PATH TO FREEDOM
PEDDLER'S WAGON
FREEDOM GARDENS
"LITTLE HOMESTEAD"
DERVAES GARDENS
URBAN HOMESTEADING
Entries (RSS)
November 20, 2009
Q & A with Farmer D
1. Where do you think the immediate opportunities lie for making progress in localizing the US food system?
For over 20 years, I’ve been gardening in the city; but, since 1999 I’ve been growing food “for real” in my own backyard. The most immediate opportunities for making progress always lie right in one’s immediate sphere of personal action—as close as outside one’s door. It’s a return to a lifestyle that existed in the past where things were small and slow and sensible. Progress starts with envisioning a new (yet old) lifestyle with the home as central to all aspects of life—work and leisure, food and energy. So, real progress means bringing the economy, beginning with the food economy, home again.
2. What do you see as the biggest challenges today?
One of the biggest challenges in this or any age is to stick with the necessary changes we need to make and hold fast to the end. As important as beginnings are, the real test is in reaching the finish line, which requires perseverance for the long haul. Because we tend to turn things over to others—experts—we lose the opportunity to develop true self-sufficiency. Through growing our food, along with other homesteading practices, we gain invaluable experience and the true rewards of doing-it-yourself. Going forward, we have to be willing to get past the idea stage and individually sweat the details, adjusting to unforeseen difficulties, and, above all, never quitting.
3. What’s the most rewarding part of the work that you do?
Attending Nature’s classroom almost every day and passing the prerequisite lessons, I am rewarded directly by the food brought to my family’s table. Because of where and how the produce is grown (in the backyard, organically), I have the satisfaction of knowing that it is good for us and for the planet, as well. Another reward comes from sharing this path to food security with others by spreading the harvest news via my family’s websites.
4. Anything else that you’d like to add?
Although green is popular today, it is easy, in our euphoria, to believe that things are getting better. But, with popularity comes superficiality. Therefore, it is necessary to get past the first flush of trendiness and search out deeper green steps. This will require the discernment of seeing beyond easy, quick, hip actions and the courage to work toward serious, long-term solutions. The real change the world needs can only come about through personal sacrifice.
Homebased, Homegrown, Homemaking
There’s a lot of stuff (books, articles, sites) now these days on urban homesteading - growing food, solar cooking, raising chickens, canning, etc.
Not only does urban homesteading involve all those self reliant aspects but one can over look the root word. “Home.” (see Farmer D’s references above)
Too often we are so busy going hither and tither but never really looking at the world closer to home. Do you know that the backyard is one of the most underutilized spaces in America and we all know that the front yard lawn is just plain wasteful. Not to mention the hours we spend stuck on freeways - what’s the point to this madness?
What Would the Ingalls Do?
Our pioneer peers understood about home. Heck, at times they were stuck days on end at home either because of weather (like in the Long Winter) or because they were miles from their nearest neighbors. How is that they were content with place and people?
We often wonder could our little urban homestead stand on its own. It’s not that we want to be isolated; this journey is all about community but sometimes community can be a crutch. Can we as individuals stand on our own two feet if we have to?
OK, nuff on the serious side.
How are you/your family pioneering a path backwards to a simpler, back to basics life?
What practical “Ingallisms” do you practice or live by in this modern age? If you post your online conversation about this topic, don’t forget to link to your post via the comment box below.
What are you doing to turning your home into a home-stead?
(3 votes)
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Filed under: Homestead Life, Posts by Anais |
Tags: homesteading, Urban Homestead, urban homesteading
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November 19, 2009
In their latest issue they feature a slew of urban farming efforts - including our urban micro farm!
Here’s what Farmer D had to say:
Individual Residences
Examples of the use of individual residences for suburban agricultural use can be found in Pasadena California, and Boulder, Colorado.
Path to Freedom Since 1985, Jules Dervaes and his three adult children have gradually transformed their 8,700- square-foot (800 sq.m) Pasadena property, which includes a 1917 craftsman bungalow, into a bountiful suburban homestead.
