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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
« AROUND HERE | Main | FRUIT TIME »
June 26, 2009
Here on the urban homestead we grow some quite odd/unusual fruit. This year our tropical cherry bushes (aka surinam cherry) bushes are loaded with a decent harvest.
A decent harvest is when we get more than a (one) handful so that means asking “grandma google” (ask Jordanne has so rightfully dubbed this search engine) for advice on using these fruit.
We tried out this recipe (I didn’t bother adding canned cherries, just increased the amount of surinam cherries instead) which turned out quite good. So, the recipe’s a keeper and it goes into my every growing collection of recipes.
Tags:
the urban homestead,
Urban Homestead
Topics: Kitchen, Posts by Anais, Recipe Box, Unusual Edibles | Tags: the urban homestead, Urban Homestead
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PATH TO FREEDOM
PEDDLER'S WAGON
FREEDOM GARDENS
"LITTLE HOMESTEAD"
DERVAES GARDENS
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(6 votes)
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June 26th, 2009 at 6:09 am
Oh mercy that looks good!! Wanna ship a piece of that to Tennessee? lol
June 26th, 2009 at 9:02 am
I have not seen this type of “cherry” in any nursery catalogs , could you tell me where you bought it?Thanks.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Sue, it is also called Barbados Cherry and is available here:http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/fruitproducts_ab.htm. It is about the 8th plant down usner the bananas.
Shirley
June 26th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Sue, the latan name is Malpighia punicifolia. You might can find some seed. The seeds are generally very slow to germinate, usually requiring from 6 to 12 months at minimum. Seeds should be kept in moderately moist soil at 70-85F. Do not overwater. Use well-drained soil. The
fruit is really good when dead ripe.
Shirley
June 26th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
I would like to grow this fruit. I am on the lookout for edible shrubs, bushes, trees - because I am so excited about feral foods and hearty natives. So far I have discovered in my area - the strawberry tree, the banyon tree. loquot and Carissa or natal plum.
Is this a seed you will be including in your seed business?
Anais, those pictures (Justin?) are so mouth watering, so beautiful. Well done.
June 26th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Boy that looks heavenly & decadent, now THAT is what you call living richly.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Thank you Shirley, I found some on Tradewinds, but they were out of stock.Sue
June 27th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
We have an enormous cherry bush in our back yard here in Barbados– now I know what to do with the cherries!!! It is about 25 feet high and the same across. The bush is just starting to bear again! Yipee!
June 29th, 2009 at 5:12 am
Thanks for sharing that sometimes your harvest is a “handful.” I’m working on improving my backyard “yields” and it’s good to know that experts like yourselves sometimes don’t have success. I feel better now about my “handfuls” of strawberries! P.S. Been a “lurker” for a loooong time!
June 29th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Wow, so glad to see that recipe! We just planted two surinam cherries a week ago and can’t wait to see if it fruits next year…your dessert pics look delish!
Robbyn
June 29th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Hi Anais,
Would you mind sharing how you pitted the Surinam cherries? Did you use a regular cherry pitter, or a knife, or? Just wondering; we have Surinam cherries but I’ve never cooked or baked anything using them, they just ripen and fall so quickly……
Thanks,
Karen
July 7th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
My mouth started to water the minute I saw those Surinam cherries! They bring back such great memories of my childhood. I had friends who had a bush in Hawaii and I loved it when I got to share in the harvest!
Aloha,
Debbie