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The Urban Homesteaders

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In Memory

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

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« ONE STEP AT A TIME | Main | FAZ Article Continued…. »

100 FOOT DIET - “Growing a ‘100 feet’ closer to home” - Jules Dervaes

June 22, 2007




Summer’s bounty
Q & A - Diet

Hello! I am a huge fan of your site and project. I think it’s a really wonderful and inspiring thing you are all doing. I was wondering if you have a list of all the plants that you grow for food. I think it would be great if you kept track of all your meals and snacks for a week and posted it on the site somewhere. I just can’t imagine coming up with enough meals based on the plants that I see you growing. I’m sure there are many more than I have any idea of so I was hoping you’d share.Thanks so much, and keep it up!KR

Thank you KR, for your email positive comments and question. Documenting what we grow and eat to share with our readers has always been in the back of our minds, something that we should really do more of especially since the recent Locavore and 100 mile diet craze.   It’s always interesting to us when we come across a new green or eco craze and think to ones self  “sheesh, I’ve/we’ve been doing that for years/all my life”
Now is the time of year when our diets primarily consists of what grows in our backyard.
Here’s a menu of what we ate this week (note “HG” stands for “homegrown”:
 

SATURDAY

B - homemade w.w. pancakes (made with HG duck eggs) served with home-canned fruit or homegrown fresh fruit

D - homemade spanish rice and flour tortillas topped with HG peppers, tomatoes, cilantro

SUNDAY

B - homemade granola topped with HG ripe fruit

L - leftovers from Sat dinner

D - HG grape leaves (prepared in brine solution a few weeks earlier) stuffed with rice that contains HG peppers & tomatoes served with HG green bean salad

MONDAY

B - same / topped with any HG ripe fruit

L - creamed HG swiss chard served on top of rice with homemade bread

D - leftovers

TUESDAY

B - same / topped with any HG ripe fruit

L - vegetable soup made with HG winter squash & fresh summer veggies from the garden

D - leftovers served on top rice

WEDNESDAY

B - same / topped with any HG ripe fruit

L - veg soup leftovers

D - greek salad included HG cucumbers, onion greens, tomatoes, sweet basil served with steamed HG green beans with rice

THURSDAY

B - same / topped with any HG ripe fruit

L - HG potatoes, kale, broccoli served with lemon butter (made with lemons from next door neighbors tree and HG chives) served over rice

D - leftover potato/veg dish with HG salad (greens, peppers, tomatoes)

FRIDAY

B - same / topped with any HG ripe fruit

L - HG vegetables (peppers & broccoli) with raw cheese sauce served on top of pasta with steamed HG beans

D - w.w. spaghetti served with homemade & HG tomato/basil sauce with HG garden salad served with homemade bread

Snacks - we try to avoid snacking but if we do, there’s nuts or dried cranberry and raisins in the pantry or a slice of raw cheese to satisfy the nibbles.

Desserts - piece of chocolate or homemade or HG goodies and on special Friday/Saturday dinner night soy ice cream.

Staples that we can’t grow (rice, flour, etc) are purchased in bulk through a local food cooperative. If we can we try choosing brands that either come from California or nearby Western states. Can’t always succeed, but it’s the act of conscious awareness and trying that counts.

This summer I’ll try to post more weekly menus as we enjoy the earth’s bounty.

Appreciation
$10 donation from CG. Thank you!

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2 Responses to “100 FOOT DIET - “Growing a ‘100 feet’ closer to home” - Jules Dervaes”

  1. RM Says:
    June 23rd, 2007 at 6:26 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing this! You know….I love your sight too and have been wondering about your meal planning…..

  2. Kristie Roberts Says:
    June 27th, 2007 at 10:42 pm

    Just reading this made my mouth water! Thanks so much for sharing, I’m definatly going to keep watching for more of your menus. :)