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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
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

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GATHER ROUND

December 1, 2008



Thanksgiving at friends

Gathering at the urban homestead: look at all that good food!

Lots of catching up to do!

Sing a long time!

Good food, fun, fellowship….

and music!

Ack, it’s December already!  It’s December… yeah, I already said that and saying it again and again won’t change that fact that it’s December!

We have had a busy couple days just like most folks across the country.  Time spent with friends, family, good food and even music.

On Thanksgiving we went over to a friends house for a potluck style dinner.  Of course, with our being vegetarian we brought along our very own bird - er, soy bird that is.  We also brought a couple bags of homegrown salad greens which were, and have always been, a huge hit at such dinners.

I topped the salad with homegrown pomegranates (very festive!) and homemade honey mustard dressing.  Jordanne brought a plate of homemade pecan bars made with some acorn flour - delicious!

Back to the pseudo “turkey”  In addition to traditional soy turkey we tried another non soy turkey (sorry can’t remember the brand) made will all vegetables and no soy.  We all thought the the all veg one tasted much better than the popular soy tofurkey.   So next year I think we’ll switch completely to all veg bird.

Friday, we did have a few produce orders to fill for local restaurant clientele and did a bit of good house cleaning before our annual Thanksgiving gathering party on Saturday evening. A local Freedom Gardener dropped by to barter acorn flour for homegrown/made canned goods.  Thanks for the trade!

Though I invited about 60 people to our little shindig a few were out of town, or had other plans but given that we still had about 30 people show.  And boy was the spread incredible!  There was local hand squeezed grapefruit juice, solar baked squash, homemade quiche, yummy yams, divine cheesecake and much much more!

Of course we supplied some of our own homegrown salad which didn’t even make it past the second round of plate filling and a couple cans of pickle beans which were gone in a flash.  We keep hearing time and time again, that our salad is amazing.  You can’t but help over hearing the plate chatter and what’s being said about the food.  Or how people couldn’t believe the beans weren’t cooked before pickling.  I had to keep explaining that they were raw beans and they basically “cooked” in the brine water.  And to think that we eat like this every day here on the urban homestead!  We are certainly blessed to be able enjoy incredibly healthy and tasty homegrown food on daily basis.

After everyone polished off a plate, two or three then it was time for some of us to warm up their singing voices and the musicians to entertain.  You never know who of our musician friends will show up and the ensemble that showed up Saturday evening really were incredible.  Everyone was having such a blast the party shut down just shy of midnight.

I can honestly say that it was one of the best ever impromptu jam sessions ever. Thanks to one of the musicians who brought along his mic, speakers and amplifier the urban homestead was rocking to the sounds of Beatles, Beach Boys, Eagles and Righteous Brothers.

The music was soooo good we are thinking about charging at the door at club PTF.  Just kidding!

Late Sunday afternoon we took the goats for a walk and to glean some more goat food.  The goats really love dried oak and sycamore leaves and there’s plenty of that in the Arroyo Seco just 5 mins from the urban homestead.    The air was still damp from the heavy rains and the leaves of some of the trees were turning a bright gold - just about as close we’ll come to fall here in So Cal.    Lots of folks and family’s were out strolling along the paths that flank the concrete flood channel.  I guess everyone was still working off their turkey dinners.  Sometimes on our weekly walk we don’t see a soul but on this walk we had to stop more than once because people wanted to pet the goats.   People are surprise that our goats are so friendly, they will stop and let people pet them - well, in fact they want to be petted and paid attention to.  If you don’t Blackberry would feel slighted if you don’t!

Hope everyone has similar good times?

Stay tuned for our weekly meal wrap up, goat eating tomatoes and don’t forget our raffle rundraiser!  Winners will get a chance to see the documentary HomeGrown with producer Robert Mcfalls and PTF this coming Saturday.  Hurry and place your bid or buy your raffle ticket!

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One Response to “GATHER ROUND”

  1. Stacy Says:
    December 1st, 2008 at 11:27 pm

    I love the faces in the second-to-last pic - so glad to see you all having such a good time!

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