Well, since Justin isn't here to explain the goings on in the photos (he's out visiting a local beekeeping supply company with a friend - more on that later)  I can share with you photos and all that I know is going on with his latest tinkerings.

He finally figured out the missing part that was missing in the plans and he's completed the last bit of the assembly.

These past two weeks he's been attaching all sorts of contraptions to a bike that will, though, pedaling generate electricity.   Yep, handy man Justin says we can power our TV, laptop, or anything with a plug here on the urban homestead (which, of course, is not very many!)  Nonetheless, we can use this nifty contraption at events - perhaps power the projector or stereo when we host film screenings or when we are out tabling charge our laptop.

Haven't yet tried it out, but I think he's going test everything this weekend.  Always something new and exciting happening here on the urban homestead as we continue to strive for self sufficiency.

P.S. Like to send a huge thank you to a longtime reader and supporter of PTF from across the pond.  LOVED the old "Self Sufficiency" magazines which contained timeless wisdom and practical advice.  They don't make magazines like the used to.   Thank you for sharing.

Harnessing Human Energy

'Bike based machines leave a light imprint on the earth and are a great way to harness human energy.' ~ Nate Byerley (The Juice Peddler)~

The other day we received a flyer from the cycle-lutionary group of NoCal cycler's informing us that the stationary bike blender kit is now available. Guess what that means? Yep, you can now purchase thebike blender kit from ouronline store. As some of you already know the bike blender that we put together with Nate's prototype model is on display at theCAFAM Museum until Dec 31.  Don't forget to check out the "Street Signs and Solar Ovens: Socialcraft in Los Angeles" exhibit! What will become of the bike blender after the museum exhibit? Blend up some smoothies of course! Also, we plan on using it at events (when the weather is warm!) and making it available for community use (If you would like the bike blender to show up then drop us an email)

How does the bike blender work?

The blender is driven by a friction wheel on the side of the rear tire (much like an old school dynamo). There is no chain or belt drive to worry about, which makes installation and removal a snap.

Practical use

Blend dips, spreads, hummus, fruit-smoothies, vegetable purée, and grain with no use of electricity. Perfect in your own kitchen to get some daily exercise. Spins up to 6400 revolutions per minute. "Bicycle machines" are pedal-powered machines that act as an intermediate and appropriate technology.

What is Pedal Power?

Chances are you are familiar with pedal power at least in its most conventional form: Bicycle-riding! The idea of pedaling to create energy that can be translated into work has been expanded beyond the conventional form. By pedaling a bicycle one can power a television, a laptop, a washing machine, a drill press . . . the options are limited only by your imagination.

On Saturday we joined the celebration and many bike loving folks from the LA area for theLife Can Be So Car-Free event at the new Los Angeles State Historic Park (previously was the site for the"Not A Cornfield" project). Justin, Jordanne and I along with a friend rode our bikes the 9 or so miles to the event from Pasadena. We were going to hitch up the new bike trailer so we could bring the goats, but thought it best otherwise since it was going to be about a 45min to an hour ride. So Jules joined us down at the park, bringing the goats in the biodiesel suburban. The ride was great - mostly downhill.  From our house we took the scenic arroyo seco route, joined up with our friend at the railroad crossing at York and Pasadena avenue in South Pasadena, then proceeded down Figueroa, Daly, then ended up somewhere near Broadway.

JB and Jordanne walked the goats around the park. We took them off leash for the time being until a ranger came over and informed us that the park had a leash law. After he informed us in his grave monotone voice and was walking away, we complied but wondered if we should point out that these were two goats - not dogs! I guess we have to give him the benefit of the doubt. Whoever saw goats with harnesses and a leash?  

Boy, I really could kick myself. Why?  I could have captured a spectacular shot of Jordanne walking the goats against the skyline of the City of Los Angeles - how neat a shot that would have been! I did bring my camera, but the batteries were dead - stupid, stupid! I spotted a man who was taking pictures of his wife and baby and approached him to see if he couldn't take the picture for me. He so kindly obliged and said he would send them to me by email... haven't received them yet.

Justin was having fun checking out all the bikes and the trailer contraptions people had rigged up. We stayed until after dark, and with our not having the proper night riding equipment, we took the biodiesel suburban home - bikes, goats and all.

Drizzle

After a brief "Indian Summer" like weather last week, this week looks to be more fall-like. We had some drizzle on Monday morning and there's a chance of rain (60%) Wednesday night into Thursday.   So up go the tarps once again to cover the plywood. We figure on keeping them on till the metal roofing contractors get sorted out. One was supposed to call yesterday but never did. Very frustrating, this is. 

Roof Report

Today, Jules and Justin are working on finishing putting up the last of the whole plywood - should be finished in a day or two. Next, they'll have to put up some new wood for the eaves over the girls bedroom. Then get someone to help with the eave supporting brackets, peeling eave paint, installation of the metal roof and that about does it! OK, ok, getting ahead of myself here.

Small is beautiful

How Does Our Garden Grow?

