Modern Farmer

"I think that because there is an urban population that's really taking up farming in a big way or moving to more rural locations, they take with them an urban sensibility into the country. I think there's going to be a really interesting architectural language that's going to be developed because of this move from urban to rural. Everyone has this dream of living in a barn, but when you look at Scandinavia—what they do with a barn in the countryside is so fresh. It's not the same old rustic thing put together. " Upcoming stories include vertical gardening, humane slaughter, and a tour of a sheep-shearing quarters in Tasmania.

And that's just the beginning of Gardner's passion for this topic. "If we can become a force where we're getting a better story told about our food, that to me would be a great accomplishment." When asked how to make the idea of modern farming appealing to purveyors of mid-century modern design Gardner says, "I think it's more modern than mid-century. It's post mid-century. It's a beautiful sparsity that seems very modern because in the country you don't need art, you have nature outside your window."

Farmhouse in dire need of an update? Check out these 10 useful tips!

ModernFarmer.com launches April 4th. The print quarterly will be available starting April 15th at Whole Foods and Barnes & Noble locations nationwide.