Eco-Sense | Regenerative Design: Water, Food, Energy, Lifestyle

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Eco-Sense Regenerative Design: Water, Food, Energy, Lifestyle Skip to content HomeAnn GordTechnical Policy Living Building Challenge How To Booklets ResearchPlants Farm Plant Price List Back Yard Plan Fruits and Berries Nitrogen Fixers Nuts and Edible Seeds Roots and Tubers The Tea Garden Useful Trees and ShrubsOur Services Rainwater Harvesting Courses and Workshops Presentations Consulting ServicesMedia Island Gals Videos Links MediaPurchase BooksCONTACTThe MUD room Older posts Last Chance Posted on May 21, 2021 | 2 comments

This post could be about the climate crisis: Time has run out to prevent a rise in global average temperature of 1.5 deg C and 2deg CBUT, still a small window to make things way less bad.

This post could also be about mass extinction, (the death of birth): But, still a small window if humanity got on board with re-wilding natureand our own minds.

This post could also be about the last chance to save old growth forestsespecially here on Vancouver Island. This could happenwe could stop the logging of the last intact watershed on southern Vancouver Island. People are getting arrested every day here. But no, thats not what this post is about, and if it was, would you continue reading?

This post is about the last chance in this spring season to take home some plants from the Eco-Sense Perennial Edible nursery. Remember, anything you plant now this late in the spring season needs to be well looked after with regular watering.

After the plants, we will talk about Goats, Living roof, Barn, and a COVID hair cut.

Heres whats left (that we would love to sell so we dont have to water all summer):

1 Firebrite Nectarine self fertile, grow under roof overhang.

1 Isaai Hardy kiwi self fertile

4 Jenny Fuzzy Kiwi self fertile

1 Korean Tea (2gal)

Some Pears in 5 gallon pots: Shinsenki 20th Century, DAnjou (winter), Moonglow

4 Thornless blackberry (Triple Crown in pots)

Blueberries (8 Northsky (low bush covered in setting fruit), 4 Northcountry (some flowers)

Currants: Black, Red, White (many with setting fruit)

2 Honey Queen Raspberries (in pots)

Walking onions

Ozette potatoes (tubers to plant)

A flat of Sweet potatoes (orange and white varieties). Must be planted in greenhouse or under a hoop tunnel. (20+plants)

Tall Blight resistant Hazelnuts

Tall Chestnuts

Horseradish

Inventory sheetnot totally up to date as its the end of the season. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j-GtX_ufCTWu8muXbCjqAYfc-cIP7WKl/view Lots of other items.

Heres how book an appointment this long weekend:

Send an email to ann@eco-sense.ca. We are only booking one appointment at a time from 10am-noon, 1pm-3pm Sat, Sun, Mon.

Yup, were getting goats very soon (2 girls, one in milk). Just need to finish the small goat barn with hay loft and the goat run with electric fence. Lots of recycled materials were used. We even found a use for that larger than life photo of us that was in the Royal BC Museum that doubled as our campaign sign in our first municipal election 7 years ago. Now its final resting place in the hay loft.

Anns garden chicken (Grunt) continues to spend time in the nursery and rides up and down the hill in the electric pick-up truck. Grunt even laid an egg during her commute to work one morning.

We have installed 7 more raised garden beds on our lower living roof. Main reason for this is to grow root veggies where there are NO voles. No goats either. We started each bed with a bale of haythat proved to be a very comfy place for a nap.

Gord and I got our first COVID shot last week. Gord posted on FB about the experiencea photo with the caption: All that remains of Ann after her covid shot.

To that Ann responded, Hahaha OMG Gord, I’m still here I just gave myself a hair cut.

Have a great weekend everyone, and by the way, Call John Horgan (our MLA and the Premier of BC) and tell him and his NDP Government to STOP LOGGING THE LAST OLD GROWTH FORESTS. His MLA number is: 250-391-2801. Premier contact is premier@gov.bc.ca or by phone at 1-250-387-1715.

Ann and Gord

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Posted in Eco-Sense Updates

A VERY quickpost Posted on April 16, 2021 | Leave a comment

Our Spring Nursery season has arrivedin much the same way as Covid. Always changing and with lots of surprises.

