Customer Reviews

Acres U.S.A.

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Acres USA; The Voice of Eco-Agriculture

I read this monthly magazine from cover to cover every month and it is super and I can never get enough.

Different sections are as follows:

ECO-UPDATE fills a couple pages and it covers world environmental, GMO, pesticide, food recalls etc ... food news, and it is a must read. This latest addition talked about who owns the rain and water catchment laws in America, CAFO laws, GMO-Free rights and how European countries are fighting the push from large corporations like Monsanto, to use GMO seeds.

Industrial AG Watch; news from the other side of agriculture - very interesting and useful information.

Organic News: talks about political appointments, organic trends across America and the world, and other studies. There are always a couple interesting articles about organic corporations who have lied or gotten fined for not being completely organic.

Transitions; Thoughts on Organic Food and Farming

And from there the editorial staff concentrates on different issues.

There are always important and interesting articles on pasture management and heard nutrition, last month there was an interview about the dairy industry and milk prices, weeds and soil nutrition, they have a brilliant writer, Kinsey, who writes about soil and answers a question every month.

February had an extremely informative chicken issue, this September 2009 has articles on fungus and fungus treatment, being that Late Blight is a big topic this wet year in the North East.

There are articles on different livestock every month like this month they have an article on Whey-Fed Pigs, sometimes they concentrate on certain heirloom breeds or common farm breeds.

Many of the articles are written by different farmers who have made detailed studies and they are very hands-on and helpful even though many of these farmers are not in the North East, but in Missouri and other big farming areas the information I still find pertinent.

Other good sections are the Eco-Gardener, The Harvest table; honoring food from farm to fork - this month talking about making your own butter, The Natural Vet, Health & Healing - this month is about genetically engineered crops being in our food chain, and Health & Healing News updates studies like a Folate vs Cancer study, Books and Information, The Last Word, View from the Country and the Classifieds.

This is a terrific magazine if you are interested in gardening, farming, self sustainability, animal husbandry and organic living.

October 2009 update: I'm still loving Acres and reading 99% of each monthly magazine - really my most fav read!

Referred to me by a Californian who has an organic farm business I was skeptical I could find useful articles since I live in the Upper Peninisula of Michigan but...I love this magazine. It is very informative, covers a wide range of topics including permaculture, organic farming and husbandry, offers many resources and lists interesting seminars in the U.S. Definitely worth it.

We love this one so much that we started giving out subscriptions as presents. Not just for pro-farmers, not just for home gardeners; it's for those with an interest in real food and the freedom to grow and purchase real food.

I wish I had known about this magazine years ago, love it. FULL of helpful information if you garden or farm. I learn many things with each new issue and look forward to receiving them. Very helpful articles, tips and stories to help you make the most our of your land, gardening, farming and producing. Will certainly re-subscribe every year.

"Acres" is always an interesting read and often a useful one. But you should be aware that they bring some elements of what I consider a non-scientific tendency - derived from the "biodynamic" movement - to much of the writing.

One element of biodynamics as I understand it is an attention to the important role of micro-nutrients and so-called trace elements in the soil matrix. This seems like an important thing to be aware of and attentive to and subject to scientific and rigorous study. Unfortunately another element of their stance is a spookier notion that things that are unseen and untestable are nonetheless important. This seems basically to be a homeopathy of the soil... the notion that elements claimed to be available in vanishingly small quantity (e.g. not demonstrable by traditional chemistry) will still have an effect on soil and plant growth.

This is not to say that there are not things that science does not understand. Nor is it to say that the purely scientific approach to agriculture hasn't sometimes led us down dangerous and destructive paths. But it is a complicated and fine line that Acres and similar publications tread when they want veracity beyond claiming "it works because I am a believer" by employing a seemingly-scientific approach but then slide at times into what is little more at base than the elves and fairies of Findhorn!