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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
« AROUND THE URBAN HOMESTEAD | Main | FROM OUR URBAN HOMESTEAD TO YOURS »
December 24, 2009
Celebrating 10 Years Online 1999-2009
To commemorate our decade long online presence we’ve put together a pictorial urban homesteading calendar highlighting our favorite photos of the garden, animals, flowers, butterflies and more!
Don’t pass up this opportunity….
Support our growing online presence and outreach to the next level.
LITTLE HOMESTEAD IN THE CITY 2010 CALENDAR (11″ x 17″)
BUY NOW for $20.00 (plus $4.00 shipping)
THANK YOU
Friends, family, readers, supporters & volunteers
This winter we celebrated our 10 year anniversary of being online. What a decade it has been!
Looking back we’ve had our share of valleys and peaks but as 2009 we’d like to take this time to thank our supporters who have taken the time and supported us in many ways either with encouraging emails, letters, gifts (some handmade), donations and or online purchases via our two stores Peddlers Wagon and Freedom Seeds
We are truly blessed to have had this opportunity to have inspired the birth of the modern urban homesteading movement and share our sustainable journey with you.
Wishing everyone a blessed, productive and healthy new year!
The Dervaes family
Tags:
butterflies,
Garden,
homesteading,
outreach,
support,
Urban Homestead,
urban homesteading,
urban homesteading calendar
Topics: Homestead, Posts by Anais, Uncategorized | Tags: butterflies, Garden, homesteading, outreach, support, Urban Homestead, urban homesteading, urban homesteading calendar
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PATH TO FREEDOM
PEDDLER'S WAGON
FREEDOM GARDENS
"LITTLE HOMESTEAD"
DERVAES GARDENS
URBAN HOMESTEADING
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December 25th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Dear Anais,
Have caught up on the families travels as I relaxed this afternoon after a wonderful Christmas lunch. Made a terrific read. What an incredible journey you undertook.
Thank you for a wonderful blog.
A happy Christmas from the “land downunder”.
Cheers to you and 10 years online.
Anita
December 25th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Dear Dervaes Family,
Thank you for the facisnating blog and have a very Merry Christmas!
Tracey-WA state
December 28th, 2009 at 6:27 am
[...] LHITC 2010 CALENDARS | [...]
December 28th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Hello Dervaes Family - I am very pleased to find that you have published a calendar! It’s a great idea and I am looking forward to receiving it. It will inspire me all year. It’s snowing here now…most of the 21″ we got last week has melted, but a big storm is predicted for the end of the week. Yikes! I will stay in and plan next year’s garden.
Hope you had a nice holiday and best wishes for a Happy New Year -
From Martha in snowy CT
December 28th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
are there pictures of the different months, in the calendar?
December 30th, 2009 at 6:12 am
[...] BUY NOW ($20 plus $4 shipping) and support this site. [...]
December 31st, 2009 at 8:50 am
[...] BUY NOW ($20 plus $4 shipping) and support this site. [...]
January 1st, 2010 at 6:11 am
[...] yes, and to sell 1000 Little Homestead in the City calendars~ time’s running out! (Note: Jordanne informed me that the handful of calendars we’ve [...]
January 4th, 2010 at 11:24 am
[...] We rang in the new year with one of Jordanne’s ultimately scrumptious chocolate peanut butter pie (tastes like a Reese cup but only a thousand times better) . She only makes these decadent desserts on special occasions and this year was one since we are celebrating a decade online. [...]
January 5th, 2010 at 7:59 am
[...] and patience or a link spreading the word or a purchase from our online stores, perhaps a Little Homestead in the City calendar or Freedom Gardens bumper sticker, Homegrown Revolution tee shirt or DVD, volunteer some of your [...]
January 6th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
[...] BUY NOW ($20 plus $4 shipping) and support this site. Tags: duck (1 votes) Loading … [...]
January 6th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
[...] Little Homestead in the City calendar arrived - [...]
January 13th, 2010 at 5:46 am
[...] Don’t forget, we are also offering Little Homestead in the City calendars. [...]
January 14th, 2010 at 8:11 am
[...] BUY NOW ($20 plus $4 shipping) and support this site. Tags: bread, granola, homegrow, homegrown, homemade, homesteading, nature, salad, Simple Living, support, Urban Homestead, urban homesteading, urban homesteading calendar, weekly meal wrap up (Rate this Post!) Loading … [...]
January 20th, 2010 at 6:33 am
[...] BUY NOW ($20 plus $4 shipping) and support this site. oh my, I just opened my calendar which came this afternoon!!!!! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! [...]