We have been busy propagating as fast as we can with Ann doing much of the Greenhouse propagation of cuttings and Gord doing all the grafting. Our stock will be quite good for next year. For this year we are actually doing quite welldespite supply chain issues. Sales have been brisk without even putting the word out in blog posts or on facebook.

Our big plant order of the larger trees and berry bushes has been delayed at least six times, cut, cut, and cut again. Then when the plants finally do arrive, they come in drips and drabs. Anyways, most have now arrivedthat is the 25% of what we originally ordered that could even be filled. Still waiting for the Korean tea, frost peach (all sold already), Nectarines, Honey Queen Raspberries, and Apache Thornless Blackberries.

So, what do we have? Check out our online inventory sheetits up to date. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j-GtX_ufCTWu8muXbCjqAYfc-cIP7WKl/view

Highlights:

Blight resistant HAZELNUTS. VERY, very large this year with prices ranging from $30-$130.

Plums, Pears, Asian Pears, Kiwis, Apples, Thornless blackberries, Chestnuts, Currants, Figs, Grapes, Perennial Veggies, Raspberries, and lots more. Great selection of healthy blueberries too!

A new addition to the nursery this year. A label makernot too exciting for most but for us, this is a game changer fo us. Easy to read, no fade labels. We also have a nursery chicken. She didnt fit in with the flock, (was abused by the rooster), so now she lives by herself in a coop by the house. We call her Grunt as she is always gruntingright out of the egg she was grunting. Shes a happy, curious, and easy to pick up chicken. She loves to ride the e-Bike to the nursery and most days spends many hours with us in the nursery just being a chicken.

Sad news: We had a young mink in our main chicken coop. Oddly it did not do the normal minky thing kill everything at once in a massive blood bath. Ann became aware of the fowl play when one chicken was found dead. We removed the poor chickens head and baited a trap. The next day she found another dead chicken Again the head was removed and another trap baited. Needless to say, we finally caught the mink after all the fowl play and evening head counts (attached and not). Its been years since we had a mink. The mink is now composting and will return to the land in 3 years.

How to buy plants:

Send an email to ann@eco-sense.ca and let me know what you are interested in.

All sales are by PRIVATE appointment and please wear a mask. We can set up an appointment to fit your schedule.

Payment can be by cheque, email payment, or cash. GST is included in all the pricing.

Thats it,

Ann and Gord

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Quick Update Spring NurseryDetails Posted on February 19, 2021 | 2 comments

Provincial Election: Its been many months since our last update. Both Gord and I went all out during the Provincial election with Gord running as a Green candidate in our riding of Langford Juan de FucaPremier John Horgans riding. To say it was an intense few weeks would be an understatement, but we learned so much and met many amazing peoplevirtually and a few in real life. Gord and the team did extremely well given the short time frames which means that half of his campaign expenses have been refunded to help the next Green candidate in this ridingmaybe even Gord again. The next campaign will have a huge head start with roughly $10,000 in the banklets just hope its not another snap election in a pandemic.

Pandemic Reality: Here on the home front we are doing surprisingly well. Everyday we express gratitude for all the little things that make our life fulfilling. Because our income comes from a variety of sources we have been able to adapt as things change. Our nursery business was lower last year as we sold out of many items, were busy with the election, and were not able to source plants due to COVID. However, Gords Rain Water design/installation work has picked up this winter and his services are very much in demand. Our small quarterly regular council cheques also help. We are so grateful that we have created a financially and emotionally resilient life where we can live well on a small income. Hard work + Good decisions + Luck + Privilege all helped!

Food: Our garden has fed us well this past year and we rarely go to the store. In fact for 5 years now we have not purchased fruit or veggies and we continue to increase our variety. We are currently eating fresh apples and kiwis, all kinds of dried, frozen, and preserved fruits and berries. Its now soup season with nourishing bowls of hearty rich soups with bone broths, beans, favas, dried veggies, squash, and root crops. SO GOOD. We are also eating lots of fresh salads, carrots, and fermented veggies. Then theres the pickled eggs. Delicious! Ive been making sourdough bread tooits the COVID trendy thing to do. Mine is made with our own sourdough yeast starter, and freshly ground 100% whole grain spelt flour. My loaves are NOT pretty, like all the photos everyone postsbut fantastic texture and flavour.

