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The Urban Homesteaders

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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

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« ONE HOT GOAT | Main | HOMESTEAD HAPPENINGS »

BIODIESEL NEWSBYTE

June 22, 2008



English version

French version

PTF continues to make trails internationally - from Germany, to Singapore, Mexico and now France/Asia/Africa.

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Topics: Biodiesel, Posts by Anais | Tags: ,

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10 Responses to “BIODIESEL NEWSBYTE”

  1. molly Says:
    June 22nd, 2008 at 5:43 pm

    frequent reader, first time commentor.

    i have a question for you about the biodiesel - my husband has been slightly concerned about paying road taxes for each gallon of biodiesel produced. what do you guys do about this? (fyi - we are also in california)

    also, i’d love permission to duplicate your recent 10 requirements for urban homesteaders on my blog. we’re at 7 out of 10 and striving for the other 3.

    i absolutely love your site, and being a “newbie” at urban homesteading, i appreciate how much hard work your lifestyle requires, and also how satisfying that hard work can be. dig on!

  2. Judy Says:
    June 22nd, 2008 at 8:27 pm

    Great video. It seems to me that all of the restaurants need someone to take their used vegetable oil away as this is a waste product for them. I’ve seen the waste oil barrels behind restaurants before. What your family is doing is recycling and turning this waste into a very useful product — awesome! We need more people to do this!

    I also have a question — how does the mileage of biodiesel compare to regular diesel fuel? Also, does the biodiesel burn cleaner? Was there something special that you had to do to your engine to be able to burn the biodiesel?

    Thanks!

  3. Becky L. Says:
    June 23rd, 2008 at 2:58 am

    Great job Justin! Hope you continue to do more interviews. With the gas crunch here, your expertise is going to be sorely needed!

  4. Jill Says:
    June 23rd, 2008 at 3:35 am

    Do you get a lot of glycerin as a by-product? What do you do with it? Is there a way to compost it for use on the food crops?? Thanks for all your great work!

  5. Anais Says:
    June 23rd, 2008 at 5:06 am

    Jill- we only brew 30 gals of biodiesel at a time which can last us over a month. The glyercine as a degreaser or composted

    Becky - thanks for the positive comments.

    Judy - There’s hardly any difference in the mileage. Yes indeed, biodiiesel does burn cleaner - it’s cooking oil NOT crude oil. Nope, we don’t have to modify the diesel engine at all to run biodiesel.

  6. katecontinued Says:
    June 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 am

    You continue to be the very first blog I read each day (after checking my own for comments) and I always come away learning something.

    Now I am hearing from people who don’t follow sustainablility, climate change or peak oil issues - “There is this family in California . . . ” It is odd, because I write a newsletter for my neighborhood and I often cite POF statistics, include your photos and share your hotlinks. I do this on my blog as well, yet your recent television appearances have incited more conversations then all of my face to face conversations, the newsletters or the blogosphere.

    The sheeple are watching. So, I am really glad you are all so photogenic, that you have prepared for the publicity push and for being unbelievably generous with all of us. Thanks.

  7. Chicago Mike Says:
    June 23rd, 2008 at 8:31 am

    Thats the best. This is the most inspirational website I have ever seen. I hope to post picture of my families efforts on the freedomgardens website soon.

    All the continued best.

  8. Anais Says:
    June 23rd, 2008 at 9:55 am

    Hello Molly

    Regarding the ROAD TAX question

    Here’s the information we are working on:

    —————————————————-

    Biodiesel Board legal department had a meeting with the I.R.S. and this is what was stated.
    There IS a road tax exemption for Biodiesel Home Brewers of 400 gallons
    a quarter IF IT IS A BLEND. Just like the rules for Commercial Biodiesel producers, they only get their tax Credit for Blended B-99 which in
    reality is B-9999. The agent stated that if a home brewer if using B-100
    that he made and not selling it to anybody, he still must pay the 24 cents
    per gallon road tax. But back to the exemption, putting a pint of Fossil
    diesel into a 55 gallon barrel makes it B-99 and if you produce under 400
    gallons per quarter, you do not have to pay the road tax. Strange but
    it almost makes sense….

    —————————————————-
    Hope this helps

  9. Diana Says:
    June 23rd, 2008 at 3:01 pm

    Your whole family is so inspirational. You give me hope that we’re not all doomed. :)

  10. gyanendra gautam Says:
    June 27th, 2008 at 7:39 am

    i am interested in knowig the mixing procedure of methanol in diesel for making it cost effective . may i know from where i can get that kit .

Comments