With a nod toward trending issues like climate change (with a little Alex Trebek mixed in) plus a fascinating look at homesteaders in New Zealand, the Summer 2019 “Raise and Grow” issue of The New Pioneer is jam-packed with timely and useful information. 

Issue Highlights:

• Musk Ox Revival by Paul Fattig — Alex Trebek’s favorite animal for a thousand, please. The answer: What is a musk ox? These ancient wild animals face an uncertain future in the wild as climate change negatively impacts them. Enter the Musk Ox Farm in Alaska (a favorite place for Alex Trebek to visit) as the non-profit works to revive the mighty Musk Ox through domestication for wool and meat.
• Rugged. Simple. Paradise. by Diana Noonan — New Zealand’s been in the news recently because of the terror attack there on March 15. Above and beyond the attack, New Zealanders are a resilient lot, and none more so than the Noonans, a family raising 70 percent of their food and living off the land in the remote Catlins on the southeast coast. 
• Awesome Alpacas by Barbara Delbol — Alpacas arrived in America 30 years ago and have become a source of fiber, meat and garden gold (compost/manure) for many farmers. At Siskiyou Alpacas, they are incorporating local partners to build a community around the products offered by alpacas. 
• Choosing Chickens by Pam Freeman — Chickens are the sweetheart farm animal that people from the city to the country are raising for eggs, meat and companionship. Choosing the right breeds can be the key to success. 
• Mushrooms for Money by Michael R. Shea — Farming is ultimately about making a living and mushrooms can provide a high-value cash crop that’s easy to cultivate and works with the forest, not against it. 
• Big Family Home Cooking Q&A with Stacy Lyn Harris — Find out how this award-winning author, chef, blogger and mother of seven manages to cook nutritious, gourmet meals without breaking the bank. 
• The Daily Grind by Mari Attoun — There’s nothing like a good cup of joe and the Red Rooster Trading Company makes fresh ground coffee possible through its Made in the U.S.A. hand-crank grinders that don’t contain any plastic and fit on a Ball jar.