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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
« LIVESTOCK EXTINCTION | Main | HARD TIMES »
January 7, 2009
Americans continue to out-big-foot everyone else when it comes to consumption. Although only 5 percent of the global population, Americans are said to use more than one-quarter of the world’s energy. If everyone lived like North Americans, we’d need at least seven planets to support our lifestyles.
A new year is time for new resolutions and new beginnings, so let’s kick our wasteful habits and start reducing our footprint one step at a time.
Unlike our summer and fall events, please note the ENTIRE event will be held INDOORS.
What: Film Screening & Vegetarian Potluck
When: Sunday, January 25 (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM)
Where: 626 Cypress Ave, Pasadena CA (see map)
Cost: $10 (children under 12 are free) A small entrance fee is require as it helps pay for facility rental, screening licensing fees, sound system, and purchase of eco friendly. compostable dinnerware
Space is limited so please RSVP by calling 626.844.4586 or filling out online reservation form
Event Schedule
5:00 PM - event starts / Freedom Garden Meetup & Swap N Trade & perhaps even a FREEDOM SEED table filled with safe, secure & pure seed varieties
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM - potluck
7:00 PM - film screening ‘HUMAN FOOTPRINT’ ( 90 min)
8:30 PM - discussion
9:30 PM - event ends
Film
With the aid of eye-opening visuals, this National Geographic special illustrates the true nature of the “footprints” human beings leave behind on the planet. By tracing the arc of an average person’s life — a time period that spans about 2.5 billion seconds — the program reveals how much energy a person consumes, how much waste he or she produces and even how many people they will have met by the time they die.
The Human Footprint hosted by Elizabeth Vargas reveals the extraordinary impact that each of our lives has on the world around us. In a playful, surprising and thought-provoking portrait of our time on earth, National Geographic demonstrates, in a series of remarkable visuals, what makes up an average human life today and how everything we do has impact on the world around us. In this unique journey through life, it shows all the people you will ever know, how much waste you will produce, the amount of fuel youll consume and how much youve got to pack in during your 2,475,526,000 seconds on Earth.
Potluck
Bring something (preferably vegetarian) to contribute to the potluck - bring enough food for yourself/family and a bit to share. The primary focus of the ‘Locavore’ potluck is to promote eating whole foods, in their nature-made state, focusing on fresh food from local sources (or as local as possible)
If not FROM BACKYARD then locally produced.
If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.
Freedom Garden Meetup
Join local homegrown revolutionaries - swap crops, seeds, expertise and more.
Growing for 21st century food security, FreedomGardens.org is a free interactive, online social community of gardening enthusiasts who are fed up with foreign oil, frequent food miles and high food prices.
To reserve space for this event fill out this easy regisration form or contact 626.844.4586
Tags:
Energy,
footprint,
support
Topics: Community, Posts by Anais | Tags: Energy, footprint, support
RELATED POSTS:
Comments
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Entries (RSS)
Americans continue to out-big-foot everyone else when it comes to consumption. Although only 5 percent of the global population, Americans are said to use more than one-quarter of the world’s energy. If everyone lived like North Americans, we’d need at least seven planets to support our lifestyles.
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January 9th, 2009 at 8:19 am
I have attended one of your programs.
It was terrific!
January 10th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
It sounds like it should be such a lovely time. I just decided that instead of sitting here wistfully longing to live somewhere near other people, I will pull something together here. I wonder how many freedom gardeners there are in Iowa.
January 10th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
It sounds like it should be such a lovely time. I wonder how many freedom gardeners there are in Iowa.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:02 am
[...] forget our community event we are hosting on Sunday. So far a bunch of Freedom Gardeners are showing up - nearly 1/2 who reserved are [...]
January 21st, 2009 at 6:32 am
[...] with the seeds. Labeling and packing. We hope to have a table debuting Freedom Seeds at the upcoming event on Sunday. I have been busy with the research, educational aspect of FS. Like I said FS is not just going [...]
January 21st, 2009 at 7:14 am
[...] The upcoming meetup & community event on Sunday Jan 25th will be featuring a SWAP N TRADE table. What’s people are bringing so far: [...]
January 25th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Regret that we (5 people) cannot attend the potluck and screening tonight (Jan 25 Human Footprint) due to colds and sore throats.
So sorry, hope you can reach 5 others to replace us.
See you next time,
Ann and family