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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
« WEEKLY MEAL WRAP UP | Main | FRUITOPIA »
July 13, 2009
One thing about raising goats is that you can watch their individual personalities take shape and it’s very entertaining (given that we rarely watch TV nor do we have cable)
Just when you think you have their quirks and habits down they surprise you with another one of their crazy antics.
Blackberry, being the smallest, is a sweetie and doesn’t get into too much trouble. Fairlight on the other hand is dominant diva - always testing herself on us. She tries her best but doesn’t succeed in her power struggle. But sometimes she does just cross the line and like Jordanne most emphatically commented the other day “I let you get away with murder!”
They are both obedient to an extent but each have quite a different air or personality about them. They love routine and treats.
Fairlight is a foodie. She loves sampling a lot more food stuff then Blackberry. Blackberry is content with simple foods while Fairlight likes to experiment and is sort of a food snob. She likes fresh food and it can’t be spoiled or touch the floor. And you dare not share a fruit that you’ve taken a bite from - even if it’s her ultimate favorite. She ‘ll sniff and then turn her nose up at - wanting no part of your germies! Fairlights a pick eater. Picky in a way that when Jordanne tries to give her slightly damaged greens she turns her nose up with disgust “you expect me to eat that?” However, she’ll demolish Segio’s bruised cabbage leaves without hesitation. When Jordanne told me about her likin for Farmer S’s outer bruised cabbage leaves I exclaimed, “told you she had a crush on him!” You see, Blackberry already has a boyfriend (Cory) so Fairlight figured is was high time to wrangle one for herself. Silly girl.
And now another thing with Fairlight. After our Saturday stroll on the way home Fairlight has taken to jumping on the seat with Jordanne. She figures she’s just as human as we are and deserves to be treated as one.
Next thing you’ll know she’ll be wanting to eat at the table with us. She already owns the kitchen.
I do wonder at times what goes on in that pretty stubborn head of hers sometimes… oh, if goats could talk!
Walking under the Colorado Street Bridge
“Hey are you coming?”
Nibbling on dried grass.
“What’s that sound?”
“Can I have your walking stick?”
Goats love to nibble on wood. Blackberry checks out my walking stick too.
While Jordanne collects oak leaves
Fairlight decides to make herself comfortable
and help herself to an evening snack
Spoiled girl. Yeah, she knows it too because she won’t show her face!
Tags:
goat,
Goats
Topics: Citified Farm Animals, Goats, Posts by Anais | Tags: goat, Goats
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July 13th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Entertaining story. Your goats seem to be kind of like family pets! Didn’t know goats had such personalities. (Wonder if the city of Denver (my locale) allows goats in backyards? They’re only now getting ’round to making it easier to raise chickens.)
July 13th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Man your goats have the life - naughty Fairlight doesn’t know how lucky she is! We had African pygmy goats when I was little, and the dominant male made a career out of power struggles with us. One of my scariest childhood memories is when he found me all by myself painting the barn, and he came up threatening me, and proceeded to ’sharpen his horns’ on my paint roller! Those horns were red for years.
One day my Dad figured out how to stop the dominance battles - he threw the goat in the pond! Boy was he embarrassed after that, not worth risking what these humans might do in front of his women goats.
July 13th, 2009 at 11:24 am
So sweet and funny! I love your goat tales. That photo in the truck is the funniest. Very spoiled indeed!
July 13th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
@Djuna Throw him into the pond! That’s been my mother’s answer to unruly household pets for years. The cats get particularly annoyed, but when they’ve decided to bite her for no reason, well—my mother can get pretty ornery herself.