Grafted trees safe from bunnies

Spring Nursery Season: We have a relatively small inventory this year and judging by the number of emails we get daily, it will be a short spring seasononce we dig out of the snow. The nursery is still buried under a white blanket of wet snow. Thankfully, we did a quick inventory before the snow started to fly. Our fruit tree + berry bush order was more than cut in half due to increasing demand and decreasing supply. Our plant order is still a couple weeks away. The good news is that Gord has done quite a bit of fruit tree graftingthe bad news is that the bunnies are well fed. Additionally we have managed to propagate some plants and there are more comingjust waiting on the roots. So, all of this has been updated to our inventory list (even the plant order that hasnt arrived yet). Note that our prices include the GST. PLANT LIST

Cooped up in the snow

Nursery COVID Protocols: All nursery sales will be by appointment only. We will not be open for browsing in the nursery, (unless you are a bunny).  The best process will be to look at our inventory list, determine what you would like, and then send us an email. We could very well have some items not yet on our inventory list so feel free to ask. We can easily send you photos of plants and email your invoice. Your order will be pulled out and labeled with your name and we can set up a time for pick up. Payment can be by cheque at time of pick up or by email transfer. We prefer not to be handling cash. ann@eco-sense.ca or gord@eco-sense.ca.  Appointments can be made starting Feb 27th. 

Have fun in your gardens,

Ann and Gord

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Posted in Eco-Sense Updates

BIG NEWS: TheCauldron Posted on October 4, 2020 | 10 comments

A Message from Gord

The Eco-Sense cauldron is always bubbling, and you never really know what is brewing until you dive in. Well we just dove in. Know what we found? I’ll describe it. It smelled like smoke from Oregon and California, it looked like ravaged landscapes from old-growth logging in Fairy Creek near Port Renfrew, looked and sounded like a massive pit mine in the Highlands, and it felt like burning acid on community spirit. The final litmus test proved positive with a stain on democracy. Stirring that cauldron was a leader we are supposed to trust, easily mistaken for Hades, it looked like Horgan. 

Eight days ago I chose to stand as the BC Greens Candidate for Langford-Juan de Fuca in the Provincial Election. Yes, John Horgan, the premier of BC is my competition for a seat in the BC Legislature. 

Why did I choose to run?

It started three years ago with a phone call, “Gord, don’t hang up. Just hear me out. It’s Andrew.” I turned down that request from Andrew Weaver as my focus was on community issues that were paramount at that time. I was also in my first term as a councillor in the Highlands and still had much to learn. This time I did not get a call from Andrew — the call came from a few former NDP supporters asking me to run for the Greens. 

Gord hard at work on the pandemic campaign

Our region has resource extraction operations at opposite ends of the riding that were forced on both citizens and the forest ecosystems against their will. Sound familiar? One is extracting old growth trees from pristine and now extremely rare ecosystems. The other is logging intact forest and wetlands, blasting, and extracting rock atop an aquifer that serves as the entire community’s drinking water source, and as a bonus, is adjacent to one of the province’s most toxic contaminated sites. What could go wrong? These examples demonstrate a lack of representation from our MLA, and show a disregard for people, nature, communities, and democracy. 

Democracy does not look like government issuing an approval for a mine the same day it declared a pandemic state of emergency effectively quashing the council or citizens ability to meet, organize and respond. It does not look like a snap and unnecessary election triggered by a government that wants to avoid running on an unpopular spring budget next fall. It does not look like a government turning its back on collaboration and cooperation. Shame.

We are in a climate crisis, a health crisis, a toxic drug supply crisis, an inequality crisis, an economic crisis, a housing crisis, an ecological crisis, and more. It shows on the faces of people. All these crises are connected, and we must elect people who grasp how connected everything is, and then completely overhaul our approach. Tweaking policy is not going to do it. We have archaic legislation that doesn’t consider current environmental science, basic human rights, or climate change, not to mention Indigenous rights. This government clearly needs a physics lesson, forestry lesson, fisheries lesson, and a water lesson. And while we are at it, a lesson in democracy. 

