Little mags we like

Occasionally, we like to promote magazines and independent magazine publishers that, while well known locally, or regionally, don't travel well (or at least their reputation doesn't).

DvL Publishing of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, is a remarkable success story. Grown over 30 years, it now publishes five titles: Rural Delivery (the flagship); Atlantic Forestry; Horse & Pony; Atlantic Beef; and Pets Atlantic. All in all, a tidy little Mom and Pop operation; the Pop is Dirk van Loon (pronouced loan) who does most everything and is editor of every one and the Mom is his wife Anne, who handles advertising sales and administration.

Rural Delivery is published 10 times a year and has been for 28 years; it's so old-fashioned, it's hip, a reminder of the old Whole Earth Catalogue. It's full of homespun advice, celebrations of bygone arts such as scything, letters, useful advertising, occasional fulminations by the Editor about all sorts of topics. Regular features include farming, gardening, cooking, preserving, the natural world and country life in general. From the original magazine were spun off the other titles as needs became apparent. Dirk raises beef cattle, hence the beef magazine. He is interested in small scale forestry operations, hence the forestry magazine. And so on.

By all accounts, these little magazines are loved by their audiences, fill a real niche and make a living for the van Loons and their hard-working staff. What more could you ask for?