mouseover for names
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
« SECRETS REVEALED! | Main | PTF IN MOTHER EARTH »
December 30, 2008
She’s a beauty. The apple press
Volunteers come early to get started on washing and halving the apples
Local, organic apples being washed
In go the apples
Time to press the pulp
Freedom Gardeners arrive and start filling up the tables with homegrown goodies
Cider pressing - everyone wants to lend a hand
Pouring the juice into the jars
One of the two long tables filled with Freedom Gardeners.
Potluck
Jordanne helps out in the kitchen.
After the screening, Farmer D give a pop quiz and awards prizes
Homegrown Community
We were a bit worried out how the turn out to our recent Film & Food Night would be because it was stuck between two holidays. But once again, attendance was great - the “house” was packed.
Nearly 100 people turned out on a crisp December night. The food spread was incredible. I keep saying this but I think this was one of THE BEST spreads I’ve ever seen (and tasted) the food was amazing. Thank you all! You guys really really brought some amazing dishes. Kudos to you all.
About 1/3 of the attendees were Freedom Gardeners and we had a few tables set aside for the ‘Swap N Trade.’ Once again I was blown away by all the stuff people brought to trade - from an abandoned bunny that needed a home, to acorn flour, olives, herbs, jam, pomegranate slips, kefir grains, white sapote, to tangerine peels dipped in chocolate. I am sure I missed many of the homegrown goodies that people brought.
While admiring the table filled with tasty eye candy I kept thinking to myself if this is what the trade/swap table looks like in December imagine what it would be like in July or August.
Now onto another highlight of the evening the apple cider press. Thanks MRW for letting us borrow it and to DT for generously donating the funds for us to purchase two boxes of local, organic apples.
That cider press was the ultimate “homestead” cider press. In less than 10 minutes it took 40 lbs of apples and made it into delicious and fragrant apple juice. It was the best apple juice anyone’s ever tasted - very smooth and delicious.
After the film, Farmer D gave a pop quiz which is always fun and 10 lucky winners walked away with prizes.
One of the Freedom Gardeners. brought homemade candy apples which we decorated the table with and awarded them to those in attendance “who came the farthest” Turns out there were folks visiting from Ireland, Portland, Bay Area and even Canada.
Thanks S for bringing those wonderful candy apples. They were certainly a treat.
It was certainly a wonderful event to end the year - a event filled with good food, inspiration and community building.
:: Field Hand Appreciation :: S&J B $25, MH $25 generous donation. S & M for the firewood and MH for the grafting video. Thank you all for your generous (practical) gifts and cards.
Tags:
event,
film & food night,
freedom garden,
freedom gardens,
Garden,
Herbs,
holiday,
swap,
trade
Topics: Events & Outreach, Posts by Anais | Tags: event, film & food night, freedom garden, freedom gardens, Garden, Herbs, holiday, swap, trade
RELATED POSTS:
Comments
PATH TO FREEDOM
PEDDLER'S WAGON
FREEDOM GARDENS
"LITTLE HOMESTEAD"
DERVAES GARDENS
URBAN HOMESTEADING
Entries (RSS)
(9 votes)
Loading ...
December 30th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Thank you all so much! It was a wonderful evening!
December 30th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Thanks for sharing the pictures of this event. It’s nice to see that there were some children in attendance as well. It is so important to be involving the next generation in the urban homestead community. I love seeing the mix of ages - we all have something to learn and to teach as we go along.
December 30th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Wish I could have been one of the Canadian visitors - this looks like so much fun!
December 30th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Glad to see you have such a cool press (same model we have over here under the Moontree) . . . since it looks new (the pressing bags are white and the press screws are still clean!) I have three tips for you:
1. Make sure that the slatted board under the pressing tub being pressed is pushed ALL the way BACK away from the front and sides of the press. The wood of the base tends to expand, and put pressure on the side rails of the tray. I have had to replace one tray and nearly another before I figured out the problem.
2. Clean that apple-eater out with LOTS of water and careful cleaning of each row of teeth, and use high pressure water up UNDER the curve of the cast iron bit. Once any apple dries up in there, it is SERIOUS work to get it out.
3. Get a stick. Putting a stick into the four posts at the top gives you lots of leverage. My favorite stick is an old tiller from a Lido 14 sailboat. It is laminated hardwood, has a nice round handle at one end and a flat rectangle at the other, so it fits nicely into the crank.
Now: How much HARD cider did you put down? (Grin).
January 4th, 2009 at 6:37 am
[...] Thanks to last Sunday’s event we have loads of sweet apple pulp. [...]