With the cooler weather the green crops have grown practically overnight. The limas beans and peppers are still going strong (eating and freezing). We harvested the last of the lemon cucumbers and avocados. This week I'll harvest 1/2 of what's left of the basil crop to make a bunch of pesto to freeze. Still harvesting tomatoes and hopefully will continue throughout the fall, thanks to the late batch we planted mid summer. In the fruit department, the strawberry guavas are sill giving us lots of fruit. There are a few ripe strawberries and the last clusters of elderberries were harvested and frozen.

Bike blender complete

Looking Ahead

This week, the folks from the Craft and Folk Art Museum are expected to come and pick up some of the homestead's wares, bike blender and hand powered appliances. So we'll be getting that all together and ready for them. We are going to miss having our James Washer/Wringer - it's been a great addition to the homestead. Although small (makes one frugal about not wanting too many clothes) and very expensive, it does work well.

Yesterday, we received a call from a green consulting firm who is working with the City of Pasadena to put together a community event to coincide with World Environmental Day next June, PTF was asked to participate and we are thrilled at the chance to be a part of this collaborated environmental event.   Stay tuned for details.

For those of you who weren't able to view the ABC7 video. Jordanne will be uploading it sometime this week.   The ABC piece was a call out of the blue. Here's an interesting tidbit from the interview: The reporter who came and did the segment grew up as a Mennonite in Ohio. She says she still does not have a dishwasher to this day. She adds, "I can just as well wash them by hand." Of course, she said her friends who come over are a bit perplexed by the lack of this appliance in her kitchen.   Our family has never had a dishwasher since its beginning in the 1970s.

We are also working on three new aspects to the website (that includes part 2). Now with the shorter days, we'll have more time to devote to getting part 2 done and hopefully launch the other two aspects we are working on.   So much to do, so many plans - stay tuned.

Press On

Not only are there things to do with the website, once the roof is complete, then it's time to turn our efforts towards the next steps in our journey - waste and water. Gutters need to be put up, cistern located, grey water pump and catchments area, compost toilet installed. Also, a solar attic fan (the City of Pasadena gives a rebate on solar attic fans to residents) and wood stove are to be installed.   Looking at the whole picture, we can get overwhelmed at times and would like instant solutions, but, like the story of the rabbit and the tortoise, "slow and steady wins the race." Not that we are in a race, but the "slow" principle applies. We just have to continue to remain focused and slowly chip away at the projects as we advance step by step along the path - "small and slow solutions." A friend of ours likes to end his emails with "press on" and we like encourage everyone of our readers to do the same.

Moving Up in the World

No, not what you think with status, money or gold - but with "black gold," soil that is. Every year around this time we have to take out the rich soil from the animal enclosure. This year that area of the yard has risen over 2 feet - thanks to the animals and constant mulching.    We'll be using some of the soil to enrich the raised beds; however, the majority will be used on the recently exposed soil from last fall's concrete removal. This part is the lowest spot in the yard and it needs good soil. Right now in that area we have what's left of the self-watering pots which will eventually be phased out once the soil is enriched.

Updated Photo Gallery

With summer closing and a new fall season on us, it was a good time to update the PTF's photo gallery (which has over 640 photos, btw) with photos from the summer. In the 2006 Yard folder there are larger resolution yard photos that were posted recently on the journal, also a few new goat photos, roof shots and bike blender (located in the 'pedal power' folder')    View the Photo Gallery - enjoy.

Harnessing Human Energy

Justin's been busy tinkering away - he loves fixing bikes. In no time he'd disassembled one of the many salvaged bikes, sanded and painted it, put on the bike blender attachment and pieced the bike back together - adding wheels from this bike, seat from another and so forth. I think Jordanne has her eye on it.  

This blender proto type is not yet on the market so we are pretty excited about being one of the firsts to try it out.   I know we don't need another blender (we already have a hand-cranked one for the kitchen); however, this bike-blender will be great educational tool for kids or perhaps bringing it to events in the community and whip up some tasty smoothies.
Jules and Justin are now looking at plans for a pedal powered washing machine. We saw one up in Willits a few summer's back when we visited John Jeavon's and his Biointensive Garden.

