A Brief History

Ogden Publications, Inc. continues to grow and look for new opportunities to connect with others who want to live more sustainable, self-sufficient lives as well as those with a passion for antique farm equipment and motorcycles.

Here are a few major milestones. To see additional notable events in our more recent history, please visit the Ogden Publications Press Room. News related to specific magazines can be found in the individual title’s press room.

2020
June – Online Courses replace in-person events, enabling thousands to learn how to create the items they need to be self-sufficient. With the world stuck inside with little ability to access food and goods, the Mother Earth News Fair Online made it possible, and fun for people to fend for themselves.

March – The pandemic caused us to scale back on growth by combining three of our newer publications’ content into Mother Earth News. Each topic remains a solid website with content and resources to inspire and provide for these passionate communities. Standalone publications on each topic are continuously being developed and made available on the newsstand.

2019
May – Launched Fermentation to appeal to the growing base of people who were making their own fermented food and drinks. The part do-it-yourself, part science fun fact publication combined insights into making bread, cheese, kimchi, sausages, beer, keifer, wine and much more.

2016
July – Took over Heirloom Gardener magazine from Baker Creek Seeds. The tile was later changed of Mother Earth Gardener to expand the audience size and to include organic gardening tips and how – to content.

2012
October — Launched Mother Earth Living, a title that merges Natural Home & Garden and The Herb Companion into one media channel, to better serve the fast-growing natural lifestyle market.

September — “Tough Grit,” a lifestyle reality show that offers humor and information about rural DIY projects (presented by Grit and Tractor Supply Company), premiered on RFD-TV.

2011
June — Mother Earth News Fair extended to West Coast with event at Puyallup Fairgrounds in Washington state.

2010
June — Redesigned Good Things to Eat and began offering it on the newsstands.

April — Launched the Mother Earth News Fair, with the first event being held Sept. 25-26, 2010, at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Seven Springs, Pa.

2009
June — Capper’s joins Grit as a bimonthly glossy magazine devoted to rural living. Capper’s maintains its focus on the Midwest and retains its signature “Heart of the Home” department full of stories submitted by readers. Its new tagline is “From the Heartland Since 1879.”

March — Launched CommunityChickens.com, a synthesis-site of poultry-related information created by our experts at Mother Earth News and Grit magazines.

2008
December — Steam Traction rolls into Farm Collector but keeps its web presence at SteamTraction.com.

April — The Herb Companion undergoes a redesign and relaunch, with Herbs for Health being folded into the magazine’s content while retaining its own website, HerbsforHealth.com. The tagline for the new print magazine becomes “Grow. Cook. Heal.”

January — Debuted Natural Home-branded kitchen products. The products are made of recycled glass and stainless steel, bamboo and organic textiles. National retailers including Target carry many of the products.

2007
February — Ogden’s custom publishing and fulfillment division launched. This division handles content development, design, marketing, fulfillment and customer service for third-party clients.

2006
July — Relaunched Grit from a monthly newsprint publication to a bimonthly glossy magazine focusing on rural living. After being in print for 124 years, Grit makes its first appearance on newsstands.

June — Acquired Utne Reader from LENS Publishing. David Schimke is promoted to editor in chief, and Utne continues to publish from its Minneapolis, Minn., office.

2005
October — Acquired Natural Home from Interweave Press.

August — Launched Motorcycle Classics with the September-October issue.

2003
January — Acquired The Herb Companion and Herbs for Health from Interweave Press.

January — Changed the name of Iron-Man Album to Steam Traction with the January-February issue.

2002
April — Launched Good Things to Eat as a quarterly publication featuring recipes from Grit and Capper’s.

2001
August — Acquired Gas Engine Magazine and Iron-Man Album from StemGas Publishing.

February — Acquired Mother Earth News from Sussex Publishers Inc.

2000
August — Launched Farm Collector with the August issue.

1996
August — Ogden Newspapers Inc., a family-owned company based in Wheeling, W.Va., launches Ogden Publications in Topeka, Kan., with Bryan Welch as its publisher and editorial director. Ogden gets its start in the magazine business by acquiring Capper’s and Grit from Stauffer Communications.