Every year I try to include one interesting magazine subscription in my gift guide. Last year it was Lucky Peach, and if you’re still not reading this great addition to the food world, what are you waiting for? (While we're talking about great food magazines, Fool is another one you should know about. Published in Sweden, this wonderfully quirky publication is not easy to find; try Omnivore books in San Francisco, and Kitchen Arts and Letters in New York.)

This year I’m suggesting Modern Farmer - whose first issue will appear this spring.  They describe themselves this way: “Modern Farmer is a print quarterly, website, event series and online marketplace for people who care about where their food comes from.”

Here’s an article about Modern Farmer.  

Just the existence of this magazine makes me happy; it’s proof that farming has finally become hip. The magazine looks ambitious, more Esquire than Farmer’s Almanac, and they’ve got an impressive reach, promising great writing and gorgeous graphics. Give this gift, and you’re giving twice: Once to your food-forward friends, and again to this feisty little magazine.