Backwoods Home Magazine · In print since 1989

Four issues. Four seasons. A year of real skills.

116 pages of hands-on homesteading know-how every quarter, timed to the season, with about 90% fewer ads than the magazines at the checkout stand.

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Ships free in the US · Cancel anytime

Backwoods Home Magazine earlier issue Backwoods Home Magazine previous issue
37 yearsin print
130,000+readers
116 pagesper issue
~90% fewerads
Why quarterly beats monthly

An issue for every season of the year

Monthlies pad thin issues with ads and filler. We publish one deep issue per season, timed so the skills arrive when you need them.

Spring issue

Plant

Get the growing year started right.

  • Garden planning & seed starting
  • Orchard and berry care
  • New chicks, kids & livestock
  • Spring repairs around the place
Summer issue

Grow & Build

Make the long days count.

  • Big gardens & pest control
  • Building & outdoor projects
  • Pasture, water & fencing
  • Summer kitchen & recipes
Fall issue

Harvest & Preserve

Put the year's work on the shelf.

  • Canning, curing & root cellars
  • Firewood & heating prep
  • Hunting-season readiness
  • Butchering & the fall kitchen
Winter issue

Prepare & Repair

Use the quiet months well.

  • Off-grid heat & backup power
  • Shop & indoor projects
  • Being ready when the grid isn't
  • Planning next year's garden

Readers keep every issue. A subscription builds a permanent reference library, one season at a time.

Backwoods Home Magazine current issue cover
Inside every issue

Written by doers, not desk writers

  • Grow more food and put it up for the year
  • Build and fix things yourself
  • Raise chickens, goats, rabbits, and more
  • Be ready when the power goes out
  • Make your land and skills work for you
  • Firearms ownership, safety, and training

Our writers are homesteaders, builders, and tradespeople writing about what they actually did, including what went wrong. Every cover is an original painting.

Choose your format

Start your year of skills

Four big seasonal issues a year. Subscriptions ship free in the US.

Subscriptions renew automatically each year at the regular rate so you never miss an issue. You can cancel at any time by email, phone, or online.

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Read it before you decide.

If it's not for you, cancel anytime by phone, email, or online in about a minute, and keep every issue you've received. Cancel partway through and we refund the unused portion, prorated. After 37 years, we'd rather earn your renewal than trap it.

From verified buyers

Readers at every stage

From 40 acres to a suburban backyard.

★★★★★
"I am not a homesteader, but am a country girl who loves doing things like my grandparents did: cooking, canning, gardening. I hope to broaden my skills by using what I'm learning in the magazine."
Cyndi R · ✓ Verified Buyer
★★★★★
"We're using them to improve our gardening skills, increase our garden production, improve our preservation techniques, and build a well-stocked pantry. Absolutely LOVE these magazines!"
Nancy ann · ✓ Verified Buyer
★★★★★
"Every issue catches my interest immediately. Very impressed with the quality of the content, the ease of reading, and a magazine without massive advertising."
Wendy J Hoffman · ✓ Verified Buyer
Common questions

Before you subscribe

We send new subscriber files to our printer every week, and your first copy goes out in the next batch. Periodical mail moves slowly, so allow a few weeks for it to reach your mailbox. Digital access is immediate with a Digital or Print + Digital subscription.

Four times a year: one big 116-page issue every season. Each one is deep, seasonal, and worth keeping on the shelf.

Your subscription renews automatically each year at the regular rate so you never miss an issue. You can turn renewal off or cancel whenever you like.

Anytime, by phone (541-250-5134), by email, or online from your account in about a minute. You keep every issue you've received, and if you cancel partway through your term we refund the unused portion, prorated.

Yes. Subscriptions ship free anywhere in the US.

Absolutely, many readers do. Order online and enter the recipient's address, or call us at 541-250-5134 and we'll set it up for you.

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