History and philosophy
Dave Duffy, then a technical writer and former journalist, and his seven-year-old daughter Annie started the magazine with no money other than an occasional freelance paycheck in 1989. They initially published it from a garage in Ventura, in Southern California. Duffy's original concept was for a book called ''Build a Backwoods Home for Under $10,000''. The book was to be based on his experience constructing an off-grid home in the Siskiyou mountains of Oregon, to which he was commuting every few months. He started the magazine as a means of advertising the proposed book. The first issue, with a print run of 6,000, came out in October 1989 and was distributed free and by hand by Duffy and Annie. A few months later, the publication was picked up by a national distributor, American Distribution Services of Northbrook, Illinois (now defunct). The book was never completed. ''Backwoods Home'' has been called "what '' Mother Earth News'' used to be" – that is, a no-frills, back-to-basics resource for country dwellers and those hoping to move to the country. At the time of ''Backwoods Home's'' founding, Mother Earth had become a more "slick" publication. However, Duffy says he had never heard of ''Mother Earth News'' at that time, and that among his chief inspirations were scientific publications from the Middle Ages. Duffy has said, "Although the emphasis has always been on self-reliance, I rode the environmental wagon a bit back then to try and attract subscribers, but quickly gave it up and followed my Libertarian leanings. My model was a type of scientific journal from the Middle Ages ... that mixed how-to advice like wine and bread making with scientific articles. I decided to mix self-reliant articles with freedom articles. It was what interested me. It was both interesting to me – and I felt was important to everyone – to both understand how to do things for yourself and to understand how freedom worked. John Silveira, my friend since age 20, was an important element of this mix, as he had the intellect and research ability to write the critical freedom articles. The backbone of BHM has always been, and is today, the how-to article." The magazine has for many years had a consistent circulation of 41,000, of which approximately 36,000 is subscription and 5,000 newsstand sales. The economic troubles of late 2008 and 2009 led to a substantial increase in visits to its website. The print version of the magazine was discontinued in 2018 and was only available onStaff and contributors
* Sam Duffy – Publisher and owner as of 2019. Sam Duffy is the youngest son of Dave and Ilene Duffy. * Dave Duffy – Founder and Senior Editor Dave Duffy writes the editorial and oversees all editorial decisions. His Twitter feed features news about the magazine and life in Corvallis, Oregon. * Ilene Duffy – Serves as Business Adviser while also enjoying her garden and cooking meals for her hungry college boys when they come to visit. She also enjoys teaching her grandkids how to swim. * Annie Tuttle – Annie Tuttle (formerly Duffy) was Managing Editor of Backwoods Home 2008–14. She now owns and manages her own farm, Everfree Farm. * Jessie Denning – Became Managing Editor June 2014-present. * John Silveira – In addition to his duties as Senior Editor, John Silveira, a long-time friend of Duffy, contributes in-depth articles on scientific issues and American history. * Don Childers – Artist Childers has illustrated most Backwoods Home covers since the beginning and does much of the article illustration, as well. * Lisa Nourse – Editorial Coordinator Nourse handles day-to-day liaison with contributors and assists with layout and editing. * Jackie Clay-Atkinson – Jackie Clay-Atkinson, an independent off-grid homesteader in northern Minnesota, writes articles on all aspects of self-sufficient living, from growing herbs to butchering elk. In addition, her "Ask Jackie" column answers questions from readers on many topics, with emphasis on home skills like safely preserving foods. She brings similar topics to her Backwoods Hom"Safety Not Guaranteed" classified ad
In the September/October 1997 issue of ''Backwoods Home'', Senior Editor John Silveira wrote a joke ad as filler for the magazine's classified ad section: :Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 93022 Oakview, CA. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before. This issue of the magazine also featured a fake personals ad using the same post office box, Silveria's own mailing address, which Silveria thought would give away the joke. The ad has been copied repeatedly, was featured on ''Notes
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