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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
« FRIENDS, FAMILY, GOATS & AWARD | Main | WORKING HOLIDAY »
November 25, 2009
There’s certainly a lot to be thankful for here on our little urban homestead.
Another pictureful post for you to enjoy.
Have a wonderful and blessed holiday.
Best friends. Lucie and Estella are like two peas in a pod. They hang out together and these Belgian banties, though small have such big attitudes are such a riot to watch.
Fairlight hangs out on the back porch using the branches of free food Justin trimmed from a neighbor’s tree as a comfy bed!
Estella thinks she’ll join the duck clan
Amy taking a “water therapy” swim. We threw in a handful of freshly picked sorrel for her to nibble on.
Ladybug always a welcome sight here in the garden.
The urban farmers work on fall plantings and preparing the garden for winter (the cattle panels keep our kitties from using the newly planted beds as their litter box)
Cabbage (from FreedomSeeds.org)
In transition - summer to fall garden. The cattle panels are used to keep our kitties from using the newly transplanted or planted beds as their litter box.
Low impact gardening - one trowel revolution
Going up! This fall the farmers here added another layer to the 50 raised beds.
Potatoes in a homemade self watering pot using clay pot irrigation (or ollas)
It’s chilly outside but still barefootin’
Dance of the hummingbird
Graceful visitor the garden
Tags:
holiday,
the urban homestead,
Urban Homestead
Topics: Citified Farm Animals, Garden, Homestead, Low Impact Living, Posts by Anais, Urban Farming | Tags: holiday, the urban homestead, Urban Homestead
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PATH TO FREEDOM
PEDDLER'S WAGON
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November 25th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I was wondering about the cattle panels…I’m glad you let us in on that!
November 25th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Too late for outdoor gardening for me, but I still have some root crops in the ground that will last a month or so. We are heading your way for a week in the sun, been pretty rainy up here in BC.
November 26th, 2009 at 6:07 am
Happy Thanksgiving
November 26th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Such a nice treasure of pictures! So happy to see little Miss Amy doing swimingly!!
Indeed we have a lot to be thankful for! Bless you all. Lots of love, Vicki
November 26th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
You guys have really beautiful raised garden beds. I have always been planning and trying to build one but i cant find good quality untreated wood at a good price. I live next to Pasadena, in Eagle Rock. Would you guys please share where you get that awesome wood.
November 26th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
You guys have beautiful garden beds. I have always wanted to build one but i cant find good quality untreated wood at a good price. I live next to pasadena in Eagle Rock. Would you guys please share where you get that awesome wood. Thanks
November 26th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
I’ve always been inspired by your website, and especially your pics. One question, though (and I’m not criticizing): Why do you keep making your raised beds taller? I thought that every year of adding compost to raised beds made the native soil in the beds better & better. I would have thought with all the years you guys have been growing there, the whole back yard would have been a gardeners paradise by now.
November 27th, 2009 at 4:57 am
Thanks for the pics! Glad to see Miss Amy is feeling better, too. Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.
November 27th, 2009 at 6:24 am
I sure would be happy to drop $5 to you guys through paypal for a short 5-10 page .pdf file just showing how you construct, plant and maintain your raised beds. I’ve looked all over the web and for some reason, I just think you guys got it figured out right and would love to learn from your expertise. Might be a nice, easy added revenue source unless of course, a book is in the works.
As always, I enjoy my daily visits to the journal and hold you and your family in the highest esteem.
jed
December 1st, 2009 at 5:02 pm
My elderly dog used to love to sleep on the june strawberry bed in the summer when the plants were all full and healthy. It played havoc with the plants. But the dog was old and arthritic so I just didn’t have the heart to fuss at him or move him. Now he is gone and it is a happy rememberance whenever I see that strawberry bed.