Group Editor Rebecca Martin. Photo by Queren King-Orozco.
Shortly after I’d bought my first house, I was gung-ho to tackle some homeowner projects, including a bathroom faucet needing to be replaced. That presented the perfect opportunity to test my DIY chops, so I wrangled a lesson from my dad. We began by yanking out the old faucet. As we stood at the bathroom counter, the corroded faucet in pieces at our feet, I grilled him on every possible tool and material we’d need from the hardware store. He waited patiently as I checked and double-checked each component with a tape measure. Finally, I folded up the list and stuffed it into my pocket, ready to visit the hardware store — just once. Dad knew better. DIY Lesson No. 1: “We’re going to have to go to the hardware store at least twice, and maybe three times. Just accept it,” he said. Dad’s experience had taught him that you can plan all you want, but it’s not until your hands get dirty that you truly know what you need.
So it is with magazines. Many decades on in Capper’s Farmer’s impressive run, we’re making another run to the hardware store. Here at Ogden Publications, we’re committed to inspiring can-do communities interested in gardening, crafting, cooking, or homesteading. We’re also committed to being active, positive members of those communities we help foster — our editorial director has nearly 40 years’ experience in small-scale agriculture, and I spent my early years on a farm where we fed ourselves on what we grew, raised, and preserved.
Stay tuned for more information on the change to memberships. Photo by Getty Images/oculo.
And now, we at Capper’s Farmer’s are preparing to embrace our community membership with a new business model. We think it’ll better serve our communities while keeping our business healthy and strong. Sometime in 2019, we’ll embark on a new mission where we no longer look at ourselves as a magazine and events business, but instead as a wellspring that feeds and is fed by an enthusiastic, engaged community of individuals. In the future, you won’t subscribe to one or more of our magazines, you’ll instead choose a membership in one or more of our communities. You’ll still receive the magazines in the mail, but for the same price as a subscription, you’ll also receive full access to our soon-to-be-gated websites; exclusive access to premium content, such as podcasts and videos; fixed discounts on books and other goods in our store; reduced prices at events (and access to some members-only components at those events); and more.
If you have questions about the change to memberships, drop me a line at RMartin@CappersFarmer.com. And let me know how many trips you’ve made to the hardware store to finish your projects.
