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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
« A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: URBAN HOMESTEADING | Main | AROUND THE URBAN HOMESTEAD »
November 24, 2009
Along the stream bed Justin and Sergio play with rocks
Going for a stroll
Sunday morning was spent as usual here on the urban homestead - planting, cleaning, chores, etc.
Sunday afternoon, we spent a good part of the afternoon reconnecting with friends who dropped by.
One friend needed an “eco project” for school so we suggested making a simple pizza box solar oven. The other had some goodies from his farm to drop off (which included a huge watermelon!) Yeah, I know, watermelon in November. I couldn’t believe it either. I stupidly asked “what is that?” knowing full well it was a watermelon! My mind just couldn’t grasp the thought. Heck, here I was wearing a long sleeve shirt, scarf and long black tights- staring at watermelon.
Let’s see, in our kitchen now we have tangerines (thanks to JK) lemons (thanks to DD), our very own meyer lemons & very LARGE pineapple guavas, plus muskmelon and watermelon thanks to Farmer Sergio. What a treat to trade, thanks in part to our free social gardening network FreedomGardens.org
Just as we were getting ready to go goat walking (this time around with Justin & Sergio) in the lower Arroyo Seco, we got a call from the folks at Green Screens Film Festival that we had won an award for our film! They asked if someone could come to the closing ceremony to accept the award within the hour! Within the hour! Jeepers.
That news threw things into a tizzy for a bit. Having already skipped the Saturday walk to attend the Homegrown Revolution screening on Saturday evening, we couldn’t disappoint Fairlight & Blackberry again. So, some of us took the goats walking while Farmer D went back down to Venice to collect the award.
After the goat walk we, as we do every week, stopped by our dear friend Betty. She’s a senior woman who taught my sister and me knitting (going on 20 years ago) and we spent some time chatting with her and checking out her recent knitting projects. Right now, I am knitting some cotton dishcloths but with winter coming up liked to knit a few more scarfs and hats.
Then it was home to watch a BBC TV classic production with family.
Sunday just couldn’t get any better.
Oh, and speaking of produce -we have a few extra lbs of persimmons and avocados from Farmer S’s farm. Interested? Then email me.
Tags:
goat,
goat walk,
goat walking,
Goats,
school,
Solar,
solar oven,
water
Topics: Goats, Homestead, Posts by Anais | Tags: goat, goat walk, goat walking, Goats, school, Solar, solar oven, water
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November 24th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
As I was driving around rural North Dakota this weekend with some family, we passed a very small town and a goat was standing at the door. It appeared he was waiting to be let in like a normal pet. Your story made me think of that.
November 25th, 2009 at 4:20 am
Persimmons? I just picked some the other day and made a pudding from them. It’s an “old-timey” Southern recipe that no one from my generation has ever heard of (I’m forty). Are yours the Japanese version? We have the little ones with big pits–what I call the “Virginia” version. They are better to eat, from what I’ve read. Stewed up, they look like cooked pumpkin.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Glad to hear you are a multi-task knitter. I am as well, although my primary hobby is sewing. I’ve been doing quilts for many years as well as “making something out of nothing - or whatever is left” (see the book “Josephs’ Coat” by Sims Taback). I understand that you have a great knitting coach. If you need any sewing help - let me know.
I would like to know about your raised bed gardening techniques. I noticed from the photos that you use 2′ X 4’s. Does it have to be a special kind of wood? What is the purpose of the raised bed? Does this type of gardening decrease the bug/weed infestations?