Ann and I have been a living example, testing the theories of living a regenerative lifestyle, operating a resilient business, and have a track record like few others in Canada demonstrating what can be done. It is time for us to take on a new leadership role.

It’s not surprising that I am running as a Green candidate. My personal platform will have three main themes (each with lots of pieces not described here):

Strengthen Community Resilience . . . COVID is just a warm-up to what’s coming and has shown how vulnerable we all are.Building Climate Resilience within our economy and infrastructure while simultaneously solving other “problems.” Go deep . . . no Band-Aids. Everything is connected.Rebuild and protect democracy and trust where EVERYONE feels represented, including Indigenous peoples.

Campaign Lunch: Greek salad from the garden, home made feta, apple blackberry crumble.

Eco-Sense Blog: We will not be posting again on our personal blog for the duration of this campaign. Voting day is Oct 24. In the meantime, you can follow the adventures on Gord’s Facebook campaign page:  https://www.facebook.com/GordBairdLJDF/ There will be photos, stories, videos, and news as Gord Baird challenges John Horgan for the MLA seat in Langford-Juan de Fuca. The BC Green Party Candidate page has information on Gord’s campaign as well. https://www.bcgreens.ca/gord_baird

Eco-Sense business: Our nursery, consulting, rain-water design, presentations, everything . . . ON HOLD until after the election (20 days). 

Riding  E-Bikes into Langford to set up bank account and file election paper work

Highlands Council: Gord does not have to take a leave of absence during the short campaign . . . but may miss a meeting or two. 

Can Gord win this riding and become the next MLA in Langford-Juan de Fuca?
Initially we thought this riding would be hard to win, but after one week into this campaign, we have changed our opinion on this election. Gord could very well win this seat and leave John Horgan without a seat in the legislature.

Why did we change our mind?

1. Massive amount of positive feedback from a very wide range of citizens in our riding.
2. Donations coming in fast (this is essential)
3. We have assembled an amazing team of professional and experienced people to help run this campaign. 

Campaign Office

Feeling very grateful and inspired!

HELP: We need volunteers, donations, requests for lawn signs, testimonials, and help sharing the wordespecially if you live or know people in our riding of Langford-Juan de Fuca. (Highlands, Langford, Sooke, Port Renfrew, Jordan River, Otter Point, Shirley). 

Below is a list of how to provide any support you wish to share.

Want to volunteer?

Go to https://www.bcgreens.ca/gord_baird and sign up through the VOLUNTEER button

Share a testimonial? 

Email ann@eco-sense.ca

Request a lawn sign if you are in our riding?

Email votebaird@greenparty.bc.ca

Want to Donate (four ways)? 

NOTE – maximum BC campaign or party donation in one calendar year is $1,253.15 per person:

Online with credit card to BC Green Party Candidate site under Donate to Gord Baird. https://www.bcgreens.ca/donate_to_gord_bairdMust pay with credit card, but full amount still comes to Gord Baird Campaign account as a transferTax receipt issued by BC GreensCheque made out to Gord Baird Campaign” and if joint bank account, specify the name of person donating or both.Ann will look after your tax receipts at the end of the campaignCash. $100 limit and still need full name and address.E-Transfer donation to ann@eco-sense.caIn the comment line say something like “Donation to Gord Baird”Email Ann to pass along the security answer AND give full address AND full name of person donatingAnn will look after your tax receipts at the end of the campaign

Take care everyone, vote in the BC Election, and we will see you on the other side of this campaign.

Gord Baird, Green Party Candidate for Langford-Juan de Fuca

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Posted in Eco-Sense Updates

Tagged 2020 Campaign, Gord Baird, Green Party, Langford-Juan de Fuca

Whats left? Posted on April 30, 2020 | 2 comments

Whats left?  Well, it depends if you are talking about the economy, nature, oil, or our perennial plant nursery.  The answer could be the same for all no matter if you are an optimist or pessimist.

So much going on here and in the world its hard to keep track, but we are doing very well and enjoying life immensely.

