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Urban Homestead Facts
LOCATION
Pasadena, CA
(Northwest Pasadena, one mile from downtown Pasadena)
PROPERTY SIZE
1/5 acre (66' x 132' / 8,712 sq.ft.)
GARDEN SIZE
~ 1/10 acre (3,900 sq.ft. / ~ 66' x 66')
GARDEN DIVERSITY
Over 350 different vegetables, herbs, fruits, berries
FOOD PRODUCED
6,000 lbs annually
challenging for 10,000 lbs in 2008 (read more)
URBAN HOMESTEAD SUPPORTS
4 full-time adults, volunteers, and many clients
ENERGY USAGE
6.5 kwh day (and going down!)
SOLAR POWER PRODUCED
9000 kwh ( as of 10/20/08)
GALLONS OF BIODIESEL MADE (since 2003)
1,500 gallons (as of 2/12/08)
"EARTH IMPACT FOOTPRINT" 5.2 acres per person
Tally Ho 2008
PRODUCE
4,340 lbs (9/31/08)
EGGS
Chicken 921 & Duck 1028 (10/22/08)
HONEY
25 lbs (10/20/08)
Steps Taken
Everyday Steps
Growing 99 % of produce
- 6,000lbs on 1/10 acre
Food Preservation/Storage:
- canning
- drying
- freezing
In the Kitchen:
- baking/cooking from
scratch
- yogurtmaking
- breadmaking
- cheesemaking
- sprouting
- cast iron cookware
- no dishwasher or
microwave
Food Choices:
- buying in bulk
- organic
- local
- eating seasonaly
- reducing "food miles"
- fair trade
- vegetarian(over 17 years)
Raising Small Farmstock:
- chickens (eggs/manure)
- ducks (eggs/manure)
- dwarf rabbits (manure)
- dwarf/pygmy goats
(milk/manure)
Composting Methods:
- making/using EM Bokashi
- vermicomposting
- composting food, garden
and green waste
Fuel:
- homebrewing biodiesel
- running diesel car on
biodiesel(~4,000 miles a yr)
Energy Conservation:
- "powering down"
- cut daily energy use in 1/2
12 kwh to 6 kwh a day
- 12 solar panels
- "green" power
- rechargeable batteries
- line drying clothes
Energy Efficient Appliances:
- washing machine
- refridgerator
- water heater(gas)
Energy Efficient Electronics:
- computer/printer/copier
- TV(no cable)/VCR/ DVD
Energy Efficient Lighting:
- compact fluorescent bulbs
- olive oil lamps
- oil lamps filled with
biodiesel
- homemade soy & beeswax
candles
- daylighting
- solar tube
Non-electrical Appliances /
Hand-powered
- blender
- toaster
- grinder(s)
- popcorn popper
- solar oven(s)
- hand washer/wringer
- pedal powered grain mill
- straight razor
- handcranked radio
- mortar & pestle
Natural beauty/no makeup
Homemade Non-toxic
Beauty Care Products
- toothpaste
- deoderant
Biodegrable/Non-toxic
Cleaning Products:
- vinegar
- baking soda
- lemon juice
Natural Health Practices:
- homeopathy
- herbal remedies
- prevention
Water Conservation Efforts:
- low flush toilets
- toilet lid sink
- reusing laundry water
- limit toilet flushings
- limit baths/showers
- mulching
- handwatering
- clay pot irrigation
- solar outdoor shower
- front load washer
- food not lawns
Hand powered garden tools:
- push mower
- broom, rake
- trowel, shovel
- hand clippers
Self-employed
Working at home:
- honey business
- produce/flower business
- craft business
Crafts & Skills:
- winemaking
- survival skills
- edible landscaping
- sewing
- leatherwork
- fiber arts
- animal husbandry
- holistic care
- tinctures
- carpentry
- plumbing
- building
- haircutting
- bicycle repairs
- soapmaking
- candlemaking
- herbs
- urban farming
- website design
- photography
- self publishing
- video & graphics
Living Simply:
- making use or do without
- bartering
- monthly shopping trips
- reduce, reuse & recycle
- second hand clothes
- salvage/thrift store
- consume less
Passive Cooling:
- no AC
- wood floors
- blinds
- windows
- screen doors
- edible forest
- "living" screens
- solar attic fan
Heating:
- no central heat
- woodstove that uses
scrap wood
- dress in layers
Walking the old paths:
- tithing
- day of rest
- stewardship
Saving seeds
Unschooling
Beekeeping
DIY Projects:
- solar oven
- cob oven
- solar outdoor shower
- depaved driveway/patio
- installed solar panels
- roofing
- sheds, etc
- animal enclosure, etc
- this website
- urban homesteading
Using canvas bags on
shopping trips / no plastic
Transportation:
- biodiesel "veggie" vehicle
- 4 "car free" days a week
- walk
- bike
- carpool
- mass transit
- cross country train trips
- 2 airplane trips in 25 years
"Green" Home Upgrades:
- metal roof
Outreach/helping others
along the path
CURRENT TRAILS
Growing 10k on 1/10
Rainwater
Waste water recovery
Support
We Support
« SUMMER’S WINDING DOWN | Main | ODDS & ENDS »
August 16, 2005
Cob-rocket oven
Here’s a brief anatomy of the cob-rocket stove to give you an idea how the oven functions.
