Small Farmer's Journal

What Small Farmer's Journal does

Small Farmer's Journal is an independently held, founder-operated quarterly periodical and book publishing company founded in 1976 and headquartered in Sisters, Oregon. It produces a quarterly print periodical covering small-scale farming, draft animal power, traditional craftsmanship, livestock, crops and soil, equipment, and farming systems, alongside a growing catalog of books under the Workhorse Library imprint authored primarily by Lynn R. Miller (editor/publisher). The company also sells back issues, equipment manuals, and horsemanship titles through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront, the Small Farmer's Market, and offers a $5/month website membership granting access to more than 40 years of archived content plus new articles. A free twice-monthly email newsletter, the Home & Shop Companion, serves as a top-of-funnel audience-building channel. Its core technology is print publication plus a standard web content delivery platform; no proprietary software, apps, APIs, or AI capabilities are indicated. Its primary customer segments are small-scale farmers practicing traditional and sustainable methods and draft animal practitioners (horses, oxen, mules), supplemented by heritage breed enthusiasts reached through roughly 11 advertising and cross-promotional partnerships with organizations such as the Livestock Conservancy, American Cream Draft Horse Association, and Midwest Ox Drovers Association. Revenue is generated through recurring print and digital subscriptions, one-time e-commerce purchases, and a freemium website membership tier, with all sales conducted directly through its own website.

Name

Small Farmer's Journal

Legal name

Small Farmer's Journal

Website

https://smallfarmersjournal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Small Farmer's Journal is an independent quarterly periodical and book publisher founded in 1976, serving small-scale farmers and draft animal practitioners with print subscriptions, a digital membership, a niche book line, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sisters

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Print Subscriptions: Quarterly periodical subscriptions sold directly to readers. Individual issues and multi-year subscription packages available including anniversary bundles with back issues.
2. E-commerce Sales: Sales of books, manuals, and back issues through the Small Farmer's Market online store. Includes Workhorse Library titles by Lynn R. Miller and other farming resources.
3. Website Membership: Monthly digital subscription providing access to archived articles from 40+ years and new content. Operates on a freemium model where basic access and newsletter are free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Small Farmer's Journal is a publishing company that prints and publishes a quarterly periodical focused on small-scale farming, draft animal power, craftsmanship, and traditional agricultural practices, in continuous production since 1976. It sells subscriptions, back issues, a specialized book imprint (Workhorse Library), equipment manuals, and a $5/month website membership granting access to its 40+ year digital content archive, all through its own online store.

