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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
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
We Support
« THE URBAN HOMESTEAD PANTRY | Main | FRUITS OF OUR LABOR »
June 26, 2008
Out of the blue!
It came as a surprise to us to find that PTF’s urban homestead received a mention and listing in “Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems: Principles and Practices,” a book by Peter Newman, director of the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia.
We got wind of this mention from a fellow blogger. Of course, we got curious of what was written about our project.
When the book came yesterday, we anxiously opened it up to see what he had to say and were pleasantly surprised to read:
Conclusion of Chapter 9
page 214
An inspiring demonstration of how we can begin now to have more sustainable production and consumption at the household level, is provided by and American family that has been their suburban block to a productive garden since the mid 1980’s. The “organic permaculture garden” that the Dervaes family has created provides them with food all year round. They also run a salad green business for local restaurants which helps to fund the purchasing of solar panels, energy efficient appliances and other technologies to to reduce their dependence on nonrenewable resources. The Path to Freedom project, founded by Jules Dervaes in 2001, aims to promote a “simple and more fulling” way of life. The Path to Freedom website is full of stories, photos, and information about the Dervaes family’s journey. The opening page of the website features a stirring call to action [written by Jules Dervaes]
Let’s face it. Our world is in deep, deep trouble and we are the “troublemakers.” We have to make real, difficult changes yesterday.
Despite the obvious benefits, we are not going to recycle, compost, or talk our way out of this.
Our leaders, being politicians, are not leaders at all but are bound to be followers, who just won’t be there for us in a crisis. So, it’s up to me and you to make the choice of becoming responsible stewards of the earth.
Let’s turn the world right side up as demonstrated through this website. Join us on our journey towards a sustainable present and future. Let’s walk the path to freedom!
And in the back of the book, we were also pleased to see another nod to our extensive website:
page 267
Path to Freedom - Urban Homesteading
www.pathtofreedom.com
Thank you, Mr Newman, for the acknowledging our 20 year urban homesteading journey.
We also appreciate his recognition, especially since he took Jules Dervaes’ powerfully written intro of the PTF website, which Mr Newman so rightly called a “stirring call to action.”
We are especially gratified that after many, many years of hard work we earned such an acknowledgment.
Like copy? GreenLAgirl is giving away a free book.
Tags:
Energy,
Garden,
Solar,
Urban Homestead,
urban homesteading,
Website
Topics: Homestead Life, PTF Spotlights, Posts by Anais | Tags: Energy, Garden, Solar, Urban Homestead, urban homesteading, Website
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PATH TO FREEDOM
PEDDLER'S WAGON
FREEDOM GARDENS
"LITTLE HOMESTEAD"
DERVAES GARDENS
URBAN HOMESTEADING
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June 26th, 2008 at 7:03 am
Congratulation to you all! You are worthy every word. It´s so nice to see people doing something for the planet, not just talking!
/Yvonne
June 26th, 2008 at 9:44 am
That’s WONDERFUL!!! What a true reflection of your accomplishments! Omedetou gozaimasu (congrats in Japanese) now I’m off to go enter in the book give-away.
June 26th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Congratulations! That must be so exciting for you!