PEDAL POWER - Powering Down While Powering Up

Today, with the heavy use of automobiles combined with the burning of fossil fuels, increasing problems are affecting human health and climate change as a result of air pollution. Pedal power energy has been in use since the nineteenth century. Aside from transportation, pedal-power energy can be applied to a tremendous variety of jobs that contribute to less pollution and conserve energy in the home. Pedal power uses the most powerful muscles in the body: the quads, hamstrings, and calves, converting ninety-five percent of exertion into energy.
Many tools and appliances can be run directly with mechanical energy. With an old exercise bike, a generator, and a fan belt, human energy can be converted into Direct Current (DC) electricity. Some examples of tools that can be operated by pedal power are the table saw, band saw, meat grinder, wood carver, water pump, thresher and winnower, stone polisher, lathes, and pottery wheels. Appliances such as a juicer, grain mill, butter churn, and washing machine can also be used with pedal power. On the farm, pedal power can pump water, plow, and clean grain. The list of applications that pedal power can be incorporated with can go on and on.
Ninety-five percent of the exertion put into pedal power is converted into energy. The average rider at a continuous road speed of twelve miles per hour can produce a quarter horsepower, or enough energy to light two, one hundred-watt light bulbs (Wilson 1977).An important aspect of pedal power is that when the cranks are spun, the force is put into the machine unevenly. The energy being produced comes shakily and in spurts. A flywheel can be used to curb the effect of the unevenness associated with pedaling. Flywheels weigh between twenty-five and thirty-five pounds. The inertia of the spinning flywheel when spun at speed evens out the spikes of force that occur when pedaling
Pedal Power is an excellent source of energy. Pedal power can be applied to a wide range of jobs. Pedal Power is a simple, cheap, and convenient source of energy. With the human population at six billion and growing, pedal power can be incorporated in the lives of families living in third world countries to improve the quality of their lives while being friendly to the earth. Pedal Power is an appropriate technology for now and for the future.
read more

In the Garden

Top left: nasturtium, roof progress, backyard, driveway, backyard patio/cob
oven, back porch

BOOKMARKS
Earth Headed for Warmest Temps in a Million Years {ABCNews}

In about 45 years, temperatures on Earth will be hotter than at anytime during the past one million years, says the U.S. government's top climatologist in a new report released today.According to the report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the planet is just two degrees shy of an average temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit, which is what they believe the temperature was about a million years ago.
read more

The guys spent most of the past couple days trying to finish the last bit of plywood on the roof eaves. First, they lifted up and leveled the eaves with some 2"'x3" lumber and then put down the plywood. So now, the front porch and northwest side of the house are finally finished!!! My room, which was an addition, and the damaged eaves on the southeast side are the only things left to do. However, before they can put the 12 sheets of plywood on the addition, they'll have to add 8 more rafters because the original ones are 32" apart.
As I mentioned before, normally for metal roof installation you usually do not have to put down plywood; however, with the ~90 year old redwood rafters and purlins of all different sizes and shapes, we felt better putting up plywood. Plywood helped tie everything together and also give a brand new base to attach the metal roof to. It is interesting to say the least to work with an old house. There are all sorts of surprises - one example is the rafters should be about 24" on center- however, ours range anywhere from 29" to 22".   Boy, if the roof wasn't so messed up, crooked, wavy, slanted and sagging we would have been done a long time. ago. OK, it was nice to vent a little, but I wouldn't trade this old redwood house for a new one.

A friend of ours was thoughtful to consider how hot it must be on the roof - working in such heat that we had! He bought us each some " solar powered"presents THANKS very much.

Bike Blender

We received Nate "top secret prototype bike blender" yesterday that can be mounted on any bike without having to buy theXtracycle. Justin has already sanded and painted one old bike that will be used to power the bike blender. Photos will be posted after everything is put together.

CAFAM Exhibit
Email from one of the curators:

For the exhibition catalog, we will be doing xeroxed and stapled 8.5 X 11inch paper (real diy- the cover will be one color, the guts another.) it'llbe double-sided on recycled paper.We are asking the artists to contribute "how to" pages.
(deadline Sept 30th)

Yikes, not much in the way of lead-time! So far we've got (with help/references from various online sources)

Eco-Laundry

Harvesting Herbs

Herbal Vinegars

Handwashing Clothes

Home Canning Basics

Pedal Power - bike blender

Line Drying - 'letting it all hang out'

Pedal Power - harnessing human energy

Reusing Graywater

Winemaking

Powering Down

Seed Saving

Of course, we don't have time to write such information, but thanks to reference on the internet I think we've put something together that's informative.

Q & A
A reader writes:

Q. What is the purpose of the goats, the turtle, the ducks, and Quinn (its a bird you have I just don't know what it is called)? I saw that you feed them leftovers then compost their poop, but couldn't you just compost the leftovers?
A. Our animals not only provide us with companionship, they are vital to the holistic structure of the urban homestead's ecosystem.

• The chickens and ducks provide us with eggs (we call them "sunshine
  eggs") which are much more healthful than any eggs you can buy at the store
  
• Duck and chickens also are good at turning over soil in our raised beds
  at the end of the season and eating the "bad" bugs. Our property is so small
  that we let the chickens and ducks loose in the garden sometimes (under
  supervision, of course - because they can get carried away) .
• There are movable "tractors" that you can build. Google "chicken
  tractors" and you'll find plans, I am sure.
• Ducks and turtles love snails (and slugs!) which are a menace to any
  garden
• The goats will one day provide us with milk
• These backyard barnyard animals are great composters and give
  nutrient rich fertilizer. We like to call the animals our pet organic
  compost system. Why? You are right, we could just compost the
  leftovers but the animals take the kitchen scraps and instead of waiting for
  months for the leftovers to break down into soil, they turn the food scraps
  into organic fertilizer and compost in a matter hours. Very efficient.
• Chickens and goats can be used as a method of weed control
• We are vegetarian so we don't eat our animals, but if you were to eat
  meat these animals would provide you with a protein food source.
• Each of the animals (yes, even chickens!), has its own different
  and unique personalities. We jokingly tell folks " we don't have cable tv, we
  have animals." They provide us with hours of entertainment - they are fun to
  watch.
• Goats are great pets - you can train them like dogs. We take ours for
  walks
• We don't "compost their poop" their poop can be immediately used in
  the garden (no composting necessary). The soil of our animal enclosure is
  now rich, black dirt thanks to all their droppings.
  
