Grit Newspaper becomes a Magazine: Rural retro comes back in 2006

Back in the 1950s, rural communities existed all across the USA. In fact, more than half of all Americans were growing at least some – if not all – of their own food at that time, and agriculture was an enterprise that was as common to Americans as the Internet is to today’s generation. One of the publications that was widely distributed to those farming families was Grit, a small newspaper that carried helpful and practical articles about things related to live in the countryside. And in 2006, the out-of-print Grit paper reincarnated as a magazine, complete with color pictures and a glossy cover.

Whereas the original publication was mostly sold door-to-door by young people who could purchase issues of it and then resell them for a 10 or 20 cent profit, the modern version is found in stores across the nation such as Barnes and Noble. And although the market demographic has changed, the content of the Grit magazine is not unlike the 1950s Grit newspapers. There are articles about things like how to raise rabbits, how to grow corn and vegetables and then can them for winter, how to purchase farm equipment, and how to vaccinate livestock. Many of the writers for the magazine are themselves farmers, homesteaders, or gardeners, and most of the articles and features are based on personal experience and know-how.

Grit has always stood as a symbol of retro culture and has long been a traditional Americana institution, so those who used to sell the copies in early days are thrilled to see it taking on a whole new life in the 21st Century. And while many expected it to go the way of other publications, and either die out completely or sell out completely to more contemporary interests or advertisers, the publication has managed to stick to its rural roots, continuing to do what it has always done best.

Whereas urban readers might want to find out about their astrology predictions for landing a new job or getting a new love interest, the rural readership of Grit can still depend on almanac info that talks about predicting the weather and the time of year to plant crops. And while urban readers may pick up a magazine to find out the latest Hollywood gossip or New York fashions, those who tend to subscribe to Grit magazine may be much more tuned in to the goings on at the state fair, the produce markets. But in the magazine world, it is “to each his own” and that is how it should be.

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