by Jenny Barnett

When you’re trying to live close to the land , or even just closer to your own values, it helps to know who else is out there walking the same trail.

Whether you’re canning garden tomatoes in a city kitchen, building your own pantry shelves, or trying to identify the wildflower growing next to your fence post — having good resources makes the work lighter, richer, and more connected.

Here’s my go-to list of books, blogs, magazines, and makers that keep me grounded in the homestead rhythm, no matter the season.

1. Mother Earth News

Best for: Big-picture sustainability and down-to-earth how-to’s
A classic for a reason. From chicken coops to composting toilets, this magazine’s been guiding off-gridders and dreamers alike for generations.
www.motherearthnews.com

2. Mountain Rose Herbs Blog & Journal

Best for: Herbalism, wildcrafting, and plant-based home remedies
Thoughtful, well-researched, and beautifully rooted in plant wisdom. Their recipes and tutorials are as helpful as their apothecary products.
blog.mountainroseherbs.com

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3. Old West Iron

Best for: Hardware that feels like it was made 100 years ago
Hand-forged hinges, hooks, clavos, and fireplace tools that bring heritage design to modern spaces. If you’re building or restoring, this is the iron backbone your home deserves.
www.oldwestiron.com/blog

4. Homestead Living Magazine

Best for: Inspirational stories, seasonal projects, and timeless visuals
Beautifully photographed and full of practical wisdom, it’s the kind of magazine you keep on the coffee table and dog-ear for later.
homesteadliving.com

5. The Homestead Kitchen (Homesteading Family)

Best for: Traditional cooking, food preservation, and skills that nourish from the ground up
Created by Josh and Carolyn Thomas of Homesteading Family, this resource is a goldmine for anyone serious about stocking a deep pantry, mastering fermentation, or cooking farm-fresh meals for a crowd. Their School of Traditional Skills and YouTube tutorials are as heartfelt as they are practical — teaching you how to live well with what you grow, raise, and preserve.

homesteadingfamily.com

6. Truly Crunchy Magazine

Best for: Natural parenting, homemade everything, honest lifestyle reflections
Less influencer, more thoughtful journal. Great DIYs, candid stories, and encouragement to embrace progress over perfection.
trulycrunchy.com

7. Cowgirl Magazine

Best for: Rural style, ranch life, and women who ride
A blend of Western fashion, horsemanship, and homestead spirit. When you want your boots dirty and your lipstick bold.
cowgirlmagazine.com

8. Katherine Haircare

Best for: Herbal body care and natural beauty that respects your scalp and the soil
Small-batch, wildcrafted haircare with a mission. Her blog is full of clean-living insights and ingredient education that’s both approachable and poetic.
katherinehaircare.com

9. Montana Naturalist Magazine

Best for: Deep dives into the ecology, wildlife, and seasonal cycles of the inland West
Published by the Montana Natural History Center, beautifully written, regional, and reverent. A must-read for anyone who wants to know the why behind what grows.
Montana Naturalist

10. Bushcraft Magazine

Best for: Survival skills, primitive tools, and real-world wilderness know-how
More than just gear reviews, this one’s packed with ancient techniques, fire-starting methods, and skills you won’t find in mainstream prepper content.
bushcraftmagazine.com

Bonus Tip: Keep a Resource Log

In a world that’s always online (and often overwhelming), I still like to keep a hardcopy log of my favorite sources, organized by category.
That way, I’m not searching for “that one blog post about root cellars” three weeks from now.

Try building a three-ring binder or digital folder with:

• Printouts of favorite blog posts
• Recipes from newsletters
• Notes from podcasts
• QR codes or shortlinks to your go-to shops

The modern frontier isn’t built alone.
It’s built in community, one page, one post, one project at a time.

— Jenny