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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
8000 kwh ( as of 5/31/08)

GALLONS OF BIODIESEL MADE (since 2003)
1,000 gallons (as of 2/12/08)

"EARTH IMPACT FOOTPRINT"
5.2 acres per person

Tally Ho 2008

PRODUCE
2,100 lbs (6/31)

EGGS
Chicken 518 & Duck 640 (6/22)

HONEY
53 oz (5/19)

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

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« FIELD OF GREENS | Main | JOURNAL TWEAKS »

URBAN FARMING

February 21, 2008



raisedbed-feb20.jpg Putting in more raised beds

More Raised Beds

After five+ years the strips of 3/4″ plywood (though cheap) have started to rot at the bottom. So with our growing 10k challenge we figured now was a better time than any to give the raised beds a face lift.

Eating What We Grow or Dough?

On the topic of growing food, our dilemma is not only do we grow food our ourselves but we also grow produce in which to sell for income. This really limits our planting in a sense that we plant more “lightweight” or “specialty” crops (edible flowers and herbs for garnishes) rather than focusing only on feeding ourselves. If we had “other jobs”, our winter garden for instance would be heavy planted with root crops (carrots, kohlrabi, beets, etc) and cabbages, etc. However, given that our salad mix is one of our main income producers the majority of the space goes towards raising greens (lightweight). So if lots of what we plant here on the urban homestead is lightweight to realize that from just this 1/10 acre we harvest nearly 3 tons is, I have to say, pretty impressive. Imagine what the harvest totals would be if didn’t have a “market garden” and focused primarily on growing heavyweight veg and fruit crops like potatoes, cabbages, carrots, apples, peaches, apricots, guavas, etc for our personal food consumption. Though, we’d love more fruit tree (equals more poundage!), fruit trees rob the sun from vegetable crops and it’s not like we have a nice little growing plot away from the house. We have to deal with shade from buildings, neighboring trees with create a insane amount of micro-climates. So it will interesting how this year will transpire as we figure out how to get the most productivity out of our victory/market garden.

From the Inbox

Hello dear Dervaes family,

I am a long time reader of your wonderful website. I have a family of six in Oklahoma – we are growing in our sustainable lifestyle every year. We are currently setting new goals for 2008 and are looking for some good books as reference for a sustainable life and urban homesteading. Do you have any recommendations of books that have been especially helpful in your studies? Some of our top projects for this year are in the area of energy savings [including pedal power] and solar energy. So anything you could recommend on those topics would be appreciated.

I looked through the website for a general resource list of reading material – I’ll bet it’s there but I just didn’t find it. If you want to answer this inquiry by just sending a link - that is great. I know you folks are ever busy. I don’t want to distract you from your own goals just to answer questions from those of us not quite so far down the path to freedom.

Wishing you a joyous new year!
~Mary

Greetings, Mary

Thank you for your email and positive comments. It’s great to hear from fellow travelers who walking the sustainable path. Far from writing (or even having a contract to write) our very own urban homesteading book(s) anytime soon, these are some of the books we recommend which are available at PTF’s online store

The ultimate growing book: How to Grow More Vegetables

Overall bible on self sufficient living: The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery

Wishing you and your family all the best in your journey.

Still catching up with emails and I haven’t forgotten those of you who posted questions ( you aren’t being ignored… I’ve got your questions right here!) In time, I will get through all this backlog….one step a time.

Tomorrow stay tuned for our weekly menu wrap up and 100 Foot Diet Highlights.

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Topics: In the Garden, Market Gardening, Posts by Anais, Urban Farming | Tags: , ,

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6 Responses to “URBAN FARMING”

  1. Meg Says:
    February 21st, 2008 at 1:11 pm

    Wow, those beds look great! What kind of wood did you guys go with?

  2. Crystal Says:
    February 21st, 2008 at 5:17 pm

    I’m wondering if you’ve ever thought of trying to expand your planting space by using neighbor’s yards. Lots of people pay for landscaping… maybe you could work out a deal (a portion of the crop to the owner in addition to a beautiful yard might get you free growing space).

  3. Anais Says:
    February 21st, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    Hello Meg,

    Thanks for the comments, I tell the guys.

    The wood they used is untreated Douglas Fir which is pretty cheap and will last us another five/six years.

    Cheers,
    Anais

  4. Anais Says:
    February 21st, 2008 at 5:59 pm

    Hello Crystal

    Yes, we did at one point a few years ago use our only neighbor’s yard (we are surrounding on three sides by a private school) Unfortunately the property sold and they are rennovating the home and it’s not lived in at this time. As for our other neighbors, I would say the majority of them are renters and unfortunately are really not into growing vegetables. The dynamics of the neighborhood is slowly changing, perhaps in time like minded folks will move it….

    We shall see. Besides, right now are incredibly busy and preoccupied with our little property at the moment, but we are always on the look out for expanding our growing grounds.

    Cheers,
    Anais

  5. Anais Says:
    February 22nd, 2008 at 11:09 am

    Hello Rhonda

    Thanks for the email, positive comments and heads up. Thankfully here in So Cal they build mostly with untreated Douglas Fir – a wood which the folks next door and down the street are using in their housing construction.

    California is pretty good about labeling and regulations. Always good to know your wood source, especially now a days when things are treated with all sorts of chemicals.

    Blessings,
    Anais

  6. rhonda jean from down to earth Says:
    February 22nd, 2008 at 11:34 am

    Here is Australia much of the timber used in house construction is “treated”. I don’t want to alarm you but have you checked that timber contains no poisons? If it does, I’m not sure if it would remain in the ash after the fire, or if it would be contained in the smoke, but I think it’s worth checking.

    As always, it’s a real pleasure to read your posts.

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