Nursery Hours, Challenges, and Carbon Budgets

The Good News: the nursery schedule is sorted out for the spring season… sort of.

Details: We will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-2pm starting this weekend and then the following weekends…EXCEPT we are closed on Saturday March 21st and Sunday April 26th.
Private Appointments:  Feel free to make private appointments for purchasing plants.  emails: ann at eco-sense.ca  or gord at eco-sense.ca

Small autumn olive plants. Nitrogen fixing AND berry producing. YUMMY

Inventory List with Prices (all prices include GST):  Please check this list or send us an email to ask if we have the plants you are looking for.  Every week we will be adding new plants to inventory. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j-GtX_ufCTWu8muXbCjqAYfc-cIP7WKl/view

The Bad News:  Our inventory list is smaller than normal due to supply issues. It’s getting harder to source plants, seeds, and cuttings.  There are a number of reasons for this including increasing demand (scarcity), crop failures, and shortages of cheap labour.

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It has been a wild year in the propagation business.  It started when we placed our order  from our supplier in Oregon 2 months early and then learned in September 70% could not be filled – not enough staff, and less each year.  Then Gord, who volunteers for the BC Fruit Testers Association (he’s the president of the BCFTA) found out the stautus of the 6000 rootstock order placed a year in advance – and there were dramatic shortages in the industry.  A few weeks ago in discussions with a local agricultural supplier in the region, we found that their seed orders (the same orders they place year after year) could not be filled as the supplier had sold out to a big box store.  To add to this, just this week in discussion with one of the largest nursery wholesalers in the US, they explained that their seed order for their propagation was non-existant because of crop failures the previous year.

Oca tubers now available. In a few weeks we will have little OCA plants for sale.

Added to this news was the changes at CFIA that have pretty much shut down the import of scionwood for grafting out of the specialty suppliers who have been able to supply certified wood for years.   So, all that almond rootstock we had on order has been cancelled because there is no box to tick despite the supplier of choice who works with the University of Kentucky to inspect, fumigate and provide the Phytosanitary certificates required.  I must say that though CFIA plays an important role, their newest processes are killing specialty propagators.

The Good News:  We are focussing on more of what we can start from seed, propagate from cuttings, or graft.  But with root stock in poor supply even this is difficult.

A few Ozette potatoes for sale

Gord’s work with the wild growing Myrobalan plum-cross rootstock is doing well,  and we really appreciate our hard working co-workers (the birds) for starting so many rootstocks.   But the question is now, how can we get them to plant more?   Perhaps last years visits by the local bear will sprout new surprises.

Ann doing her impression of a tree-hugger – kissing our Heartnut Walnut trees

Some inventory Highlights:  NUT TREES (walnuts, chestnuts, yellowhorn, hazelnuts), perennial vegetables, tubers (oca, ozette, ground nut), large red current bushes, 1 very large lemon tree, 1 large olive tree, FRUIT TREES (apple, plum, pear, fig, etc), BERRIES.

Living Fences can be grown that fix nitrogen, attract pollinators, build soil carbon, and are beautiful.  We have the fast growing beautiful Black locust and honey locust for this purpose.

Carbon Budgets:  We recently gave a presentation to our community on Carbon Budgets…What it means and What we can do.  Here is the link to a PDF of the slides…sorry the animation doesn’t work in this format. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Btphdg7GrIt_gIczZKcI53Kz_u7Z-rbl/view Notes on this presentation:   1. DOH refers to the District of Highlands.  2. the pie charts for individual GHGs are not complete as they only have a few sources and omit items like home energy use or stuff like clothing…which of course is all part of our live presentation.  (comments like naked and freezing in the dark).

Ann chairing the council meeting in Highlands historic schoolhouse.

Ann was acting Mayor and chaired a council meeting a few days ago.  Kind of fun after I got over the initial fear.  Gord said I did well, but he’s probably bias.  Part of my role was to give the First Nations Territorial Acknowledgment. Gord and I wrote it together.

“I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional territories of the SENĆOŦEN, Malchosen, Lkwungen, and T’Sou-ke speaking peoples.

For 1000’s of years, First Nation Peoples have WORKED TOGETHER to steward the lands for the WELL-BEING of all LIFE and SPIRIT. Settlers have lived here for less than 200 years.

And finally, a few links:

• The best info we’ve seen on the coronavirus:  https://medium.com/@amwren/forget-about-the-death-rate-this-is-why-you-should-be-worried-about-the-coronavirus-890fbf9c4de6
• Excellent letter by Greta and other young people on Carbon Budgets.  https://www.carbonbrief.org/climate-strikers-open-letter-to-eu-leaders-on-why-their-new-climate-law-is-surrender?fbclid=IwAR0bj03ddHkMtOE1H-6SQMKWeRZ4H3QKAJnfWdWsxj3_lIMkcoOibGnJMl8
• Coronavirus (Covid-19) good for reducing GHGs. https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/covid-19-coronavirus-climate-carbon-emissions-china-economy-1.5477466?fbclid=IwAR2AItpTGfOhjPSCN9ZIKeLQJozUrNKLEzRvDRtmd3B4d6B0m8B9E66IBWc