Farm Planning: Planning the Farm on Paper

We closed on land in Manitoba in early 2016 and have been living in Yellowknife, NWT since then. As a result of this technicality, paper planning has been the primary feature of our farm life thus far. Our paper planning has been fairly extensive over the last two years and while nothing physical exists I have still learnt several very important lessons as a result of the planning process.

(Mr. Frank Silver, June 2016) 

Expect a Large Learning Curve
As my experience with indoor composting worms highlights, all new projects come with a steep learning curve. It is important to anticipate and react to this learning curve to prevent discouragement when projects do not go as planned.

Limitations of Paper Planning
There will be unexpected realities when attempting to follow any plan - no matter how detailed. I like to plan some flexibility into the official paper plan to accommodate these unexpected realities. Accepting the limits of paper planning allows one to embrace changes as new information is presented.

(The land, April 2018) 

The Importance of Permaculture
Even though we have yet to begin a farm project, I have embraced the importance of permaculture. I research and detailed an Angora rabbit plan to begin in Fall 2018 but soon discovered that if the rabbits exist outside of a permaculture system the cost of inputs and the problem of their outputs results in an expensive, time consuming and unnatural system. Instead I opted to delay the rabbit purchase until they can exist within a permaculture system which will be more beneficial overall.

There is a time and a benefit derived from paper planning, I am excited to begin projects IRL!

Release your Zine: Motivation and Success

Tough Talk about Motivation
Sometimes as writers and creators we feel as though we should create a certain item and for zine makers that sometimes manifests as 'I should make a zine about x.' However you need the motivation to actually work on (and complete) that zine otherwise it will languish on your to-do list for months. If you would rather exercise, watch Supernatural, read, craft, cook or ___ then work on your zine then your motivation for that zine topic is lacking.

Choosing a topic
Most zine makers have a lot of ideas for zines and there are two considerations when narrowing down potential zine topics. The first is related to perfectionism. We think 'This topic is great! It will be so fun to make BUT if I wait until my skill in relation to x is more advanced than the whole zine will be that much better. I'll wait...' This reasoning results in you not actively practising that skill AND avoiding a zine topic that you love. One of the wonderful consequences of the small print and distribution numbers of zines is that you can easily re-release updated versions of past zines. You can remake the same issue. You can stop distributing an outdated zine. You can change your pen name and pretend you never released that zine! The second consideration when choosing a  zine topic related to your motivation regarding that zine topic in relation to how much time you have available to spend on zine making. If your zine making time is frequently occupied and at odds with time spent on other hobbies, consider making a zine about that hobby - thereby killing two birds with one stone.

My 'Tatting Basics' zine is a zine related to my hobby of Tatting.  

Creating Content
Content creation is probably the biggest worry for new new zine makers and the topic that is hardest to give advice on because so much of content creation is entirely reliant on the individual. If you gave the same zine topic to 50 zine makers, the content of all the resulting zines would be unique. The most important thing to remember concerning content creation is... done is better than perfect. If you are motivated and excited to write about monsters in space then do it - even if you struggle with layout or only have enough content for a mini zine. The process of creating the zine you want to create is a valid reason for creating it.

Layout
There are as many ways to layout a zine as there are zine makers. Finding your zine style is a just a matter of trail and error. My first zines took ages to do the layout for and the end product wasn't that good! But as I use the same layout style for every zine, I can now go from a finalised computer file to a zine that is copied and collated in a few - relatively stress free - days. My layout style does not change from zine to zine which may or may not be true for you. I write, edit and organise content in a computer file, then print out and cut-and-paste the content into a layout which is then copied and collated into the final zine format.

I encourage you to create content in a format you are comfortable with. 

'Winged Snail Mail' is my oldest - and longest running zine series. 

Distribution 
It can be fun to create zines for your own benefit and enjoyment but distribution is a fulfilling part of zine making as well. Increasing the distribution of your zines can help make zine making a monetarily self-sufficient hobby. Most folks start making zines as a creative hobby and understandably do not keep accurate records. As you move your zine making from strictly hobby toward a more monetarily self-sufficient hobby it becomes important to audit your zine situation in order to accurately describe where you are and help you make decisions that reflect your future goals. An audit is simply a realistic examination and description of your current zine situation.

How much does it cost to photocopy one zine?
How much does shipping cost per zine? (domestic and international)
How much are your selling platform fees? (etsy fees, paypal fees)

How many copies of your last issue did you produce?
How many copies do you currently have in stock?
How many did you trade? What was the cost of trading?
How many did you give away?
How many did you sell?

Are you breaking even on your zine production costs?
Are you breaking even on your zine distribution costs?
How can you reduce zine related costs?

The Definition of Success
It is beneficial to have a clear view and definition of what a 'successful zine' is for you. Have you had 'write a zine' on your to-do list for years? Then just finishing is a success! Do you frequently release zines and want to up your game? Sending zines to review sites might be the definition of success.

I define success in terms of the things I can control.
I can control the quality and content of the zine I release.
I can control the methods and frequency of self-promotion.

I cannot control how many zines are purchased.
I cannot control how my zine is received.

It can be difficult to determine what a 'popular' zine topic will be but my zine making endeavours are about more than sales. I enjoy the research and creativity of zine making. For example, I recently released 'Winged Snail Naturalists' Society: Birder Beginnings' which motivated and inspired me to learn about birding which has been on my 'to-do' list for years. The personal consequences of releasing that zine is my continued interest in local birds - and that zine was a success even if I did not sell many copies!

'Winged Snail Naturalists' Society: Birder Beginnings'

Seed Purchases

It is easy to overspend on seeds as each package is only a few dollars and you have to purchase a certain amount to justify the shipping costs. Here are a few ways I keep my seed spending under control.

1. Limit the number of seed catalogues. If you do not like the selection of seeds, the business practices, the customer service or the germination rate from one company stop getting that seed catalogue. It will reduce temptation and help you spend your seed money wisely.

2. Save seeds. While seed saving from some plants are more difficult there are plenty of easy seeds to save. Seed saving will eventually result in plants that are ideal for your micro climate, save you money, and you will be able to trade with others for different varietals.

3. Make a plan. Before I even crack into a seed catalogue I have a list of the seeds I saved and have left from the previous year as well as a plan regarding new varietals and new plants I want to try for the upcoming year. This plan includes broad garden goals such as 'some plants for dye' and 'some plants that are unique and catch my eye'. This ensures that I purchase required seeds and limits my need to make just one more seed order and simultaneously allows for spontaneous experimental purchases.

4. Order from a set number of companies. I always make a large purchase from Heritage Harvest because it is a small Manitoba company that I love supporting. Limiting the number of orders I make ensures that I plan my purchases and minimises the cost of shipping small lots.