There is a myth currently being spread all around the globe even as we speak, and that is the myth that newspapers are old fashioned and that nobody reads them anymore. While to some extent, the mass production of newspapers has been greatly halted over the years to the point where not that many are sold anymore, there are plenty of them still going strong to this very day.
Whether we’re talking gaming magazines, news tabloids or more specifically, agricultural publications, the truth is that there is a large community of people out there that still enjoy reading a good newspaper or magazine segment, which is exactly who this article is tailored for.
So, in this short but concise article we will be guiding you through the 15 best magazines for farmers right now. Why? Because even the most experienced farmers out there can still learn a thing or two from books, newspapers and magazines every now and then.
So, without further ado, let’s start off with our very first pick for the article, aka the ever so famous:
The Progressive Farmer
The Progressive Farmer has been going strong for a very long time now and as far as we know it is one of the world’s most popular farming publications out there even to this day. The fact is that even if you haven’t been keeping up with farming newspapers you most likely have heard of them before because they are around every kiosk you can find.
They mainly cover the country life, trying to help everyone essentially find out what’s new in the industry and specifically making it their goal to educate new farmhands of the best ways to get into the niche.
They have a pretty large audience which ranges slightly above 500,000 readers per month, and they release a new issue every month or so. They are based in Birmingham, Alabama, and you can even get in touch with them through their social media if you want to suggest a topic for them to cover.
The Farm Journal
While the Progressive Farmer mainly focuses on the life of the farmer and the news from the country side of things, the Farm Journal takes a different route, mainly covering the news related to crops, livestock and the general new oddities in term of farm families.
This magazine has been ongoing for about 134 years now, and it is known for its brass and sometimes downright offensive takes on the farming world. They are not afraid of saying what they really believe about the news, so if you’re sick of newspapers just agreeing to everything and taking the pacifist route the whole time, definitely give The Farm Journal a read.
The original founder was a man by the name of Wilmer Atkinson, and although he primarily made a living as a journalist, he also really had a passion for the farming industry, so he decided to unite the two niches into his tabloid.
They have around 345,000 readers that gather up every month to pick up the latest that the magazine has to offer. Again, this might not be for everyone, because they can have some rather rude takes on the world as we know it, but if you like the idea of experts telling you how it is, then definitely go to your nearest kiosk and pick up the latest copy of the Farm Journal.
Farm & Ranch Living
There is a certain level of pride that comes from living off of your own land, consuming your own natural resources and knowing exactly what’s on your table at all times, which is exactly the pride that the Farm & Ranch Living tabloid always happily shares with its readers.
This is definitely a calmer and soother take on the farming magazine scene than the Farm Journal, and while they tend to stay away from controversies for the most part, they still sometimes dabble in the stories that the readers want to share with the rest of the world regarding their unique outlooks on the farming life.
Whether you’re a man working at a ranch or if you simply put live on a farm yourself, the Farm & Ranch Living surely will tickle that funny bone of yours if you wish to read all about the good and green life that the world has to offer.
The audience consists of around 200,000 readers that actually get a new issue every two weeks, making this one of the more frequent tabloids on this list of ours.
The Modern Farmer
Although quite a relatively new pick for sure, the Modern Farmer does offer exactly what its name implies, aka a modern look into the new age farming lifestyle.
The originality of it all comes from the fact that it doesn’t just simply cater to the true farmers that have been working in the field for their whole lifetime, it actually does offer a blend of content in equal shares for both its rural and its urban readers.
They love to share their passion for farming with the world, whether they are sharing it with someone that has been knee deep in the nitty gritty of it all or just for someone that has been really loving the idea of starting a farm and getting the ropes of the whole debacle before making that first step.
With a slightly smaller scale of readers, the Modern Farmer still holds around 125,000 readers on their toes with very quarterly releases.
The Countryside and Small Stock Journal
This on the other hand is one of those magazines that specifically targets the people that have a lot of experience in the field. While it may not seem like it at first, they tend to really only cover the countryside professional farming niche which is either a great thing or a bad thing depending on how you take it.
The newspaper’s origins are also a bit strange, as it was the result of the union of two different newspaper selections known as Countryside and the Small Stock Journal.
If you can’t find it online with its full name you can always use the abbreviated form, aka “Countryside”. As mentioned previously, their content is a bit more niche than anything else, which is why for the most part they could never really break past the 100,000 readers per issue.
They offer a new issue every two weeks and they’re very proficient when it comes to covering gardening, food preparation, livestock care, beekeeping and more.
Grit Magazine
If you want to get the news from a team of experts that will not talk down on you for not having worked in the industry your whole life then the Grit might very well be the better choice for you.
Their selection of topics covers all of the farming essentials, including homesteading information meant for both the hobby farmer and the serious farming business magnate.
They will not shy away from offering you their own opinion on the matters as well, although they tend to stay away from the drama for the most part, focusing more so on offering a generally conversational tone which they try to use to guide everyone on the best path they can take farming wise.
They also have more than two dozen different bloggers which really helps them since every different blogger offers a different opinion on the matter. You can either specifically follow a certain blogger’s writings or you can try to read them all and find out which one’s opinion is more valuable to you.
Small Farm Today
Small Farm Today is one of those bimonthly releases which specifically targets livestock, marketing and equipment related topics.
While they can actually cover different topics as well, for the most part this is the niche that they prefer to be known for. They offer professional advice that is meant to help the small-scale farmer get their business off the ground and survive that scary first year in the field.
They offer plenty of guides that you can follow too, even if you have been working in the industry for a very long time now, and because of it they are probably the best tool that a farmer can use when they simply put cannot find a way around a problem.