  Q. I want chickens, I've seen that your family doesn't buy a lot of
  stuff so I'm assuming you make chicken/duck feed some how. How do you do it?A. We feed the chickens primarily with greens from our garden; however, to be
  healthy and lay eggs and because of our restricted space, they do need
  chicken food as a supplement which contains needed grains (with more land
  you could probably grown enough grains for your animals). For that we are a
  part of a local co-op where we can get 50lbs of organic chicken and duck
  feed/grain for $15. This will last us a few months. We also supplement their
  diet with scraps from the kitchen - they love rice, spaghetti, fruits,
  beans, and even cheese.

And yet another

Q. You've written a bit about installing a metal roof. Can you explain the benefits?
A. There are many benefits of owning a metal roof. Here are just a few to consider:
Energy Efficient

Metal roofing is on the leading edge of technology with a wide variety of finishes, designs and colors that provide greater energy savings compared to most other non-metal roofing products on the market today.

Sustainable

Metal roofing is sustainable. It contains significant recycled content. It lasts much longer than most non-metal roofing products. It is 100% recyclable at the end of its useful life.

Low Life-Cycle Costs and Durable

Metal roofing has been proven to be more durable than most other roofing systems available. As a result, metal roofing has low life-cycle costs making it the choice of many school, government, commercial, industrial and institutional building owners.

Fire and Wind Resistant

Metal roofing is extremely fire resistant and can be designed to withstand strong winds.

Lightweight

Due to its light weight per unit area, structural savings can be realized in a building when compared to using heavier non-metal roofing alternatives. For re-roofing projects, metal roofing can often be applied over the original roof, saving removal and disposal costs.
more
(Also most metal roofs are safe for the collection of rainwater!)

another:

Q How did you construct your recycled concrete patios and walkways? The circular shape of the concrete pieces creates such a nice flow – much different from standard pavers. Do you need a lot of masonry experience to make them?

A. We rented a jackhammer from a local building material store to break up the ~20'x~30' concrete slab into a variety of shapes and sizes. We were able to 'make' two sunflowers out of a couple of sections.   We've had no formal masonry experience - just a "good eye" for design.

Q. I have been reading up on raising chickens for eggs in a backyard(urban) setting and I came across an issue that is not answered well by the meat eating author: Since egg production of chickens drops off as they get older, what do you do with the older birds? We are vegetarian and I could never bring myself to kill anything, let alone one of our pets just because they got to old to lay! Will you let your hens grow old in your coop and just hatch new chicks to eventually replace them? Also, have you ever had trouble with rats eating your eggs or bothering your chickens?

A. Good question. Our hens are already nearly 5 years old and their egg production either has stopped completely or has slowed down. We are vegetarian and consider them as pets and we couldn't kill them so we are letting them retire and live out their lives; however, if you decide to have a much larger flock (than we have) and if you have limited space you may have to consider giving them away for adoption as pets, find a farm in the area that will let them live out their retirement years in peace or have someone who would know how to humanely and reverently kill the chicken for meat for their family (last resort!)

Depending how much eggs you need, 4-6 hens are sufficient for a small household (depending on how much eggs you eat) Along with our two ducks (Khaki Campbells who are steady egg producers and don't get broody!) we can supply eggs for our family's needs.

No, we don't have or have had any trouble with rats eating eggs or bothering our chickens. We do occasionally have problems with rats eating the chicken food. We had wanted to hatch chickens this year to expand and bring to replenish our diminishing flock; however, we just got too busy. So, hopefully, in Spring!

still another

Q. Your pictures are awesome. I wish I could zoom in and see things better. Hint, hint. Would that kill your bandwidth?

A. Yes, the larger pictures would increase our bandwidth, but I promise to add some of the latest yard shots intophoto gallery so you can see in better detail.

and yet another

Q. Curious if you would be interested/able/willing to offer the "how-to" booklet you'll be providing at the Craft and Folk Art museum on your site?

A. We are submitting one page documents which the curators will then have bound into a booklet/catalog form. I'll keep you posted on if they will be made available.

More From the Inbox

I read your list of this year's accomplishments. Somehow you modestly omitted putting on there the inspiration you (and your family and your very public way of living your Path) are to the rest of us. When I saw the "100 mile potluck" on there I knew I had to write.We held a "100 mile potluck" here in Westchester (LAX area of L.A.) in August, modeled after yours.............. I was tickled to read how your garden gave little in the way of cucumbers this year, because over here, I had lemon cukes coming outof my ears - such a harvest of cukes I have never had. We'll have to write it up to microclimes!
Los Angeles

I hope I didn't give the impression of being happy in one of the journal posts when we were informed of other gardeners also having tomato trouble. Yes, "misery loves company" but there's a fine line, for sure. Of course, we were relieved to hear that we were not alone in our struggles, but we weren'tthrilled by the fact that other gardeners were having a hard time - especially those urban and rural farmers who (like ourselves) depend on the earth to provide them with their daily bread and annual sustenance.   Just wanted to clear that up. 

