Little Homestead in the CityLittle Homestead in the CityLittle Homestead in the City

The Urban Homesteaders

visit the Dervaes family on
  

Technorati Profile

Cast of Characters

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

We Support








« NEWBYTES | Main | VEGETABLE PROPAGANDA »

DIRT

July 18, 2008



This was in our email this morning (thanks DC!)

God is sitting in Heaven when a scientist says to Him,
“Lord, we don’t need you  anymore.

Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing. In other words, we can now do what you did in the  ‘beginning’.”

“Oh, is that so? Tell  me….” replies God.

“Well”, says the  scientist, “we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of you and  breathe life into it, thus creating man.”

“Well, that’s interesting. Show  Me. “

So the scientist bends  down to the earth and starts to mold the soil.

“Oh no, no, no….” interrupts God,

“Get your  own dirt.”

Jordanne forwarded me this interesting article about a Smithsonian exhibit about dirt

“One of the most important messages for me is that people get beyond thinking of soil as something in their garden, but think of it as the foundation of all the Earth’s ecosystems,” as important as air and water….

Tags:
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes) Loading ... Loading ...

Topics: Posts by Anais, Soil & Mulch | Tags:

RELATED POSTS:

5 Responses to “DIRT”

  1. tammy Says:
    July 19th, 2008 at 3:10 am

    That is wonderful!! Thanks for the good medicine of laughter!! I love your site btw and all you do to try to help others. Thank you-

  2. KK Says:
    July 19th, 2008 at 5:10 am

    Great! hopefully, a lot of people will be exposed to some important information about soils…the often overlooked part of farming/gardening. Commercial farming takes and takes from soil, merely adding artificial chemical inputs…thus poisioning and eroding soils, which then finds its way into places like the Gulf of Mexico, where large dead zones and algea blooms form. This is a catastrophe. But nurturing and working with soil organically, and adding lots of organic matter, breaths life into exisitng soils. There’s so much to this subject…and I’m glad Smithsonian is helping enlighten the masses. Make compost…enrich soil organically…reclaim your soils!

  3. yvonne i Sweden Says:
    July 19th, 2008 at 11:30 am

    I agree…!! :-)

  4. David Says:
    July 20th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

    Thanks Anais & Jordanne for the cool links & info of intriguing dirt AKA soil. Can’t wait till Smithsonian’s soil exhibit comes to Los Angeles to hopefully replace Body Worlds(not my cup of tea,lol.) Sorry couldn’t make it to your monthly shindig but was bit under the weather. Continuing to enjoy the intelligencia & Justin’s cool propaganda & site.

    Cheers, David in San Gabriel Valley, California USA

  5. Nuno Says:
    July 22nd, 2008 at 4:37 am

    Water and clean air shortage are usually the most alarming issues in the public’s mind.
    But what has been called Peak Dirt is as fundamental :

    http://planetgreen.discovery.c.....thing.html

    Nice Post!

Comments