Mother Earth News vs. Grit

[Dwayne Barry]

I recently subscribed to Mother Earth News and I'm really enjoying it. How does Grit compare?

Is it more or less the same type of magazine?

If not, what are the differences?

Thanks

[BlackWillowFarm]

I subscribe to Mother Earth News and had a subscription to Grit, but canceled the Grit. Too much fluff for me, not enough substance.

[TurnerHill]

There's some overlap. Both magazines are published by the same company.

MEN remains a bit more crunchy, '60's back-to-the-land, oriented. While GRIT is a bit more a rural lifestyle/hobby farm type publication.

I think MEN is better now than it used to be. It used to offer what was basically propaganda, implying (or stating outright) that all sorts of radical lfestyle changes could be made easily and cheaply, when that wasn't true. It is a bit less dishonest now.

GRIT is not as good as the old GRIT.

[DW]

I've had both but cancelled Grit...more good info in MEN that I would use.

[SFM in KY]

My grandmother subscribed to Grit most of her life I think. I used to enjoy it as well, basic country lifestyle publication that was published primarily, it seemed. for people that were actually living on farms and ranches. Both my mother and grandmother got patterns for clothing and needlework that were advertised in Grit and my grandmother's cookbook still has some receipes that were clipped from there.

I asked for a sample copy several years ago but it wasn't the same magazine I remembered at all.

[Harry Chickpea]

Grit isn't what it used to be. I canceled it and TMEN.

[rootsong]

I've had a sub. to MEN for several years. I tried Grit but found it to just be a pretty book full of farm animal pictures & ads. Not much education in it for me. The kids do enjoy using them for collages.

I much prefer Countryside magazine and Backwoods Home, by the way.

[goatsareus]

Originally Posted by TurnerHill

I think MEN is better now than it used to be. It used to offer what was basically propaganda, implying (or stating outright) that all sorts of radical lfestyle changes could be made easily and cheaply, when that wasn't true. It is a bit less dishonest now.

glad to hear that...I will NEVER forget one cover that proclaimed "Build your own underground house in 8 hours"

[UUmom2many]

i was wondering this too, looks like you can buy older grit issues on ebay for about $12 a piece last i looked

I just subb'd to backwoods and i hope it's not fluffy, yuppy stuff. I got family handman and that's fairly good lots of free projects but dwell is horrible, too many ads for expensive stuff.

[Cabin Fever]

Before you subscribe to either, do yourself a favor and check out Backwoods Home magazine.

[Fenrirwulf]

I subscribed to MEN for a year, but was glad when that year was over. MEN seemed more interested in telling you about what they could sell you than actually provided that much information. I tried Backwoods Home also, and found it too doom and gloom. I prefer Countryside.

[Fae]

I subscribe to TMEN, BackwoodsHome, Countryside and Grit. I get different things from each magazine and really I just enjoy Grit. It is not what it was many years ago but what is.

[Dwayne Barry]

Originally Posted by Fenrirwulf

I subscribed to MEN for a year, but was glad when that year was over. MEN seemed more interested in telling you about what they could sell you than actually provided that much information. I tried Backwoods Home also, and found it too doom and gloom. I prefer Countryside.

Interesting, I haven't gotten the impression that MEN is trying to sell you stuff.

I've checked out the Backwoods Home website and for my taste comes across as too political.

I'll check out Countryside.

Thanks

[kabri]

Originally Posted by Fenrirwulf

I subscribed to MEN for a year, but was glad when that year was over. MEN seemed more interested in telling you about what they could sell you than actually provided that much information. I tried Backwoods Home also, and found it too doom and gloom. I prefer Countryside.

MEN does not have enough details for me, and a little too fluffy. I love Backwoods Home, tons of detailed help and how-to, and also read Countryside.

[tailwagging]

I like them all. MEN use to be owned by the ones who now put out Backwoods. In Hendersonville NC. where I use to live. One of the reason my dad wanted to move there over 23 years ago. My dad was a homesteader at heart. I think it had a lot to do with my uncle Chet who made dulcimers (wrote a book on how to make them even.) who loved to do homesteady things.

[Bro. Williams]

Originally Posted by Dwayne Barry

Interesting, I haven't gotten the impression that MEN is trying to sell you stuff.

I've checked out the Backwoods Home website and for my taste comes across as too political.

I'll check out Countryside.

Thanks

I've tried all listed except backwoods.

Countryside is by far the most interesting and helpful to me. We enkoy it thoroughly. GRIT was too formal, and too high-end for us... but we is Po' Folk.

We on average buy 2 or 3 MEN issues a year off the shelf if they look good and have something realistic and useful for us...

[Harry Chickpea]

Originally Posted by tailwagging

I like them all. MEN use to be owned by the ones who now put out Backwoods. In Hendersonville NC. where I use to live. One of the reason my dad wanted to move there over 23 years ago. My dad was a homesteader at heart. I think it had a lot to do with my uncle Chet who made dulcimers (wrote a book on how to make them even.) who loved to do homesteady things.

Nope. You are confusing it with Countryside and I think a couple of others. Dave Duffy started Backwoods, and at one point talked with Shuttleworth, Who had started TMEN many years earlier. Shuttleworth had burned himself out and warned Dave against doing so himself. When TMEN went belly up and was sold, there were a few upstarts that tried to fill the gap.

TMEN tried to be ecologically sound from the start, but was anything but that. Harrowsmith and another mag. sorta filled that. The real motherload was Stewart Brand's "Whole Earth" which was more than just the catalog and a truly great (if VERY alternative) magazine.

[hunter63]

I started my subscription to MEN at #17 (then bought the back issues), and have continued it till the present.
They are getting a little better, but they have had all kinds of directions over the years, but interestingly enough, I believe you could change the date on a late 70's issue and the info would be pertinent today.

I did try several of their "sister mags" for a while, still have those also, but have been trying to back off on "stuff" so I am letting a lot of my subscriptions run out.
Probably keep MEN though as I wouldn't want to break up the set at this point.

Can't say much about Grit as I haven't read any since they were advertised in "Boys Life" Mag when I was much younger.

[greg273]

Recently, you can hardly tell the two magazines apart. I'd give TMEN a slight advantage, content-wise, but all in all,to my taste there just isnt a whole lot of new info in either one. Guess I'm getting burned out on reading, I'd much rather be out doing.
I used to like the tone of Backwoods Home, but I noticed they've been delving into a lot more political preaching. And even when I agree with those politics, its not what I paid money for. Hence, I havent bought a BWH magazine in probably 6 months.

[COSunflower]

If I could only have ONE magazine - it would be Countryside. I have it, MEN, Grit and Backyard Poultry and enjoy all of them. MEN and Grit are very similar in my opinion.