Here are some more emails we have received : (thanks to all for writing, we love hearing from fellow travelers along the path!)

YOU GUYS ROCK!!! I finally found a real family to lend me inspiration. CONGRATS to you-your website is my new bible.
Canada

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... you are the most amazing and inspiring family we have met in a long while.We lived in rural Montana for three years (I partially grew up on a ranch in MT, divorced parent) and meeting you all was such a relief, as we hadn't been around organic farmers who cared for the earth and themselves and others for a long while.It's a tough place here in many ways. But it's a good spiritual challenge as well. Took us a while to get back on our feet and recoverfrom the glitz of LABut the nice thing is their were folks here that inspired and continue to inspire us.(We) thank you all for just being yourselves and trucking right along. We are continually inspired by you and all the work youdo.
Los Angeles

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Dear Mr. Dervaes,I discovered your website quite a while ago and ever since I have been thinking about contacting you. After reading your backgroundinformation I was intrigued by your story: "he became increasingly disillusioned with the American way of life... he began a search for amore meaningful lifestyle" All that sounds pretty familiar to me and something I can relate to. I'm in my early twenties and during thecouple of past years I've been studying miscellaneous subjects at my local university here in Finland, but the future looks bleak. Thispath I'm on seems to be leading towards the rat race, meaningless nine to five jobs in cubicles, boardroom meetings, living out your dreamsonly after retirement at 65 etc. So lately I've been looking into alternative ways of life and surfing endless web pages aboutself-sufficiency, ecovillages, frugality, simplicity and permaculture. It's all very interesting, but I'm not completely reassured. Oneuseful piece of advice I found was to consult someone who has more experience.
Finland

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I have certainly been inspired...I am only 23 and have been married for almost three years.  I do not have children yet, and live in an apartment in the Fingerlakes Region in New York State. My husband and I are striving to live a more self-sufficient life, and I stumbled upon your website this evening. I am so speechless, I just had to email you just to let you know that I found it! I will email again once I finish reading it!  I perform many of the same practices that you do, however, again...I am too speechless to go on....thank you for putting your life story out there- I feel strangely connected to you in a communal sort of way. It's touching and deep...thanks.New York(yes, I run my own "one room school house" out of my apartment, where I encourage my students to live green and to live self-sufficiently...and yes, we also have our own small garden...only 22 x 26 though.)
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Hello Dervaes Family,What a wonderful website. I visit it religiously everyday to read any new updates in the journal. Can hardly wait for Part 2! I think what you are doing is so fantastic, especially in the middle of a city! You truly are pioneers of our time.I to have a dream to be able to live like you do, and maybe someday it will become a reality. Everyone tells me that I was born in the wrong era, I should have been a pioneer (I'm 32 and have felt this way for most of my life).
.... I imagine you hear from a lot of people around the world. Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know that you are an inspiration to me. Keep up the great work! The earth thanks you!Take care!A kindred spirit,CanadaP.S. I love the quote "A step backwards is progress." Jules Dervaes

BOOKMARKS
Researchers: Homes have more TVs than people {CNN}

The average American home now has more television sets than people.That threshold was crossed within the past two years, according to Nielsen Media Research. There are 2.73 TV sets in the typical home and 2.55 people, the researchers said.
read more

The religious war on bottled water {TheGlobeandMail}

Church groups decry profit-fuelled crazeBottled water has never gone down smoothly with many environmentalists, who view it as an extravagantly wasteful way of quenching a thirst, but the product is facing criticism from an unexpected source -- religious groups.Some churches in Canada have started to urge congregants to boycott bottled water, citing ethical, theological and social justice reasons. Bottled water, they argue, is morally tainted and should be avoided.
read more

When genetically modified plants go wild {CSMonitor}

Even advocates of these crops were shaken recently when GM plants 'escaped' from test areas.
read more

World 'warmest for 12,000 years {BBC}

Earth has warmed by 0.6C (1F) over the past 30 years, research shows The world is the warmest it has been in the last 12,000 years as a result of rapid warming over the past 30 years, a study has suggested.
read more

Sabbath-Rosh Hashanah Hike

Yesterday was an absolutely lovely day for a hike - blue skies and nice breeze. We, along, with a friend hiked the upper Arroyo Seco to the dam (about 6 miles round trip)

What a great (free and natural) way to relax and de-stress after a hard weeks work and share in the beauty of creation - and realize how blessed we are.

