8 Sites That Pay You To Write About Homesteading & Agriculture

If you’re a writer with a green thumb, this post is for you! Personally, my way of taking care of plants has always led to their inevitable demises, but I always admired those who could nourish a plant or two through long, happy lives. And now, especially amongst millennials, there seems to be a “plant mom” trend, with even Refinery29 claiming that “plant ladies are the new cat ladies.” 

If you are one such plant person who has always had a gift for gardening, you may want to look into agriculture or homestead-based writing opportunities we've shared with you today.

Such gigs can offer you the convenience of working remotely, all the while writing about your passion. What more could you ask for?

Read on to learn about the websites that are offering up this type of work.

8 Sites That Pay You To Write About Homesteading & Agriculture

1 – Morning Chores

The entire MO of the Morning Chores website is to promote self-sufficiency – wow! I love a website that encourages people to focus on relying on their own skills to make a living.

It sounds simple, but it’s truly powerful. It’s a tough world out there, and self-sufficiency is key to making it work – any freelancer knows that. It’s all about the hustle!

What they’re looking for: The website is searching for writers with “a strong passion and experience in gardening, raising livestock animals, beekeeping, survival, prepping, food preservation and recipes, foraging, farming, frugal living, off-grid alternatives, woodworking, self-sufficient living, and a desire to help people by writing helpful guides.”

That’s a list that encompasses a lot of topics, so you’re sure to find one that suits you, even if you’re not an expert!

The pay: $50 per published article.

One caveat – it does say on their website that in order to be considered, you do need to upload an already-written article, and if they like it, they’ll be in touch.

As a professional writer, this makes me a bit wary – do they just want to see a portfolio piece, or do you need to write an article for their website that they may or may not use and may or may not pay you for? Do a bit of research first before you commit to applying – you never know who may be trying to get free work out of you!

Go here for more info on writing for Morning Chores.

2 – Gardener’s Path

Are you a “highly experienced” gardening writer? Gardener’s Path may be your perfect fit! The brand is looking for writers who can write amazing guides and take awesome photos.

If you have a blooming burgeonia in your backyard, (and unlike me, didn’t have to look up how to spell “burgeonia”), then you’re likely a prime candidate to be a Gardener Path writer.

What they’re looking for: You’ll need to submit a gardening-related writing sample along with your resume, rates, and availability. According to their website, “This can be an original piece, content posted to another site or blog, or writing published on your own blog.”

I like this better than the Morning Chores option, as it’s more clear on what they’re looking for in an application process, and allows you the freedom to use material you’ve already written and been paid for.

The pay: Unknown – it is not included on their website.

Note that this company is only accepting UK, US, and Canada-based writers.

Go here to learn more about writing for Gardener's Path.

3 – Homestead.org

Homestead.org is looking for “manuscript writers” – and no, you don’t need to write a book for them (I thought the same thing)! The website is actually looking for articles (or, “manuscripts,” as they call them) of 1,000 – 2,500 words on homesteading. 

What they’re looking for: The website wants “timeless” or timely works of nonfiction, and you will need to have a good eye; they want you to include photographs or illustrations of your homesteading work. 

The pay: $100 per accepted manuscript.

One important thing to note: photos must be uncopyrighted. This is a good call on their part – no one wants to get sued! Make sure you also read over their website so the pitches you’re offering to them are unique. This is best practice for any writer.

Go here to learn more about writing for Homestead.org.

4 – Better Homes & Gardens

BHG is a tough publication to get into – your writing really has to be the cream of the crop, especially if you’re a freelancer!

According to their website, only 10% of writing and photography comes from freelancers – the rest is all staff. It’s certainly not impossible, and I belong to writing groups where plenty of freelance writers got into Better Homes & Gardens. 

Here’s how you know BHG is legit – they state that they “read all freelance articles submitted, but much prefer to see a letter of query than a finished manuscript.”

This boils down to: don’t send them unsolicited work, and goes back to what I stated before about never knowing who is going to steal your writing. If I sounded merely paranoid before, hopefully this backup from BHG lends credibility to the aforementioned statements!

What they’re looking for: Because of BHG’s big brand, they primarily accept pieces on health, parenting, travel, and education. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be published as a gardening writer, or even that you can’t move into a staff position eventually – you certainly could!

And articles on all of the previously mentioned topics can include gardening subtopics – it’s not much of a stretch. Come up with a unique article and pitch it – you never know!

The pay: Their website states that “rates are based on our estimate of the length, quality, and importance of the published article.”

Go here to learn more about writing for BHG.

5 – Mother Earth Living

Mother Earth Living has an interesting process: they pitch all of their “test” articles to a group called the Editorial Advisory Group. This process isn’t unheard of, but it indicates that Mother Earth is a much bigger publication than many probably think it is.

Brand guidelines are always a good indication that a company has the dollars and legitimacy to back up its stringent rules.

What they’re looking for: A short pitch of your article (one to two sentences). This means give them a summary of the topic you want to cover as well as the approximate length and any possible way to format the article, according to your personal preferences. 

The pay: Mother Earth Living is very detailed about everything on their submissions page, including how they pay. According to said page, “Once we determine we have interest in publishing your article, the assigning editor will contact you to discuss length, deadline and payment.”

Go here to learn more about writing for Mother Earth Living.

6 – Mother Earth News

Mother Earn News is a popular magazine all about self-sufficient, financially independent and environmentally aware lifestyles. They are always looking for articles and quality photographs from their “Country Lore” department. These are handy how-to tips of 100-300 words.

What they’re looking for: Sustainable homesteading, organic gardening, real food, country skills, renewable energy, green transportation, natural health, environmental consciousness, and farming and livestock.

The pay: $25 to $100 per published item.

Go here to learn more about writing for Mother Earth News.

7 – Backwoods Home Magazine

Backwoods Home describes themselves as being “a country- and self-reliance-oriented “how to” magazine that specializes in showing people how to build their own home, produce independent energy, grow their own food, and how to make a living without being tied to a city.”

What they’re looking for: Their website states that they’re looking for straightforward, clear writing similar to what you find in a newspaper covering things you've actually done pertaining to the topics above, not just researched.

The pay: Payment is made only if your work is accepted, between $40 and $200 per article.

Go here to learn more about writing for Backwoods Home Magazine.

8 – Whole Life Times

Whole Life Times is a bi-monthly magazine serving the worldwide holistic community. They rely almost entirely on freelancers to for content.

What they’re looking for: They are open to stories on holistic and integrative health, alternative healing, green living, sustainability and organic food, yoga, spirituality and personal growth, social responsibility, conscious business, and the environment.

The pay: Pay ranges from $25 – $150 per article – quite the large range. And it entirely depends on which area of the magazine you are published in plus the length of what you have written. 

Go here to learn more about writing for Whole Life Times.