Its central feature is a 4,300-square-foot (400 sq.m) organic garden containing more than 350 varieties of edible and useful plants and producing more than 6,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables annually. The garden is a testament to Dervaes’s belief that small properties can be used efficiently to “produce in every way possible.“ For example, he continues, “A fence line is not just a marker of privacy, but an opportunity to grow peas and beans.”
The expansive garden, however, is just one illustration of the Dervaes’s holistic approach to independent living in a suburban environment. The Dervaes family also raises chickens, goats, and goats, not just to provide eggs and potentially milk, but also to manage the garden waste. The animals eat leftover greens and, in turn, supply fertilizer for the garden. The family’s home features technological elements, including solar panels, energy efficient appliances, and biodiesel processor, to decrease reliance on nonrenewable energy resources. And the Dervaeses purchased these and other items with money made from the sale of homegrown, specialty salad greens to local restaurants.
While the Dervaeses move toward self-sufficiency, they recognize the importance of community and interdependence. The homestead adapts well to its context, and the frontyard landscaping is a carefully considered blend of herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers that provides visual appeal and continuity with the surrounding single-family homes. “I give a nod to the city lifestyle and then try to change people’s minds about the responsible use of the land,” acknowledges Dervaes.
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With trends, like with urban homesteading, sometimes people get carried away and forget the basic principle or the golden rule - “being a good neighbor” So Farmer D’s simple advice to ask yourself before taking the plunge is “would I like to live next to me” If you can answer with a positive ” YES” then you know you are on the right track of not only being an urban homesteader but a responsible citizen and neighbor.
More musings on being a good urban homesteader coming up….
(4 votes)
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Filed under: PTF Spotlights, Posts by Anais, Urban Farming |
Tags: farmer d, urban farm, urban farming
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November 19, 2009
The menagerie of animals that live here on the urban homestead provides us with countless hours of entertainment and free “therapy” - bringing smiles to our sometimes stressed brows.
Here’s Lucie (aka Lucie Goosey) digging her way to China (well, grubs or bugs more likely)
Diggity dig!
Estella, seeing Lucie’s hole is bigger, stops her digging and comes over to it out
One of the ducks wants in on the action
Did you find anything?
Sheesh, just look at that soil - it’s next year’s garden (two times a year we scoop up the black gold and it goes to our 50 plus raised beds and umpteen self watering containers)
Our chickens, ducks and goats play a vital role here at the urban homestead. They are soil builders!
We got our chickens back in 2002 and they’ve been an integral part of the urban homestead ever since. The following years we added rabbits, ducks and goats to the menagerie (oh, and not to mention a few thousand feral bees and worms to the mix).
Speaking of chickens, here’s an article that sheds a somewhat interesting light on the recent chicken craze. Although we don’t particularly agree with all that she says, we have the same concerns over this latest fad. When it comes to the countenance of an animal, we believe animals are a product of their environment; however, when those on the “trendmill” wind up with more than they bargained for, we agree.
Here at LTITC we’ve been saying something similar for some time. Having a barnyard in your backyard ties to you to the land - meaning less vacations, less spur of the moment “let’s leave for the weekend” or staying out too late and forgetting to lock the girls in. Countless times, we’ve heard tales of of mass slaughter because of this neglect.
Besides dealing with the waste issue (which is a blessing for us urban farmers– we’ve stepped in enough chicken crap; believe me, it’s part of the life), here, in the city, it’s a matter of dealing and caring for your animals when they get sick.
We, too, like the article states, don’t want chickens, ducks, rabbits and,now, goats to go the way of the dalmatian or pot belly pig when hundreds. if not thousands, were dumped onto local shelters.
What we like to tell folks- before they run out and get a few cute chicks or kids - is do your research first. No, seriously, you wouldn’t believe how many times we’ve heard from people who ran out to buy chicks and then call us asking “what do we do now!” Asking them questions, we find out they have no brooder, no waterer, no mash - nothing- just the chicks. “Oh dear,” we think to ourselves and hope that these chickens have a chance and not end up dead or disowned.
