J.I. Rodale created a magazine in 1942 and called it Organic Gardening and Farming . It grew and changed over the years, and became Organic Gardening, the most widely read gardening magazine in the world. Rodale Press also created a number of other magazines, like Prevention and Runner’s World, but Organic Gardening remained it’s “centerpiece”.

In the last three years there have been numerous upheavals at the magazine, with changing editors and formats. In an attempt to appeal to a wider audience the magazine expanded to include lifestyle articles and more coverage of leaf blowers and ATVs. To the organic purists, the magazine seemed to have forgotten its roots in organic gardening. Plans were made to split the magazine, with one part becoming Organic Style, and the other “returning to its roots” with pure gardening coverage.

The September/October 2001 edition is the first magazine published since the split. It is now called OG. You can get a look at it at: www.organicgardening.com

So, here’s what is in it:

5 Feature Articles:

1. A Chicken in Every Backyard: The best chickens for home gardeners.
2. The Moveable Coop: A simple chicken coop to build and move.
3. There’s No Beating Beets: Best varieties of homegrown beets.
4. Gathering the Past, Sowing the Future: Saving seeds.
5. Fall Ahead: Build Spring Garden Beds Now: Things to do now. Cover crops.

10 departments in every issue of the magazine:

1. From the Editor: A 1-page intro by editor John Grogan.

2. Letters: from the readers.

3. Solutions: Gardening questions from the readers, with answers provided by the OG staff. This section also contains a “bad bug” (this issue has bean weevils) with identification guides and cures.

4. Dig In: News, new products and plants, and new research results. ( Did you know that organically grown apples taste better and are cheaper to grow than conventional ones?) This section also has the OG Watchdog with information on things like pesticide problems and genetically engineered crops.

5. O G 1 2 3 : A simple how-to guide for beginners (and “oldies” who need a refresher course) in some aspect of organic gardening. This issue addresses the “how-to” of storing summer-blooming bulbs.

6. Organic Gardening: A republished vintage article from the old Organic Gardening and Farming magazine. This issue has Tips from the No-Till Pioneer - Ruth Stout. The article was originally published in 1975, and is still as useful today.

7. Gardener to Gardener: Tips, techniques, and a few dumb mistakes sent in by readers.

8. Compost Corner: Stories from home composters, with photos of “home-grown” compost bins.

9. For the Birds: Identifying birds. Best plants for birds. Feeders.

10. My Journal: Notes from a contributing editor. This issue has Charles Bowlus from Rawlings, Wyoming, with problems and ideas from his area of the world.

Okay, here’s the good news:

The magazine has more of the look and feel of the old Organic Gardening and Farming with its emphasis on garden issues. It is well organized, with articles together in one spot. No “continued on page …” here. The advertisements are mostly grouped at the front and back, with the main articles uncluttered by ads or extraneous inserts. The articles are short but pack a lot of information into a small space. Photographs and illustrations are clear but not high-gloss. It is definitely a gardening magazine.

But here’s the other stuff:


It’s thin at 48 pages, and 11 of those are advertisements. 5 other pages have half-page ads. That doesn’t leave much room for the articles. The asking price for a one-year (6 issues) subscription is $24.96; 2 years is $39.96. There are better offers out there if you can find them. I got an extra two years for $25.96.

The spin-off magazine Organic Style is thicker and sells for $12.95 for 6 issues; $24.96 for 12 issues. Like OG, the new magazine is published 6 times per year. You can see the first issue at www.OrganicStyle.com

Final Thoughts:
There has been speculation among the long-time readers of Organic Gardening -- that the changes were signs the magazine was in trouble and about to go under. I don’t think so. It is still the most widely read gardening magazine, with a lot of subscribers and advertisers. Many of the changes are a direct result of requests from the readers. The Rodale Institute is not likely to abandon its core readers any time soon, and I expect the magazine to be around for a while. It is compact, but still worth the price if you can get a discount, and you are a die-hard gardener. A full-price subscription might be a bit too costly for the slim magazine.




Recommended: Yes