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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
« TEACH THE CHILDREN WELL | Main | AROUND THE GARDEN »
May 15, 2009
Made another batch of veggie kimchi (aka Korean Sauerkraut) yesterday (recipe courtesy of Nourishing Traditions Cookbook)
I can’t believe we ate almost the entire first batch. I first thought when I was putting the fermented kimchi into jars for cold storage “this stuff should last us for awhile.” Alas I was mistaken. Thankfully we still have daikons, green onions and carrots still growing. Since Freedom Farmer S’s cabbage isn’t ready I substituted swiss chard in this batch so we’ll see how it compares to its cabbage counterpart.
I’ve had so much positive comments on this kimchi - so much so that at our recent Saturday Social I was called into the kitchen to handle a dispute amongst our friends who were debating if “this stuff was kimchi or not.”
One of the woman who has had her fair share of kimchi was like “this can’t possibly be kimchi, I’ve had kimchi and this stuff is waaaaaay better.” I was like, “well, I just followed the recipe which said ‘kimchi’ so I plead no contest!” I also think it has something to do with the super fresh homegrown ingredients.
I even had the pleasure of serving the kimich to a TV crew from the SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) who polished off almost an entire jar of the stuff. I figured there was no better folks from a country which native dish is practically kimchi to do the ultimate taste test!
Either way thumbs up on this recipe all around.
Coming soon to the preservation front - peaches! First ones are ripening already!
Tags:
kimchi,
kitchen,
Recipes,
saturday social
Topics: Back to Basics, Kitchen, Posts by Anais, Storage & Preservation | Tags: kimchi, kitchen, Recipes, saturday social
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URBAN HOMESTEADING
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May 15th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I’ve got Nourishing Traditions on Hold at the library…can’t wait for it to come in! I’m definitely going to try kimchi.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
I’d love to see some references for canning and fermenting/preserving food. Do you guys follow a certain site or book or do you have recipes handed down? I’m looking at making some sauerkraut but your kimchi caught my eye as well. Do you have these recipes altogether?
May 16th, 2009 at 7:03 am
I’ got the book on order already–can’t wait. In the meantime, did you use whey for your Kimchi or just salt. If you did use whey, where did you get it from?
Thanks for the great journal.
jed
May 16th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
I love Nourishing Traditions!!! I havent made the kimchi yet tho.
May 16th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
We are on our second batch of the Nourishing Traditions kimchi too. So good! We weren’t able to use our own cabbage or daikon. They both bolted on us way to fast. But the farmers market saved the day. My first time eating kimchi was in Kauai in an omelet with brown fried rice. It was delicious!