''Natural Home'' started out in 1999 with a much stronger focus on building new homes with alternative materials such as straw bales and adobe, and technologies such as solar power. That focus was unique and cutting-edge — and there was no shortage of material to cover. Problem was, there just weren’t enough hip readers to make a sustainable magazine. After five years of circulation that’s barely reached six digits, the painful truth is that we now must reach beyond the boundaries of the eco-conscious consumer markets (Boulder, Berkeley, and Burlington), or we simply can’t afford to make the magazine anymore. From the beginning, our overarching mission has been to bring green, healthy homes and lifestyles to a mainstream audience; we have to be more accessible.〔(Robyn Griggs Lawrence, editor of ''Natural Home & Garden'' magazine, answers questions ), Grist, 29 March 2005 (retrieved 28 January 2012)〕