Category Archives: Nursery

First the advertisement…then the blog post

Spring nursery season is open and ready for business.  Contact ann@Eco-Sense.ca to set up a private appointment.  Plant list is here:

It’s a perfect time to plant fruit trees, hazelnuts, and all kinds of berries…and potatoes (more about potatoes below). If you want to start planting edible beautiful gardens and don’t know where to start…why not contact Bethany at Garden Alchemist to help you plan.  Here’s her website:  https://www.gardenalchemist.ca

Story time

Gord and I are not very active on social media these days…we’ve been busy with so many good things happening…and even a new project we’ll mention later in this post. But once in a while we still post something.  Usually something funny, a farm animal (goats, Husky dog, cats, a fuzzy husband), fruit or veggies, or a 100% farm meal.  The algorithms reward us with a dopamine hit and some fun comments. When we post something serious (like climate or deep podcasts on system complexity) the algorithms are not kind and we observe very few engagements.  Here’s some examples.

Gord’s recent FB post with NO photo:

“Tonight’s discussion at dinner:  Ann says in a contemplative manner “Gord, I think we will become eccentric as we get older”. Gord looks over at Ann with a quizzical look over top of his glasses and says “No shit Sherlock. We live in a mud house, shit in a bucket and have more than two goats”.  Ann responds…oh…and I guess it doesn’t help that two of the goats are pregnant.  Lots of comments followed that agreed that our eccentricity is a present tense. Result: 120 likes

Ann’s recent FB post with photo of salad greens and homemade cider:

I really had to forage for our salad tonight. Not much out there right now… especially after yesterday’s snow. Finding the apple blackberry cider was much easier. Result: 55 likes

Then there was the video of Gord chopping wood and flirting with Ann. (No chest hairs were harmed in this video). Result: 60 likes

 

We also posted this upcoming course by Bethany, our friend and farm helper: Sadly, the algorithms were not kind with only 6 likes

“Permaculture for Ornamental Gardeners” online course on Saturday March 2.  https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/permaculture-for-ornamental-gardeners-tickets-793813817497?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwAR3R2OuNUd2ifd4m8RCqUE4Z2gPiYiZmD69DW7PVfuJWRyclSOZZyxK_abY

It’s no surprise that people love fun stories more than graphs of rising CO2 but the algorithms sure don’t help.

So, what do all these items have in common?  Happiness and potatoes!  Here’s the story.

Last year, Bethany started volunteering here every week and it didn’t take long for us all to become besties.  We are learning as much from Bethany as she is from us. There’s no end to her desire and capacity to learn, her innumerable skills, and her deep love for nature.  She is well suited to live here and amplify the joy and care of this permaculture homestead.

Bethany helps ID Plants

Bethany played with AI to create image

Learning to make cheese

Permaculture delicacies

Expert Kombucha maker (Tea plant in flower)

Helps process roosters to cook in cob oven

helps take goats for a walk

Helps eat real food

learning to milk goats

 

Potatoes: So let’s bring this all together.  We face accelerating climate disruption where tipping points are occurring at all levels.  We are living through what Nate Hagens calls the great simplification…we don’t know exactly how this will play out and in what time frames but all one has to do is listen to the news to know everything is unraveling.  (Ann copes with bad news by planting potatoes – we have a LOT of potatoes).  We are lucky, privileged, and hard working (and well fed with potatoes)…but this doesn’t explain our enthusiasm for life (and potatoes) and our sense of well being. Why are we so damned happy?

We are having so much fun building resilience, laughing at ourselves and this crazy world, learning more skills, mulching, composting, sweating, looking after plants, growing food, milking goats, eating cheese and yogurt, creating beauty, and enjoying homemade berry and apple ciders.  And since Bethany loves milk (and potatoes) as much as Gord we are expanding our small herd to become crazy goat people.

The BIG NEWS.  We have begun planning for Bethany to live here on this land with us are are building her a new small home by the pond…and yes, there will be MUD involved…and more potatoes…and more goats…and more fun…and more love.

Stay tuned,

Ann and Gord