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Herbalism: Crafting Ancient Plant Medicine for Modern Life

Inside the Berkeley Herbal Center, traditional plant knowledge is thriving—not as a museum relic, but as a living practice focused on holistic healing.

by JEFF GREENWALD

A woman with tattoos, wearing a dark top and a colorful skirt, stands smiling in front of shelves filled with labeled glass bottles in a wooden apothecary, embodying the art of herbalism and plant medicine.Field Notes icon

“How to Make a Good Day”: Scott and Ene Constable on Crafting a Meaningful Life

For the team behind Wowhaus Studio, great public art isn't just about design; it's about creating purpose, meaning, and joy. They apply this philosophy in their daily lives, too—and so can you.

by JEFF GREENWALD

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Rare Sheep, Rich Yarns

Shepherds, small mills, and local yarn shops are working together to secure a more sustainable fiber economy—and to meet the growing demand for heritage sheep products.

by ERIKA ZAMBELLO

Two people outdoors bottle-feed two lambs on a farm. One person kneels to feed a black lamb, while the other stands, feeding a white lamb. Bare trees and a fence are visible in the background.Field Notes icon

Fighting ‘Fast Furniture’ Waste, One Reupholstered Sofa at a Time

Yes, professional upholsterers are still out there—reviving old armchairs, preserving a time-honored craft, and keeping many tons of furniture out of landfills every year.

by PAULINE BARTOLONE

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The Espadrille: Spain’s Beloved, Timeless Shoe

The long march of espadrilles, from medieval Spanish peasantry to global shoe icon.

by JULIA SCHEERES

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Explore the Magazine

The Craftsmanship Initiative is dedicated to reclaiming craftsmanship’s principles of excellence, beauty, and durability as a pathway to a more sustainable world. The flagship venture of the initiative, which operates as a non-profit, is Craftsmanship Magazine, a multimedia publication that focuses on master artisans and innovators whose work informs our quest.

A cartoon depicting a wealthy couple in a luxury car passing an unhoused family on a street corner, holding "Evicted" and "Need Job" signs. The woman in the car says, "Unions helped build America's middle class." The man in the car replies, "So, if there is no more middle class, who needs unions?"Field Notes icon

The Craft of a Sustainable Economy, Part 5: Equality’s Foot Soldiers

As economic inequality in America has gotten worse and worse, our two major political parties have been doing less and less to solve it. Who is filling the void?

by TODD OPPENHEIMER

A group of men, many wearing hats, gather on the steps of a brick building as a man in a suit and robe stands above them with arms raised, appearing to address or speak to the crowd.Field Notes icon

The Craft of a Sustainable Economy, Part 4: We the People

What does equality in America really mean?

by TODD OPPENHEIMER

A coal miner wearing overalls and a cap with a headlamp sits on a wooden beam, holding a small li object and looking to the side. The background includes industrial structures.Field Notes icon

The Craft of a Sustainable Economy, Part 3: Can America Afford to Pay Livable Wages?

“No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country.” -President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933

by TODD OPPENHEIMER

Two people in suits stand by a large office window overlooking a city. One says, Thank goodness we live in the golden age of inequality The office is spacious with a large desk in the foreground.Field Notes icon

The Craft of a Sustainable Economy, Part 2: How Did Inequality Get So Bad?

From 2018 to 2022, a number of U.S. corporations paid as little as 5 percent in taxes, and a stunning 23 firms paid no tax at all.

by TODD OPPENHEIMER

A person wearing a blue hard hat and dark work clothes walks through a large, well-lit industrial warehouse with machinery and equipment visible in the background.Field Notes icon

The Craft of a Sustainable Economy, Part 1: The Challenge

The current race to strip-mine human labor isn’t sustainable. How could craftsmanship's values—of integrity, responsibility, and durability—open a pathway to an economy that's built to last?

by TODD OPPENHEIMER

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