Hobby Farms Magazine
Hobby Farms is the type of a magazine that the city person reads when looking into getting started with their own farming business. If you’re completely new in the field then Hobby Farms is the perfect choice for you because they will always offer a sweet tone and a lot of information to help you out.
They even offer a certain Livestock & Pets category which showcases everything you should know about the animals that you can grow and butcher throughout your life or have live around your farm.
Overall, they are the hobby farmer’s best choice of all time simply because they will never overcomplicate their explanations. They offer concise and simple answers and if you’re one of those people that just loves romanticizing the idea of becoming a farmer then definitely give them a read whenever you have the time for it.
Urban Farm Magazine
If you’ve been a fan of Hobby Farms for a while now and are looking for a similar newspaper that can really help you get started in the farming business then Urban Farm might as well be the second coming of Christ for you.
This is a brand-new offering from none other than the brilliant minds from behind Hobby Farms, and with this new release they essentially began catering more so towards the would-be farmer that is currently stuck in an urban setting.
It offers plenty of to-do’s, guides, what not to do with your money and time, and more for the people that are too ashamed to ask a professional these questions in the first place. On top of all of that they also offer plenty of amazing recipes for that sweet homemade goody.
Mother Earth News
If you’re not really interested in getting a business going and more so are just looking to get some natural changes in your life then you need to go for the Mother Earth News Magazine right up.
This is one of those magazines that specifically appears to be tailored towards the people that love natural food, fishing, recycling, home remedies, outdoor equipment and everything in between.
Essentially, they offer help towards the people that want to get healthier. If you’re looking to make that step towards living a healthier home-grown lifestyle then there really is no better choice out there.
They offer plenty of information, specifically related to farm hacks and other such means of switching to a self-sustainable lifestyle. Overall, a great read.
Self-Reliance Magazine
The great thing about Self-Reliance is that they represent one of the few fully digital magazines relating to farming which specifically centers around homesteading and self-sufficiency as their name implies.
They answer every question they get, and as long as you have a problem with your own farming equipment at home, they will definitely do their best to give you the perfect solution to your problem.
They release a new issue every two weeks, and they will always try to make sure that you get the best your money can buy whenever they publish another issue.
They are great for new farm owners while also offering a great read to those that have been working in the field for a very long time now. Overall, they offer an amazing experience and what many would refer to as an all-around great read.
Backwoods Home Magazine
While this can be very similar to the Self-Reliance Magazine in terms of what it really focuses on, there are slight differences which can really make or break your reading experience.
So, Backwoods Home Magazine also tends to cater to self-sufficiency and homesteading, but what it does differently from its counterpart is definitely the fact that it also covers firearms and more specifically current day politics which can really change up your mood while you’re reading.
If this sounds like your type of magazine already then go for it, because that’s exactly what they offer. Many would refer to this as more of a one-trick-pony type of a magazine, but can you really blame them when they’re so good at what they do?
They offer the best of both worlds, both offering amazing farming details and incredibly in-depth how to types of articles, while also giving you a brief synopsis of where the world is heading in terms of politics and the firearm control that the US is currently dealing with.
The Stockman Grass Farmer Magazine
As the name implies, the Stockman Grass Farmer Magazine specifically targets the livestock niche and everything that has to do with it. So, if you are a livestock raiser and you are looking for a tabloid that is willing to bring you every news related to this subject then honestly, the Stockman Grass Farmer offers the complete package.
Not only that, but they also made a name for themselves over the years for the fact that they offer free samples if you’re willing to fill out a form on their homepage.
This form helps them understand their audience better and the more samples they get filled the better they can change to suit the current demographic they are appealing to.
Overall, this is definitely one of the best sustainable farming magazines on the market, and one of the few that we would recommend even if you are not really all that into the farming business anyway.
Organic Farming Magazine
If you just so happened to join the Soil Association then you will find yourself with this incredible piece of literature on your hands for free.
That’s right, the Organic Farming Magazine is actually offered to you, the reader, for free as long as you have entered their association. In it you can expect to find some rather incredible bits of info, specifically targeting the useful resources that you’ll need to start up your business and of course, how to really set yourself up for greatness in the field.
The best part about it is definitely its nonexistent price tag, so if you are a part of the association then definitely take advantage of this and get your latest issue before the next one comes out and replaces it.
Rodale’s Organic Life Magazine
What makes Rodale’s Organic Life such a great read is definitely the fact that it doesn’t come at you from a pedestal, it actually talks to you exactly the same way a good old friend of yours would talk to you about a subject he or she truly is interested in.
Because of this, many have stated that this is about as friendly of a magazine as they get, with the majority of its audience being made up of relatively small farmers and gardeners that have not really been in the industry for a long time now.
They offer plenty of information for newcomers and while they won’t shy away from offering some pretty serious tips and tricks too, that doesn’t mean that they will ever ignore their main fanbase at any time.
Conclusion
So, there you have it: the 15 best farming magazines on the market right now. You can find the perfect magazine for you in this list based on our guidelines, but remember, just because you have just started up your business that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to keep up with the magazines that cater to the more proficient farmer.
Every magazine here can be enjoyed equally by everyone out there, you just need to find the one that specifically tickles your funny bone and just like that, you’ll find yourself looking forward to each of their new releases as they continue to publish incredible content either bimonthly or monthly for that matter.
Good luck out there and always remember: There’s nothing sweeter than living life greener!
Contents
- The Progressive Farmer
- The Farm Journal
- Farm & Ranch Living
- The Modern Farmer
- The Countryside and Small Stock Journal
- Grit Magazine
- Small Farm Today
- Hobby Farms Magazine
- Urban Farm Magazine
- Mother Earth News
- Self-Reliance Magazine
- Backwoods Home Magazine
- The Stockman Grass Farmer Magazine
- Organic Farming Magazine
- Rodale’s Organic Life Magazine
