Little Homestead in the CityLittle Homestead in the CityLittle Homestead in the City

The Urban Homesteaders

visit the Dervaes family on
  

Technorati Profile

Cast of Characters

In Memory

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





iSearchiGive.com


We Support








« CHANGE FOR CHANGE | Main | AROUND THE URBAN HOMESTEAD pt 4 »

AROUND THE URBAN HOMESTEAD pt 3

December 3, 2009



Well, what you say we do another pictorial post?  Huh?

If you tire of this photo tirade, not to worry this will be the second to last installment of “a day in the life of an urban homesteader.”  Of course these photos only capture a fraction of what it’s like here on the urban homestead but I think you get an idea of our lifestyle seen thru the eyes of a camera.

I know, there’s not many photos of us gals - actually we like taking photos but hate our pics being taken.

Anyhow, I’ll concluded the pictorial post on Sunday with the finale “part 4″ which end an entire week worth of photos - then I’ll go into hibernation.  Just kidding.  There’s a few meaty posts in queue but thought it fun to do something different before the year is out.

:: Field Hand Appreciation :: MM $5  JD $20  CC $20  DC $10  S $5 thank you for your generous donations to keep this site going and growing!

Keep the support coming, thanks everyone!

We get interviewed for an upcoming online piece for an urban farming magazine (to air and be published in spring)

Jolly Justin laughs when the lady asked what he does in his “free time”  Ummm, let me guess - farm!  Yep, can’t get this guy out of the soil.  He lives, eats, breathes farming.

Farmer D shows off the urban farm’s front yard telling the story how nearly 20 years ago he turned the grass over into front yard food production.  Too bad they came in winter (”tween season”) - not much in the way of huge food production but they, hopefully, get the picture.

Jordanne shows of the animal yard and eggs and talks about how it’s important to be good stewards of the animals.

Ah, it’s those two again.  If they were human I’d like to think they’d have their own comedy show.  This duo remind me of Laverne and Shirley… too late to change their names though.  Oh well.

The goats on the “boardwalk” behind the garage

Headless chickens!  Nope, morning preening time.  Get those feather’s looking purty.

Shake, shake, shake, shake those feathers!  Add a bit of disco music - you get the picture.

Dawn (our oldest surviving duck from the 2003 flock) gets ready to take an afternoon nap.  The cold weather slows her down a bit but she’s healthy and happy - and that’s all the matters.

Goat napping.   Sheesh, there’s those eyes again looking at me.  Such a silly character!

Estella, another character.  When she walks she looks like Charlie Chaplin - seriously.  It’s a scream.

Amy now hangs out with her gal friends in the animal yard - though in a separate pen until she heals up.  For those of you who have been following Amy’s saga, she’s slowly doing better.  Every week we see a slight improvement.  Don’t know where I last left off but her balance (on land) is better.   I am afraid she won’t have any tail feathers to speak of (until the next molt) since she wore them down using her butt to keep her balance.

I find that after a massage she get’s a little worse the next day but then the following day after she walks and hold her head a little better.  She’s taking to stretching her neck out all the way out - forward.  Something she’s never done before.  And she also get’s up on her legs and flaps both wings a good sign because before she could only do this ducky flap in water.

Oh and this week, she’s back sleeping in the poultry house and she is SOOOOO happy.  Of course, we are too because now that it’s cooler the windows aren’t open and having her in the house was getting, shall I say, a bit musty.

Limes and outdoor solar shower (not in use mind you - it’s too cccccold!)

Praying manti egg case

Blooming squash - kinda late!

Boots.  A must for any urban homesteaders or farmer.   With these ones, they easily slip on and off.  To reduce unnecessary housework we take off our shoes.

Jordanne does a bit of webwork.  Even though it’s chilly in the morning and evenings we haven’t turned on the wood stove to take the nip out of the air.  Instead we bundle up!

Notice too, that we don’t use any unnecessary light.  If it’s day, we use daylight for our low impact life.

Also if you look closely you’ll see some orange clippers.  Don’t tell them yet, but looks like it’s hoof trimming time!

Farmer D packs a FreedomSeed.org order.   When we found out that Monsanto owned much of the vegetable seeds after their takeover of Seminis a few years back, we have been slowing converted our micro farm to grow non Monsanto owned varieties and are offering these seeds to you!

Picking salad for a client

After lunch Farmer D takes a minute to contemplate.  Jordanne sneaks a picture…. life on the urban homestead.  Betcha he’s thinking about the new honey shed.  One day, he just up and scribbled some plans on the piece of paper and then voila - a shed is born.   There’s a lot going on in that brain..

Also notice the front door’s open.   Even though we have chilly night and mornings still enjoying mildly warm weather.

And where ever we go the stainless steel water bottle is always with us.

Justin goes in to wash the salad greens

On the porch sits a bike for “I have to run an errand”

Justin packs up orders from our online store (PeddlersWagon.com)  The wire basket (right) are our best sellers this year.

Oh and there’s some news I need to tell you about.   We had reports from customers that they were having trouble ordering.  Seems that our new security patch wasn’t compatible with older web browsers.  Took us awhile but we finally got a patch and the problem is solved.  But it’s always good to update your browsers because newer software doesn’t bother with those who don’t.

In these hard economic times, we do appreciate your choosing to purchase from our online store.  The extra money made goes towards supporting our network of sites.

Tags: , ,
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (10 votes) Loading ... Loading ...

Topics: Citified Farm Animals, Garden, Homestead, News, PTF Spotlights, Posts by Anais, Website Updates | Tags: , ,

RELATED POSTS:

6 Responses to “AROUND THE URBAN HOMESTEAD pt 3”

  1. Lu Says:
    December 3rd, 2009 at 5:51 pm

    You guys are such an inspiring family. I discovered your site last winter around this same time of cold gray days here in Oregon. To see photos of your tomatoes that are still growing is delightful. There are many of us out here who are aspiring to get to your level of low impact and conscious choices. Thank you for letting all of us be a part of the work that you do.

  2. CE Says:
    December 4th, 2009 at 10:29 am

    I agree with Lu completely.
    And as for too may pictures: Is that possible? I love love love seeing you all and your little farm. This is especially true for those of us who had to stop growing things earlier in the fall.
    I can’t afford a plane trip but I can jump on the net and visit SoCal for a few mintues with you all. Thanks.

  3. DoubleD Says:
    December 6th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

    Fun pictures and I am glad that the duck continues to improve.

  4. Beany Says:
    December 6th, 2009 at 7:12 pm

    My favorite pictures are always the ones indoors. I love seeing how simple and neat everything is. I love the fact that so much is handmade. I love that you live a low powered life.

    And of course, I love the bicycle!

  5. AROUND THE URBAN HOMESTEAD pt 4 | Little Homestead in the City Says:
    December 7th, 2009 at 6:04 am

    [...] AROUND THE URBAN HOMESTEAD pt 3 | [...]

  6. Sandi Araiza Says:
    December 8th, 2009 at 5:17 am

    Thanks so much for posting all the photos. They are quite inspiring. Please give us more “day in the life” posts.

Comments