A journal of modern day pioneers forging a new frontier in the city through intensive agriculture and extreme sustainability in urban homesteading.

Reviving the old-fashioned "can-do" spirit of self-reliance and resourcefulness, they have faced many challenges. With faith and determination, these once-ordinary city dwellers are boldly reclaiming their lives and land. continue

April 27, 2009

AROUND THE URBAN HOMESTEAD

Posted by Anais

The garden’s growing and that means produce is coming in that needs to be eaten, sold or preserved. 

Now that we’ve gotten past the flush of Earth Day activities it’s time to get caught up with our lives and projects here on the urban homestead – there’s definitely lots to be done!

Falling back into our normal routine I do hope to get around to more homesteady activities that have be on my to do list for too long!   

Hopefully these latest photos will give you a sense of all the good things happening….

Loquats ready for baking and preserving.  I found a tasty loquat cobbler recipe that I’d like to try, not to mention a batch of loquat jam and butter.  Has anyone stumbled across any unique recipes for loquats?

In the kitchen, eggs from the ducks & chickens and bartered bunch of citrus.  Breakfast anyone?

Edible peas enjoying the much cooler (and even damp) weather

Anna apples grow bigger and start getting touches of pink.  I can’t wait to make my favorite apple butter recipe – always the first to be polished off in the pantry

Young blackberries emerge from the brambles.  Dreaming of blackberry cobbler with a bit of cream….

Dwarf citrus and festive nasturtiums brighten up the day

Ollas ready for irrigation

In go the ollas below ground … next come the tomatoes

Chickens hanging out

Spring garden with smatterings of summer plants like cucumbers, beans and eggplants. 

Complete with ladybugs

Old Clems hangs with young Bella (who’s doing better in case you are wondering - but just as Jordanne suspected she has a heart problem)

This photo makes me think of one thing!  Cookies and milk? 

First strawberries of the season!  Whoop de do!  Strawberry bars are just around the corner.  Not to mention strawberry jam, strawberry syrup on pancakes and just plain ol strawberries straight from the bush.

The bucket brigade. Time to feed the garden!  Sorry don’t know what the urban famers here were whipping up here.   I snapped this photo just I was heading out…..



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13 Comments: “AROUND THE URBAN HOMESTEAD”


04/27/2009



1

Thank you for the beautiful photos. We cherish each and every one.

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04/28/2009



2

The pics are GORGEOUS!! Thanks for posting them! It always gives me such great ideas for my garden space! Be sure you post recipes; I was especially intriqued by the strawberry bars. :)

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04/28/2009



3

Looking good!

Loquats already? Mine will take at least a month.

Cheers!

[Reply]


04/28/2009



4

I do love seeing pics of your garden. It makes me impatient to start digging and planting in my gardens. But up here in Ontario Canada we aren’t quite ready for spring planting yet. Frost warnings don’t end till the middle of May.

A good sign is that the strawberries are just now showing buds.

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5

Wow…those pics are beautiful. We’re at least a month away from any substantial harvest, so it’s nice to live vicariously through you. And now, I want some Oreo’s and milk.

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6

And PS….I’m with Michelle….do tell about the strawberry bars.

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7

We have been having loquats all over town. One of my neighbor’s has a tree just burdened with them and I keep trying to convince myself to ask if I can pick some. I’m also seeing them on public property.

We also have mulberries getting ripe on roadsides right now, do you have those?

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04/28/2009



8

Thanks for the wonderful pictures! They are so encouraging and inspiring! As Andrea said, ” it’s nice to live vicariously through you”!

[Reply]


04/28/2009



9

Y’know… this post made me realize part of the reason I’ve had zero success with growing my own… I’m so accustomed to SoCal that I have NO IDEA what edibles go with what seasons here in SW Texas!! No wonder I end up losing all my attempts to the weather!

Also, as I’ve been reading your posts by feed for quite some time, I had no idea how awesome your new site design turned out! Good job!!

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04/28/2009



10

WOW! I just found you all today and I am blown away! Everything you are doing is so amazing and inspiring. I can not wait to start a homestead of my own. I was waiting on more land but your family is an example of why that is not always necessary. Thanks so much and keep it up! I have you bookmarked now so I will be checking back in!

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11

Gorgeous, gorgeous! I love the “cookies and milk” comment…too funny.

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04/28/2009



12

Everything looks so delicious. We are also having a very weird weather spring and I don’t know what on earth is up with the garden. FINALLY having some salad. As soon as everything is ready here it is bolting. From cold, grey and rain to heat and sun overnight. Shocking, but beautiful!

Food Down Under is one of my favorite places to get recipes. This is where I found a million things to do with mulberries!
They have some ideas for loquat, hope it helps! http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-b.....i?q=loquat

[Reply]

13

You can do pretty much anything with a loquat that you can do with an apricot. Hmm, I wonder how well they dry?

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Jules DervaesJustin DervaesAnais DervaesJordanne Dervaes
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COMPLETE URBAN HOMESTEAD ARCHIVES:



LOCATION
Pasadena, CA
(Northwest Pasadena, one mile from downtown Pasadena 100 yards from 11 lane freeway)

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
~ 400 different vegetables, herbs, fruits, berries

FOOD PRODUCTION
~ 6,000 lbs annually / 99% of our produce $75,000 savings

URBAN HOMESTEAD SUPPORTS
4 full-time resident adults, a menagerie of animals, volunteers, and many clients

ENERGY USAGE
$12 a month / 6.0 kwh day

WATER USAGE
$600 / 175,000 gallons a year

SOLAR POWER PRODUCED
12,410 kwh as of 5/12/10

GALLONS OF BIODIESEL MADE
2,500 gallons as of 5/12/08

FACTS N FIGURES
Learn more about the Urban Homestead
Full Stats Summary