You are not just going to be a chicken or goat haver but a keeper; and a keeper’s job comes with a slew of advantages and disadvantages. Too often articles just focus on the lighter side of these urban homesteading trends but really don’t get down the nitty gritty of what it’s actually like.
Unlike dogs or cats, when chickens get sick, you may not be able to rush them to the vet so you will have to have the know how and have the courage to treat sick, injured animals. Read up on what could go wrong even if there’s nothing wrong with your animals. Because, sometimes, there’s a brief window to help your animal when it gets sick and you don’t want to be running to the internet or bookshelf at such a critical time.
Get to know your animals and if you sense something is off with one of them - then look into it asap. Don’t wait or brush it off. A good time to “get to know your animals” is at feeding times. Note routine or behavioral changes. Look for animals that are standing off to themselves, not eating or drinking. This is a good sign to tell you that the animal is not well. Make this a habit and you won’t believe how your senses will be trained and honed. Senses that are in this modern world dulled into numbness.
So, if you don’t mind the good and bad that comes with raising chickens (or any animals/insect for that matter) in the city, and know what you are getting into, then get a few chickens because they are worth it. Not only do they provide you with amazing eggs, hours of entertainment and great fertilizer but they also teach us to be responsible stewards of not only the earth but the creatures that inhabit this great green planet of ours.
(8 votes)
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Filed under: Bees, Chickens, Citified Farm Animals, Ducks, Goats, Posts by Anais, Rabbits |
Tags: Chickens, chickens in the city, the urban homestead, Urban Homestead
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November 18, 2009
The Jr High School “Harvest Homesteaders” canathon finished up today.
This time around we made up a batch of peach jam and spiced apple sauce.
Peeling and cutting the apples. I told the girls they should get extra credit for peeling and chopping the apples with an eco-plastic knives!
One piece for the pot, one piece for me, one for the pot….
Mashing the peaches then putting the peach jam into sterilized jars.
Out come the peach jam from their water bath. Next round is the apple sauce.
Yesterday’s batch of strawberry jam gets some trimmings which read “Happy Holidays! Homemade from Westridge School”
Apple sauce and peach jam. They jars will get nifty trimmings tomorrow and then off the jars go to a local food bank
The girls proudly show off their work.
Group shot with the girls and their teacher.
All in all a good time and a good day’s work. The local food bank is going to be surprised and what a joy it will be for these girls to give such a homemade blessing.
(4 votes)
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Filed under: Back to Basics, Harvest Keeper, Posts by Anais, Skills & Crafts, Storage & Preservation |
Tags: canning, Preservation, school
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November 18, 2009
Check out these two events in which the urban homesteaders will be a part of
And the other on Saturday Nov 21 GREEN SCREENS FILM FESTIVAL screens HomeGrown Revolution with a Q &A session afterwards.
See you there!
ATTENTION!
Our monthly FILM & FOOD NITE scheduled for Sun Nov 22 has been canceled due to the low amount of reservations.
After nearly two years of hosting these events, not sure why such low reservations - could have something to do with the economy, time of year, concern over the flu, or our new reservation form. Still scratching our heads over this one! Oh well…..
Actually some people thought we raised the price which is NOT true. The cost is STILL $10 (always been $10) but we added a sliding scale to $15 for those who may be able to afford a little more. Why? As of September the facility rental has been increased so we added sliding scale option but DID NOT raise the cost. Hope that clears up any confusion!
Hopefully interest will be better next month - looking at hosting one on Dec 13th.
HEADS UPS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
The calendar is shaping up that we’ll be making THREE appearances in the Northern California area in mid January.
Stay tuned for details.
(2 votes)
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Filed under: Events & Outreach, Low Impact Living, PTF Spotlights, Posts by Anais |
Tags: event, events, homegrow, homegrown, homegrown revolution
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