“The life changing ideas of our world are formed by the insane beliefs of stubborn men and women, unwilling to conform to societies boundaries and have their genius shrouded by the tired ideas of others. Be different, be yourself. Change the world.”
- Eric Marshall, a good friend.
Live The Off-Grid Dream Course was created by the founders of Azhen Sanctuary.
With the help of renowned consultants for specialized knowledge & experience.
Indigenous Owned.
Jaymie and Shelby Friesen started with no money, no land, and poor credit. They used their business and construction experience, along with their passion for permaculture, to create a model that helps people “Live The Off-Grid Dream”.
They watched as people, some of them dear friends, made life-changing mistakes in their journeys…
Friends that didn’t know how to assess land, so they bought property and 5 years later it start flooding every year and now they can’t sell it.
Or folks that bought their first home on rural land but it burnt down in a forest fire the next year and insurance wouldn’t cover it.
Or people that spent their life savings building an amazing homestead and retreat centre, only to be shut down by the local governing body because they didn’t know how to communicate their vision.
This course isn’t only about how to get your vision off the ground… it also helps you protect it, and avoid the things you may not see coming.
The system helps you raise money, acquire land, maintain majority ownership, build on it, create an income, automate your cash flow, find food and water security, and invite caretakers or community in that help manage the tasks.
Essentially, living off the land… in a modern and efficient way.
Within 3 months Jaymie and Shelby used this system to buy 160 acres and a private mountain.
Just 7 months later they had Airbnb stays, a retreat centre and rental venue that generated $30k/month to pay the bills and for land development.
Here’s What Their Off-Grid Dream Looks Like…
One Of The Worlds Top Permaculture Demonstration Sites - In The Making
Permaculture is an approach to land management and design based on what is observed in flourishing natural ecosystems.
It can turn desert into oasis, bringing life back to the land for thousands of years after we’re gone.
It encompasses regenerative agriculture, earthworks, community living, and every way humans interact with the environment and each other.
Here’s our plan to live carbon negative, and give more than we take…
A network of dozens of ponds will hold over 100 million litres of water
In this desert alpine climate the majority of the water comes during only 4 months of the year, in the form of snow.
This will store it for year-round use and gravity feed gardens, orchard and one of the largest off-grid wildfire defence systems.
The water will build up subterraneanly to replenish aquifers and help bring seasonal springs back to life.
The ponds will be home to new aquatic ecosystems and food sources that grow 30x faster than land animals.
Growing stone fruits that would otherwise be impossible to grow here
This is made possible by the sun that will reflect off the ponds surface creating dozens of microclimates.
A passive solar greenhouse with an added geothermal system will produce leafy greens in -30 degree winters, or even grow bananas (yes, in BC, Canada).
Cows, sheep, goats, and chickens, properly grazed mimicking wild behaviours, will manage the pasture and regenerate the soil.
This year you’ll be able to stroll the rolling hills picking beyond organic heritage produce.
To defend from wildfire, the ponds will provide more pressure than a fire hydrant
At a good elevation they will gravity feed sprinkler systems along the most vulnerable sides of the land.
A new biodegradable fire suppressant that’s water soluble and made from mung beans will be tested in combination with the sprinklers.
Using traditional Indigenous methods like back-burning pasture area stimulates healthy regrowth and eliminates fuel for a wildfire.
Firebreaks will border the perimeter of Azhen’s 160 acre lot with a V-ditch to stop brush fire.
These breaks also act as a natural travel system for grazing animals to access other areas of the land.
Get To Know Jaymie
At 10 years old, Jaymie was sweeping floors on job sites and grew into building custom homes from the ground up with his dad and grandfather.
Though a valuable skill, it also lead him to see a trap in modern society – working a job you don’t like to pay off the student debt that got you there, and to afford the house you hardly spend time in; running through life unconsciously.
This made him dream of a better way to live, which was the basis of what has become Azhen Sanctuary, Jaymie and Shelby’s 160 acre off-grid home.
Business.
Jaymie’s most notable experience is operating a $60m telecommunications software business and founding Habitat Botanicals – a toxin-free bath & beauty brand with compostable packaging that was acquired by Pela in 2020. Though he has started several others including a cell phone customization business, landscaping company, clothing brand, and digital marketing agency. Jaymie’s most valuable skillsets are marketing and being a creative visionary.
Education.
Jaymie attended BCIT’s construction electrical program and continued his interests in Physics at the University of the Fraser Valley. He strongly believes in self-education and learning through experience and mentors. As such he’s an avid reader and loves to attend mastermind communities where he can level up, such as the Baby Bathwater Institute. Jaymie plans to build a curriculum for his future children of the many vital things the modern school systems fail to address.
Spirit.
Jaymie has always held a close connection to nature and spirit. Though he has strayed from it at times, life has a way of always bringing him back. It was his mothers wish to name him Wolf, representing guardianship and guidance, but family issues wouldn’t allow it. She’s tells stories of him speaking to spirits as a child. Jaymie has been led by intuition and by a vision from the Creator toward new possibilities for living in alignment with nature. This is the path he walks.
Get To Know Shelby
As a kid Shelby was shipped off every summer to work with his uncles. This was the beginning of his mastery of the metal trades and his talent for making you laugh until you cry… or just cry.
A mix of partying, crappy food, lots of sugar, and the normalization of an unhealthy lifestyle combusted into severe anxiety and depression in his early 20’s. Shelby was bed-ridden for months and couldn’t work for almost 2 years.
At first he thought he could walk into a doctor and get fixed up with a pill, as most of us have been led to believe. This was the opening of his Pandoras box when it came to understanding the many broken systems in society and why he started finding a better way to live.
Business.
Most notably Shelby started RYD Motorsports, a custom fabrication business with a focus on premium chassis and suspension parts for lifted trucks and race cars. It won multiple national awards and magazine covers for Shelby’s designs until it was acquired in 2020. His previous 10 years were spent on the construction of high-end $10-30m homes such as the Amanderu Estate, nominated for World’s Best Ski Chalet.
Education.
Shelby attended BCIT for boiler making after spending 10 years as a metal fabricator. He is a self-taught and award-winning mechanical and structural designer. Shelby studied under Nicolette Richer at Richer Health, renowned for curing chronic illness, for certification in wholefood nutrition. He also believes in self-study, is an avid reader and loves to attend mastermind communities where he can level up, such as the Baby Bathwater Institute.
Grit.
Shelby is a big believer in self-discipline in his daily habits, whether it’s food or fitness. He trains daily, running and biking, and swims as often as he can. When his half-Ironman was cancelled due to covid he pooled some people together and arranged his own, which he completed twice. After his health struggles he strives for optimal mind and body. His grit inspires those around him to live better and feel better through action.