Q. How long does it take to heat to cooking temp?
A. Thanks for the question. Brad, it takes about 2-3 hours to reach over 350 degrees.
Q. Is it hard to maintain a consistent temperature?
A. No, it’s well insulated and can maintain a constant temp for a few hours.
Q. Do you use any kind of bellows to help with this?
A. No. The scrap/salvaged wood is placed in the chamber below the oven. The metal drum (which is located in the “bottom of the oven” surrounded by the outer layer of cob) is where we put the wood in to fire up the oven. The heat/smoke is then drawn up to the top of the oven (cooking chamber) through the air chambers along the perimeter of the oven. The hot air circulates around the oven top and eventually leaves through the top pipe (not shown in photo). Once the fire has died down, the pipe is removed and the oven capped with a terra cotta pot filled with clay so there is no heat escaping.
Q. Be interesting to see a picture of the “firebox,” maybe from the back.
A. Here’s a picture of the oven (sans the last coat of plaster).
EAT WHAT WE GROW
Q. I would love to see more of the food that you cook for your family because you often mention that you eat what you grow. A regular piece or two would be so nice.
A. Debra, thanks for the comment. Here’s a sampling of our daily summer meals.
Sun - Fri / Breakfast: granola (usually homemade), oatmeal or yogurt with our strawberries, apples, peaches or other fruit from the garden
or homemade peach bread with yogurt
Saturday Brunch: pancakes with fruit from garden or duck egg omelets with fresh vegetables.
Sun-Fri / Lunch: vegetable soup with bread/crackers, or steamed vegetables with rice, or seasonable/stir-fried vegetable dish with bread, rice or pasta. Accompanied by a green or Greek salad from the garden
Sun-Fri / Dinner: leftovers with salad or pizza with fresh vegetable toppings or tomato & cucumber sandwich
Sat Dinner: homemade flour tortillas and Spanish rice with peppers, tomatoes and homemade salsa.
Dessert: we Belgians have a weakness for chocolate so a piece after a meal is regular; otherwise, we eat something homemade like a fruit dessert or fruit bowl made with whatever fruit available in the garden.
As for yesterday:
Breakfast: yogurt and peaches topped with granola
Lunch: duck egg omelet with peppers and tomatoes and cheese
Dinner: our first avocados with sliced tomatoes on toast
Dessert: homemade peach bars, piece of chocolate
Topics: Earthen (Cob) Oven, Homegrown Diet, Posts by Anais |
RELATED POSTS:
PATH TO FREEDOM
PEDDLER'S WAGON
FREEDOM GARDENS
"LITTLE HOMESTEAD"
DERVAES GARDENS
URBAN HOMESTEADING
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(3 votes)
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August 16th, 2005 at 5:29 pm
You meals sound wonderful. I have to admit I have a serious weakness for homemade tortillas and fresh avacados. Unfortunatly, I have been assured that they will absolutely not grow here. Oh well, I am happy to take some from sunny CA.
August 19th, 2005 at 8:04 am
Hallo,
I have recently bumped into your journal. It is my dream to live in such a place and grow my own food. As can be seen, you have accomplished many steps.Good luck and nice to meet you.
Love,
Isil
September 8th, 2005 at 6:28 pm
I bumped into your web site and really liked your cob rocket stove. Is there plans on how to build this? I would like to build one in my back yard.
Rich
September 14th, 2005 at 9:02 am
Hi Rich
Thanks for your comments. The guy who helped mentor us in building this rocket-cob stove is trying to get his notes together so we can publish the instructions on the PTF site. Stay tuned!
Anais