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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
« ROSES! | Main | BLIGHT! »
July 1, 2009
Plant Pottery that Works
Ollas this season have been flying off the shelves (virtually speaking) Good news is that the 1.5 and 1 gallons are back in stock so stock up while supplies last. What’s even better is we are getting returning customers who are wanting more for their garden and they have nothing but good reviews over using clay pot irrigation in their garden.
Other hot items are the soil blocks, hanging solar food dryers and the canning kits (temporarily out of stock and we’ll be getting another batch at the end of June and just in time for your preservation efforts)
Order $50 and get a chance to win a 3 DVD collection of HOMESTEAD BLESSINGS (one more drawing to go!)
Tags:
olla,
ollas
Topics: Peddler's Wagonload, Posts by Anais | Tags: olla, ollas
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PATH TO FREEDOM
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July 1st, 2009 at 4:46 am
Anais, I’ve been considering the hanging solar food dryer but it is so humid here (in coastal Florida) that I wonder if it would work for me. Any comment?
July 1st, 2009 at 5:27 am
That picture of the ollas is so beautiful to me! It really speaks to my spirit! Thank you for sharing!
July 1st, 2009 at 6:02 pm
gaiasdaughter, I am also in FL and it is so humid that even the electric dehydrator doesn’t work as well as other areas. A woman at Present Moment Cafe in St. Augustine, FL once told me that they have to dehydrate their raw corn chips for 3 days! to get them dry, and that’s in an electric dehydrator!!
I also would love to just air dry food. Sadly it would just mold.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:53 am
Hi: I’m wondering how the news today about California’s financial situation will affect you. Probably it will make everyone realize how valuable your lifestyle is and you will be busier than ever! Take good care of yourselves. Susan
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:47 pm
I recently picked up the solar food dryer, and by incredible bad luck set it out with some items to dry as we got a run of misty, overcast , 70-80% humidity days and 60-70F weather. Sigh. It still did a fair job under antigonistic conditions — the passage of air in and around is rather complete, and I guess we got “breeze dried” rather than solar dried. I really like the unit, but was impressed that it accomplished anything under those circumstances.
In fact, I like it a great deal, largely because of the performance but also because of the very fine mesh netting and the that completely surrounds the food, and the extra pieces for any needed repairs that are included.
It has some idiosyncratic issues with needing to be balanced, and some difficulty with a couple of connectors (for which I have devised a fix and will share here and with the inventor once I have tested it)
But frankly, there is nothing like it out there, it comes with a self-storage case, and I would love to own a few more . . .
July 15th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I am unsure if you would be able to help me, but I live in Las Vegas, NV and I want to start a vegetable garden. I was wondering if the ollas would be a viable option for my garden.