of conventional farming practices on soil health. I published papers and articles advocating for sustainable farming practices and the use of biostimulants and humic substances to improve soil fertility and plant health.
However, despite the advancements in agricultural science, the issue of soil erosion and degradation remains a pressing concern. Modern agricultural practices have accelerated soil loss, posing a threat to food security and environmental sustainability. It is crucial for farmers to adopt regenerative practices and prioritize soil health to combat this challenge.
The younger generation must take the lead in implementing these changes to ensure a more sustainable future for agriculture and the planet as a whole.
Robert Faust
McMinnville, Oregon