Craft and Folk Art Museum: Street Signs and Solar Ovens: Socialcraft in
Los Angeles - October 22 - December 31, 2006

A revolutionary exhibition featuring artwork created with social activism as its inspiration. Dubbed “socialcraft”, the objects on display are examples of unique artworks utilized by communities and individuals in their quest for social change.Street Signs and Solar Ovens will feature protest art meant for public display such as hand-crafted demonstration signs, posters, t-shirts, as well as examples of instruments for socially-conscious living such as eco-friendly appliances.

Path to Freedom has been asked to participate in this community and social exhibit - we are excited.   We met with a few of the curators a few weeks ago as they scouted the homestead for items they wanted us to feature. They've chosen theJames handwasher/wringer with attached garden hose, clothes line, an assortment of our hand cranked kitchen appliances, preserves and bike blender (talked withNatethe other day and he said that he's shipping his secret prototype blender and we should receive it this week). Unfortunately, our homemadesun oven andbike wheat grinder were too big to showcase because of limited space so they had to choose only a few items from the urban homestead.

The curator has also asked for us to make up a "how to" booklet to go along with the exhibit. We love new challenges and should be fun to see how it all comes together.

Fixing an old bike to make into a bike blender

The guys are busy fixing up one of the many salvaged bikes that will be exhibiting the blender - giving it a good cleaning and new paint job. Justin's been repairing and rebuilding bikes since he was a teenager -- you should see the cellar! He's cannibalized all sorts of bikes and has collected so many parts (hates to throw them away). Back when we had time, he would save/salvage used bikes, fix and give them a new paint job, then sell them.

Urban Homestead Happenings

Now that it's darker earlier, it's time to check the oil lamp wicks and make sure we have a decent supply of rolled beeswax and soy candles.

Another project that's on our "to do list" is installing a "alternative" heating source. We'd like to get the wood stove in (another step in the low energy direction) before the metal roofing starts. So, on Monday we'll be contacting the guy who is going to help us install the stove to see when he can come out.   After searching the web and reading about all the different stoves, we settled on theJotul F100 Why? Well, size really made the decision for us. This model is the only stove that will fit in our tiny fireplace. Then, of course, the price-- it's affordable.  Last, but not least, the reviews:

" Jotul is widely regarded as the best cast-iron stove manufacturer in the world"

On Friday, after deliveries, we went to the grocer for our monthly shopping trip (~ $300). I usually stock  up on most of our supplies at Trader Joes (with staples we can't get from the co-op and sometimes TJ's cheaper than the co-op on some items0. We've been patronizing the store since the 90's and, lucky for me, I know pretty much everyone and they don't roll their eyes when they see me coming - instead good natured kidding and comments.

Fresh fruit from the garden for breakfast. Baby greens.

The tender salad greens are back on the menu.   Our salads with the kales, arugula, assorted lettuces, and cresses are considerably yummy and we sure did miss them for a few weeks during the heat.  

There's still fresh fruit to be harvested and we are enjoying it while the season lasts.

Swedish Bitters

Last February Patty wrote about making her ownherbal bitters and this has been on my to-do list for sometime. Now,with our getting into making our own herbal tinctures and so forth, I figured it was about time to track down the herbs that make up the famous swedish bitter herb recipe Unfortunately, the mixture of herbs isn't easy to find in the States any more. After doing a quick search on the internet, I came across asupplier in the UK.   I wrote them to ask if they ship to the States and, so far, nothing - urgh!

Anyone in the UK who's willing to order this for me- email us and we'll pay pal you some money.

Kitchen Skills

Also Jordanne (and, of course, myself) is wanting to make our own kefirs and kombucha tea. Jordanne forwarded me alink to a site where you can get free kefir grains and kombucha culture and so I've contacted someone in the area (haven't heard back yet - wonder if the contact info is still relevant?).

I also have to make asourdough starter starter once again. I lost the sourdough starter I had made and was keeping back in '04 when we kids traveled to New Orleans (on the train) to visit our grandmother.   Now, it's about time to get the starter started once again - especially for winter baking.

Also on our to do list is to makeRejulevac tea.    Why on this health kick all of a sudden? Well, recently, we've been feeling run down, more so this year than ever before. Even though we've been eating healthful foods and relying on herbs and natural remedies practically all our lives, it's time to step things up a bit and add a little boost to our diet.
With the cooler weather Justin can start growing wheatgrass once again - that stuff is the best.

Citified Farm Animals

Fairlight and Blackberry

We've been receiving a lot of email lately about keeping animals in the city.
Regarding animals in Pasadena, here's the link to thecity code/ordinanceon keeping of animals:Pasadena residents are legally allowed to keep certain fowl and goats; however, there are certain restrictions, of course. We are fortunate not to have any neighbors on 3 sides of our property - which is quite unusual.

