About Us

Taproot ::
 
1. the large single root of plants such as dandelion, which grows vertically downward and bears small lateral roots

2. a bimonthly magazine celebrating food, farm, family and craft through writing, photography and the arts, both fine and domestic.

Established in 2011, Taproot Magazine is an ad-free, independent print publication celebrating food, farm, family, and craft. Our mission is to build and support the vibrant community of people participating in both the practical and fine arts, to craft handmade lives, by producing quality, unique, beautiful, positive, and heartfelt print media and an online marketplace selling a curated selection of prints, craft kits, and handmade goods.
 
Our submissions have - and always will be - open to all! We'd love to hear from you! Taproot Magazine was created with the intention of seeking out and lifting up the stories of food, farm, family and craft that connect us all. "Living Fully and Digging Deeper" was our motto to start with and remains our underlying goal. We also believe that it is our role as a publishing voice to lift up the often unseen voices (as a result of cultural racism, sexism, ableism, and beyond) in those areas of shared interest that we write about. We have so much to learn from one another by listening to each other's stories, and we believe one way that can happen is when we share our unique experiences, skills, and passions. To that end, Taproot is committed to being an inclusive magazine and community, open to all. We are committed to representing people of color, folks of varying abilities, body sizes, and orientations in our pages both in the photographs and artwork representing people in the pages but also through the artists and writers we publish. We know we can do more to make that happen at Taproot, and we hope you'll stay tuned to watch us do just that.

We are subscriber-supported, with subscribers across the country and internationally. The magazine is also available at select stockists.

In alignment with our values and mission, we have been proud to support the following organizations through membership and/or donations in recent years.

Burton Street Community Peace Gardens | Indigo Arts Alliance | Friends of the Portland Farmers' Market | Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association | Maine Women’s Lobby | Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire | One Tree Planted | Planned Parenthood of Northern New England | Portland Buy Local |Portland Museum of Art | South Portland Land Trust

Taproot Team

Amanda Blake Soule, Owner & Editor-in-Chief

 

Rachel McDonald, Art Director & Associate Editor

Ted Blood, Owner & Advisor

Bethany Blake, Customer Service & Business Development

Katie Ustaris, Director of Growth & Development

Amy Chamberlain, Copy Editor

Caitlin Betsy Bell, Magazine Designer

Tom Blake, Jack of All Trades

Michelle Blake, Taproot Market

In addition to our above team, we work with a vast, rotating slate of writers, photographers, designers, and illustrators for each issue of the magazine. See our Contributor Section to learn more about these wonderful contributors whose work you see inside the pages.