For this Country Woman Wanna-be

I would love to live in the Mid West, in the heart of farming country. As a child, I often daydreamed of what it would be like to be a farming wife and mother. I gathered my information of what a true country woman's role in life was from western tv programs, and yes, the historical romance books. Now as an adult, I can see that neither of these sources were very accurate!!

I first stumbled upon the magazine Country Woman many years later as an adult. It was included in my mother's reading material from the family reading circle. I was visiting and happened upon the magazine.

Since the first time I have read Country Woman, I have loved the magazine. It is a real down home type of magazine and the articles are written entirely by the subscribers.

Ann, the editor, is a most unusual editor. Instead of merely writing the editorial and throwing in a few pictures like most big time editors do, Ann personally visits one farm for each issue. While at the farm, Ann helps in whatever farm chores there are to be done. I have found this interesting. I had never before thought much to all the hard work that is in farming-that was something the historical romance books left out (and in the westerns, the women were always cooking). Through Ann's eyes, I have seen how to shear sheep, how to process sunflowers, how to plant tobacco and how to make home made taffy. Ann has kept very busy visiting various farms throughout the United States and Canada.

Another subscriber contribution included each subscriber sending in a photo of the view from their kitchen window. Now my view would have been just the window of the apt next door, but I did get to see some scenic views.

Last spring, all the readers each sent in a tulip bulb. The tulips were planted at Country Woman's headquarters, and when the flowers bloomed there was a glorious picture printed showing the various tulips.

One of my favorite parts of the magazine is the recipes. The recipes feature home cooking like grandma's, but the instructions are clear and concise. Included is the fat grams and calorie content.

My other favorite part is the section where red faced wives write in about some of their farming blunders. I always get a chuckle out of reading these.

Country Woman depends solely on subscriptions for the money to circulate. Because of this, there are no ads whatsoever in the magazine. I like this, because I do not have to worry about my husband being embarrassed by an woman's product ad, and also dont have to worry if my children look at the magazine.

The magazine only comes out bi-monthly or six times a year. The purchase price is $17.99 for a yearly subscription, and I find this price a bit on the high side for a bi=monthly publication.

Because there are no ads, sometimes I do not feel I am adequately getting my money's worth for the price of the magazine. I would love it if the magazine either printed monthly or if they would increase their size of the present magazine.

If you look in the front page, there is a small map of the United States, and you can see easily where the articles were written from. The states will be colored in. I love this feature.


Before there was Country Woman there was Farm Wife. This was the predecessor to the CW magazine. Same format, same Ann, same farm adventerous stories, just an older version, but still just as good. The name change must have happened in the early 1990's, because I have some late 1980's issues of the former Farm Wife.

I have learned that being a farm wife/mother/helpmate is not as easy as the westerns or the historical romance books portray, so I am seriously reconsidering my desire to move to the Mid-West.