We've had several city officials tour our place and not one of them voiced any concern over our animal situation. We basically consider our few "farm" animals pets and they are not raised for fighting or breeding purposes. They are not a public nuisance (no rooster helps) and the animal enclosure is properly maintained - cleaned every day (cleanliness is a MUST for citified animals)

Top two photos: recycled concrete patio. Middle: animal enclosure, part of back yardBottom: another view of the middle garden, peppers and the tomato tunnel

In the Garden

One thing about edible landscaping and gardening is that every year you have to go in a re-adjust and tweak. Fruit trees and edible perennials mature which slowly change the dynamics of the yard from year to year. Each year around this time, Jules goes through the yard and analyzes the situation - is this tree now casting too much shade, will we have to move that edible shrub, this didn't grow well this year, do we move it or try again. Each year and season, the garden is ever evolving - never stagnate or the same. Sure, the end result looks beautiful and productive; yet, it takes a lot of work adjusting to the yard's growing pains.

Roof Report

Well, there was not much work done on the roof this last week because we had spend time tidying up for news crew that was scheduled to come on Friday (they canceled at the last minute because of breaking news).   Anyhow, we are running into some problems (not surprised!). The new wood (plywood and redwood) that we have brought in is attracting termites from our neighbor's house - they smell fresh wood. Our 1917 house (made with redwood) has NO termites, but both our closest neighbors, who are renting, well, both their homes are infested with termites and they are too afraid to say anything, in fear of the landlord raising the rent.   So, it may be that we will have to treat the new wood now because the guys have spotted termites burying into the new wood.   Just something else to contend with on top of everything else.

Anyhow, after a brief respite from working on the roof\, because we really needed to get the beds and garden prepared for fall and winter, the guys are back working on cutting the remaining plywood for the edges today. We've had a few contractors come out to give us estimates about putting in gable brackets to support the sagging eaves. Of course, we could probably do it ourselves if we had the right saw, but with winter approaching just around the corner, we are going to need a bit of extra hands/help.

Well, lots of work and things need to be done today. Then we are off to a friends for dinner!

BOOKMARKS
Health Officials Recall Organic Milk {KNBC}

First spinach and now tainted milk has infected people with E. coli bacteria, including A 7-year-old Riverside County boy, prompting a recall of some milk products, health officials said Friday.
read more

E.coli - getting to the root of the problem {OCA}

The recent tragic outbreak of E. coli contamination in spinach that has killed one person and poisoned at least 146 others, is being mistakenly blamed, by some in the media, on organic farming practices--specifically the use of animal manure in making fertilizer composton organic farms. While no conclusive source of the current E.coli outbreak has yet been determined, mountains of E.coli-tainted manure on conventional factory farm feedlots and rainfall-induced agricultural runoff are the likely culprits. Despite this fact, a number of apologists for industrial agriculture continue to attack organic food in the press as "unsafe."
read more

~ Sigmund Freud ~

WE ARE BACK

Did ya miss us???????

What happened? Well, last Saturday our computer crashed and it was feared we had lost all our files. Fortunately, we were lucky and JM, found them two days later. I had to backup and save everything before she flattened the computer. That was one heck of a job which took her 6 days! 

Once she flattened the computer and re-installed all the programs (took another day), we were trying to get back on line when the computer was attacked by a virus. Fixing that took another day.  One lesson learned from all this is to never save photos on a computer.

Now, my computer screen has got the shakes and it is making me dizzy. Have to figure out how to fix that now. HELP!

This unexpected occurrence and time "wasted" threw a real curve ball in the flow of progress around here. This week's going to be crazy catching up on the work that needs to be done!

I will try to give a brief outline of what happened here at the homestead these past ten days (minus the computer woes).

Saturday 20 - first day of Spring!

It was a absolutely gorgeous spring day. Puffy white clouds, blue skies and gentle breeze - perfect!!!!

The garden is growing like crazy. The plants that were hit hard by the frost are finally starting to recover. The weather's been so warm that the some of the strawberries are starting to bear!

Tia, the turtle, is finally awake, but shy and spends her days in her turtle mansion.

The solar PV panels made 9.5 KWH - most ever produced in a day, and we banked most of it! Whoohoo!

Sunday 21

A few guys came over to check out the biodiesel processor. One from Cal Tech who is interested in trying his theory -- that one can make biodiesel without the addition of methanol and lye.

We went with a few friend to hearTim Dundon (and the Promise Land Band) and his brother play at Dr. Music a local music shop.

Tim's brother (Pat) is a talented singer and he belted out wonderful Irish and show tunes. One of the highlights of the night of music was when Pat sung "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" in tribute toBobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brother's and close friend of his.

Monday 22

A computer technician and friend, came over and helped us with the computer, letting us borrow a hard-drive.

The guys are working on finishing paneling the garage. It's looking good!

A local Altadena guy that we meet at one of our Mixers dropped off some methanol that he had. He's trading it for some biodiesel that the guys should start producing in large quantities by early Summer. 

Speaking of biodiesel, JD's going to be adding a few gallons of our homebrewed biodiesel to the diesel for the Suburban. Over the next few weeks, he is going to gradually increase the percentage till we reach 100% of our own biodiesel.

Today, called around to some local Chinese restaurants asking if they'd be interested in sharing some of their grease. No luck. Bummer.

But a local burger joint expressed interest.  We will drop by to pick up a small sample so we can determine if it's good grease or not.

