25 Publications that Pay for Writing About Farming and Gardening

For those who want to get paid to write about farming and gardening, here’s a list of 25 publications that work with freelance writers.

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1. American Gardener publishes pieces that appeal to experienced amateur gardeners, and topics range from garden design to environmentally appropriate gardening. The magazine is mostly written by freelancers, and they accept article pitches for feature articles and department sections. Word length for feature articles is 1,500 to 2,500 words, and column stories run 900-1,000 words. According to their guidelines, they pay $300 to $700 for features and $150 to $200 for column stories. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.

1. Modern Farmer “aims to tell compelling stories for an audience of people who care about where their food comes from.” They are interested in stories that ‘speak to people who care about where their food comes from, and how to participate in and help develop a more equitable food system for all.’ According to their guidelines, pay starts at a base rate of $350 USD. To learn more, refer to their submissions guidelines.

1. The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener is a quarterly newspaper that publishes articles on a variety of farming and gardening topics. They’re interested in everything from livestock care to nutrition. Word count for features is 1,200- 2,200 words; for How-To articles 500-1,200 words, 1200 words for Interviews and 300-500 words for reviews. According to their guidelines, they pay 25 cents per word for published articles. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.

1. Backwoods Home Magazine publishes articles focused on self-reliance, including topics such as producing independent energy, growing food, and making a living without city dependence. The magazine covers a wide range of subjects such as food preservation, health, raising animals, country skills, homeschooling, and more. According to their guidelines, they offer payments ranging from $40 to $200 per article. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.

1. Offrange publishes original research and stories on issues facing modern agriculture. They’re interested in how farmers are building profitable and resilient businesses, and how global and national economic trends are changing how we farm. They’re interested in pitches for stories that address the practical, financial, and social impact of changes in the ag world. According to their guidelines, rates generally fall between $0.50 and $1.00 a word. To learn more, refer to this page.

1. Central Coast Farm & Ranch is a quarterly magazine based in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties in California. They publish articles that cover a variety of topics specific to Central Coast agriculture. Word length for cover story or feature is 700 to 1,200 words and 500-700 words for departments. According to their guidelines, pay starts from 50 cents to $1 per word for features and $350 for departments. Learn more about the magazine here.

1. Goldenseal is published by the State of Virginia, Division of Culture and History. They welcome articles on West Virginian folklife, traditional farming practices, industry and commerce, holiday and community celebrations, immigrants, music, crafts, herbs, women’s history, or similar. They prefer stories about living West Virginians, based on direct, recent interviews. Feature articles generally average 1,500-2,000 words in length, though shorter features are also accepted. According to their guidelines, they pay $200. Details here.

1. Investigate Midwest covers news concerning “Big Agriculture and its effects on labor (especially migrant and immigrant labor), government, and the environment.” They also publish content focused on farmers and their psychological well-being. They are keen on exploring “interpretations of intriguing datasets or documents acquired through FOIA or state public records inquiries.” Compensation depends on the level of experience. Articles should be between 800-2,000 words. An old payment report indicates they paid around $0.29/ word. To learn more, refer to their pitching guidelines.