The nursery has been steady all spring with lots of orders being picked up at our gate with never meeting the people.  But many sales still bring people one or two at a time and great conversations ensue with lots of physical distance.  In our circles, the pandemic has brought out the best in people.

Our plant stock is quite depleted which is good and bad.  The good is that we have less to water this summerthe bad is we have to tell people, sorry, sold out.

Walnut getting leaves

We are attempting to keep our inventory up to date, but there will be errors at this point in the season until we do a proper inventory. List here

Whats Left in the Nursery?  Here are some wonderful plants we do have for the last chance of the spring season in this week of cool and ideal planting conditions before summer.  Note that ALL sales are by private appointment or for pick up. email ann@eco-sense.ca for appointments.

NUTS: Lots of Walnuts, Chestnuts, and Yellowhorn in stock.  Heartnut Walnuts ($95) are large and well established. Chestnuts might produce in their first year but likely next.  Our various chestnuts ($75) are specially imported named varieties for their high productivity and large nuts. Our best food security tree.  The trees can be pruned for production and smaller size.  Both Walnuts and Chestnuts need at least two for pollination. Only a few blight resistant hazelnuts left. Send Gord an email for more information.  gord@eco-sense.ca

Lemon:  One really large lemon in stock.  Priced to sell at $150. (We had too many lemon trees at the front of the house and could not use all the fruit).

Pink Currents: If you already have red, black, and white, its time for a pink current.  Three in stock.

Large Pineapple Guava: Evergreen with spectacular flowers.  Need 2 to pollinate.  Winter hardy in a warmer spot once established.  Three in stock ($35-65)

Other Berries include sea berries, aronia, gooseberries, josta berry, grapes, goji, Szechuan peppers, and more.  Bare root thornless blackberries, and MORE.  See photos in gallery.

Fruit trees: Lots of various apples, just a few plums and pears left.  Some very nice asian pears including Chojuro and 20th Century.  Four types of figs.  Just a few fuzzy kiwis left.

Perennial Veggies and others:  Comfrey, perennial leek, walking onions, nodding onions, skirrett, Ground nut plants, OCA pots (small and large), globe artichoke (2 left), horseradish, 2 sea kale, 2 perennial kale, and more.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Whats Ann holding? See video below.

Raised garden beds: We continue to love these round, quick to build, inexpensive, raised garden beds that could last a lifetime. (see video).  One for sale.   $50.

Chicken set up on a small urban homestead:  Check out this awesome informative short video with our friends Taylor and Solara at Hatchet and Seed.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0v7xJKKWnQt=2sfbclid=IwAR3nRwI0iLu2qkGiPJKNPa-ussCJG1z0R306yZzRnCWrmGjnPxZviTP4SkY

Videos:  We took a few short videos this week.  Here they are:

Weird flat brassica plant:

Chocolate Lily:

Gord making very quick and inexpensive portable raised garden bed.

New Garden tool made from old saw blade:

And finally, a beautiful photo of chard from our garden.  We ate it all in one meal.  YUM.

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Posted in Eco-Sense Updates

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Our nursery is open during the COVID Pandemic, but we are taking special precautions.

First we are taking appointments for any day of the week.  Look at our list, email us questions  and orders.  We book one appointment per hour.  For those who want to look around in the nursery we request no more than two family members.

Thanks   Gord and Ann

Flickr Photos More Photos Plants at a Glance

Illinois Everbearing Mulberry;
Saijo Persimmon;
Ebbing's Silverberry;
Russian Tea (Camelia sinensis);
Echinacea purpurea;
Hops (Cascade, Sterling, Willamette);
Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas);
Paw Paw;
Sezchuan Pepper tree;
Figs;
Goumi;
Sea Berry (seabuck thorn);
Sweet Chestnut (3 species);
Currants (Black, Red, Pink, White);
Elderberry;
Walnuts (3 types);
Autumn Olive ( limited);
Hazelnuts - blight resistant (most sold out);
Siberian Ginseng;
Stone Pine (pine nut);
Yellowhorn (Chinese Macadamia)
Sweet Potatoe (3 varieties)
Raspberry - Honey Queen

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