Tuesday 23

The guys finished the pedal power bicycle grain mill. Now we can grind grain and gain muscle!

The weather outlook is dismal. No rain in sight!   A  few days this week the weather teased us with overcast skies. It's the driest March in 50 years. Not a good sign.

A friend generously donated her TV for our workshop and in the evening we went over to pick it up and visited her lovely little hideaway in Highland Park. THANK YOU!

Thursday 25

We are going to participate in two local Earth Day festivals. One in Pasadena on Saturday April 17th and the Eco Maya Festival on April 24th and 25th.

We are working like crazy to try to get our biodiesel display ready. We are hoping to have signs for the car in addition to a bio-display. We only have three weeks... YIKES!!!!

Some ladies from the East Coast came buy for a tour of the garden that was put on by a local tea shop (and customer). It was a tour of gardens in Southern California and we were one of the stops after theSanta Barbara Botanic Gardens and beforeHuntington Gardens.

The guys are working on the planting the driveway. That's the worst place in the yard. Not much room to work with and we aren't quite sure what we want to do with it. Don't want to be hasty and make a mistake.

Friday 26

Upgraded PTF as the site's currently surpassing its percentage of its transfer quotas.  

When we have some time, JM will be moving some of the photos and other parts of the website to another server that someone generously donated. THANK YOU!

A lady from the school across the street stopped me in the yard and chatted a bit about butterflies and buying produce from us. She wondered if our stuff was organic and when I told her that it was, she looked at me in disbelief and stated that "she sees a guy spraying chemicals in the yard." I told her that it wasn't chemicals at all! That he (JC) is spraying organic foliar fertilizer.

She still had a hard time believing - people associate sprayers with chemicals. That's quite understandable.... things are not always as they appear!

Our clients orders are starting to pick up! Whoohoo.  We've added another customer( a small local bakery) and hope to add a few more. We plan to drop by samples at another local tea shop and a gourmet eatery.

Visited our friend a couple doors down who is a signer and songwriter (she was a part of the band HALF WAY HOME, which was featured in the Rolling Stones magazine a few year back). We hope she will have time to work with us - perhaps sing at some of our events.

Saturday 27

Went for a hike in the mountains. Haven't been there for sometime and we were a rather shocked at the lack of water for this time of year. Usually this Spring season the streams are filled and running, but with the lack of Spring rains they are dangerously low and stagnate in places. Unfortunately, it looks to be a bad year.

JD and JM took a few video clips that we hope to use in the making of the PTF video. JD has some great ideas for it... it should be fun!  JM  is a bit intimidated over the video program and is asking around for some help and advice.

Sunday 28

Today, JM and I hope to have an events calendar up with further details and blurbs on what's going to be happening here in the next few months.

Here's basically what's scheduled as of now:

April 17th - Pasadena'sGreening the Earth Day Festival at Memorial Park (11am - 3pm)

April 18th - Open "Homestead" - Spend an afternoon at "the farm" (2-6PM) RSVP

April 24th & 25th -Eco Maya Festival

May 2nd - Soapmaking 101 (2-8PM) Cost $25.  Payment due by April 23rd

May 13th - Knit/Crochet Out (6-8PM) RSVP

May 16th- Biodiesel Mixin Mixer (3-7PM) RSVP

June 23rd - Homebrewed Biodiesel (2-6PM) Cost $50 Space is limited

June 6th - Urban Homesteading (3-7PM) Cost $25

June 13th - Homebrewed Biodiesel (2-6PM) Cost $50 Space is limited

July 4th - Real Independence Day (4-8PM) RSVP

Space is limited so if you are interested,please contact us.

more to come..... stay tuned!!!

Weather Report: Nice

Justin working on pedal power, Jules & Jeremy cutting barrels

HOME SCHOOLED

The guys have been busy with the many projects here on the homestead.

Meanwhile, JM and I have been getting things organized for the biodiesel mixer -- compiling charts, facts, resources and so forth on the benefits of biofuel on the benefits of biofuel and we've all learned quite a lot!

What an wonderful opportunity to learn biodiesel as a step in our path to freedom - hands on -- diy -- experience. Otherwise, we'd have had to pay to attend workshops which I've seen aren't cheap!

We've learned so much just by doing, our "classroom" is our homestead.

ASSEMBLING A COMMUNITY WORKSHOP, PIECE BY PIECE

Finally got some wooden, fold up chairs yesterday. They had been sitting at a restaurant that we deliver to and I inquired if they were interested in selling them as they were just hanging around. They said yes and we ended up bartering our weekly produce delivery for these wonderful chairs. Now we have chair for the workshops, whoohooo! Love barter!!!

Weather Report: Bit warmer

IN FOR REPAIRS

The guys are repainting, adding extra insulation and touching up the sun oven they made two years ago. I'd really love them to make me another one so I can bake many dishes (and desserts) at once.

They are looking at possibly making another one withnew reflective materials sold by Clear Dome. But for now theCookit is doing a good job.

GRIND N GAIN

JC who is handy at repairing bikes is working on attaching anold bike frame to our Country Living Grain mill. