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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
We Support
« GARDENS ON FRONT LINE OF CLIMATE CHANGE | Main | HOMEBREWING BIODIESEL »
August 10, 2008
Hey Lucie, got any teeth in that beak of yours?
The unsolicited media request haven’t stopped. That’s good, in a way, because it means that urban sustainability and food security are important and relevant issues.
With the recent Living Green Channel, KPFK radio and largest Spanish paper La Opinion highlighting the urban homestead lifestyle this week it’s great to see the broad spectrum and demographics such a basic and sustainable lifestyle can have.
New sustainable projects and chores are a daily ritual here on the urban homestead and a constant reminder how much we are dependent on the land. With such a earth bound, sustainable lifestyle a typical summer vacation is harder to come by then hen’s teeth. So we enjoy a staycationing (and have been for the last decade) here on the ’stead - growing fun and community closer to home.
How is your local summer shaping up?
On the Webfront
There’s a nifty little icon at the top of this page that you’ll have to check out. Since PTF web family is growing (and will continue to grow with urban homesteading & backyard barnyard social network site still in the works) it’s hard to keep track of all our sites. Hey, I even get lost! So to prevent that we will be implementing this navigation on each and every one of our sites.
This week we sat down and hash out how we want the new PTF site to organized content wise. It’s going to be more difficult than we thought because we are dealing with so many aspects of the urban homestead. Our goal is to bring simplified but quality content. The revamping of the PTF site is long overdue and we look forward to the new site as much as you do. We can see the summit (end result) but sometimes we are crawling at such a snails pace and that’s frustrating.
Our Earth, Freedom Gardeners DIG IT
Also, August sees the announcement of Freedom Gardener of the month. Our Freedom Gardener of August resides in Utah. He has truly created a thriving and beautifully productive garden in his backyard by “finding the possible every day and making it real.”
Congrats Corner Gardener! We enjoyed learning more about you and your wonderful perspective of treating failures as important lessons to learn in gardening. We are behind you in spirit - hoping you win your battle to keep your “outlaw” chickens.
“Gardeners have begun calling their plots freedom gardens — as in freedom from oil!” — and I would add contamination, corporations and food miles
Our food is fighting as we grow towards freedom!
Tags:
cat,
Chickens,
community,
event,
food security,
freedom garden,
freedom gardens,
Garden,
gardening,
Homestead Life,
kpfk,
living green,
living green channel,
staycation,
Urban Homestead,
urban homesteading,
urban sustainability
Topics: Homestead Life, Posts by Anais, Website Updates | Tags: cat, Chickens, community, event, food security, freedom garden, freedom gardens, Garden, gardening, Homestead Life, kpfk, living green, living green channel, staycation, Urban Homestead, urban homesteading, urban sustainability
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PATH TO FREEDOM
PEDDLER'S WAGON
FREEDOM GARDENS
"LITTLE HOMESTEAD"
DERVAES GARDENS
URBAN HOMESTEADING
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August 10th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Very cool! I just played with the top icon, it’s very creative.
And for that mater I just signed up for Freedom Gardeners. Great site. Tons of content from all sorts of gardeners. Great comraderie! Thanks PTF!
August 10th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I noticed that icon last week! Excellent design. I do want to let you know that I (Mac OSX, Firefox 2.0) can’t see all the text for the Peddler’s Wagon because it runs off the bottom of the box.
You folks are doing an awesome job!
August 10th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I am so impressed by your web site. So much info, from the Dervaes family and all those you have inspired. I learn something every time I visit.
I especially love the citified farm animals and can’t wait for that site to be up and running!