Product overview

Small Farmer's Journal is a quarterly periodical published since 1976, focused on small farming, draft animal power, and traditional craftsmanship. The company offers a portfolio of products including the core quarterly publication available via print or digital subscriptions, an archive of back issues, and a specialized publishing division called the Workhorse Library featuring books on horsemanship, harness, and farming techniques authored primarily by Lynn R. Miller. Additional offerings include equipment manuals, a free email newsletter (Home & Shop Companion), and website membership providing digital access to archived and new content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Farmer's Journal (Quarterly Periodical) The flagship quarterly periodical of Small Farmer's Journal, in continuous publication since 1976, covering small-scale farming, draft animal power, craftsmanship, and traditional agricultural practices.
• Subscriptions Print and digital subscriptions providing ongoing access to the quarterly periodical and website content, with individual issue and multi-year package options.
• Back Issues Archive of past quarterly issues from 1976 onwards available for individual purchase, enabling readers to complete or expand their collection.
• Workhorse Library (8-Volume Complete Set) An 8-volume collection of books by Lynn R. Miller about working horses and mules in harness for farm, woods, and road applications. Sold as a complete set at $350.00 (originally $407.50).
• Art of Working Horses (Book) A 368-page book by Lynn R. Miller with over 500 photos and illustrations about working horses and mules in harness, available in softcover ($45.00) and hardcover ($65.00).
• Harness Book A 300+ page comprehensive full-color book on work horse harness with hundreds of illustrations, available in soft cover ($60.00) and hard cover ($75.00).
• Old Man Farming; Essays of a Rewarded Life A 212-page soft cover essay collection by Lynn R. Miller focused on organic farming, rural communities, small-scale agriculture, and animal-powered systems, priced at $19.95.
• Manuals Technical and equipment manuals for farming operations and draft animal equipment, covering items such as corn shellers, mowers, and other horsedrawn implements.
• Website Membership Subscription-based website access at $5 per month providing digital access to articles from the first forty years plus new content, operating on a freemium model alongside free newsletter signup.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• American Cream Draft Horse AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvertiser and partner organization serving the heritage draft horse community. ACDHA promotes the American Cream Draft breed and shares audience with SFJ's draft animal practitioner readership.
• Scottish Blackface Breeders UnionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvertiser and partner organization serving Scottish Blackface sheep breeders. Aligns with SFJ's focus on heritage livestock and traditional farming.
• Midwest Ox Drovers AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvertiser serving oxen handlers and teamsters. Natural audience alignment with SFJ's draft animal power focus.
• North American Suffolk Horse AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvertiser promoting Suffolk Punch horses, an endangered British draft breed. Audience shares SFJ's interest in heritage draft horses.
• Livestock ConservancyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvertiser focused on heritage breed conservation. SFJ frequently covers rare and heritage livestock breeds.
• I&J ManufacturingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHorsedrawn equipment manufacturer advertising in the journal. Provider of farming equipment for horse-powered operations.
• White Horse MachineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmish implement company featured in articles and advertising. Produces horsedrawn equipment including plows and forecarts.
• Tillers InternationalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit teaching traditional farming skills including draft animal power. Advertiser aligning with SFJ's traditional farming mission.
• Purebred Dexter Cattle AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvertiser serving Dexter cattle breeders, a small heritage breed. Aligns with SFJ's coverage of small farms and heritage livestock.
• Ohio Ecological Food and Farm AllianceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOEFFA is a nonprofit promoting ecological farming. Advertiser audience overlaps with SFJ's sustainable agriculture readers.
• Canadian Organic GrowersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian organic farming organization advertising in the journal. Aligns with SFJ's sustainable and organic farming content.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Acres USA: Long-running publisher of a monthly magazine, books, and conferences focused on organic and sustainable agriculture. Highly comparable to SFJ as an independent publisher serving ecologically minded small farmers with periodicals and a book catalog.
• Backwoods Home Magazine: Independent bi-monthly publication focused on self-reliance, rural living, and small-scale food production. Comparable to SFJ as an independently published periodical for rural, traditional-lifestyle readers.
• Grit Magazine: Periodical covering rural American lifestyle, small-scale farming, and country living. Directly comparable to SFJ in audience and subscription-driven print-plus-digital publishing model for hobby farmers and rural readers.
• Hobby Farms: Magazine and digital media brand aimed at small-acreage and hobby farmers. Directly comparable to SFJ as a subscription media product targeting the same small-scale, lifestyle-driven farmer persona.
• Stockman Grass Farmer: Independent monthly publication covering grass-based livestock and pasture-focused farming for small and midsize producers. Directly comparable to Small Farmer's Journal as a subscription-driven periodical serving a niche of small-scale, alternative-methods farmers.
• Capper's Farmer: Periodical focused on traditional rural living, small farms, and nostalgia-driven country lifestyle content. Comparable to SFJ in its small-farmer and traditional-craftsmanship editorial positioning.
• Countryside & Small Stock Journal: Long-running publication aimed at homesteaders and small-scale livestock keepers. Directly comparable to SFJ as a niche periodical for self-sufficient small farmers and hobby livestock owners.

Broad incumbents

• Mother Earth News: One of the largest sustainable-living and small-scale farming media brands, covering homesteading, gardening, and rural self-reliance. Comparable to SFJ in editorial niche but operates at significantly broader scale with multi-platform content.
• The Progressive Farmer: Long-established mainstream agricultural periodical serving commercial-scale farming operations. Comparable to SFJ as an agricultural periodical, but operates at a much broader commercial-farmer scale rather than small-farm niche.

Emerging players

• Draft Horse Journal: Niche periodical dedicated to draft horse breeding, showing, and use. Directly comparable to SFJ's draft animal power readership, though more focused on breeding/showing than working-farm applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SmallFarmrsJrnl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/small-farmers-journal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Small Farmer's Journal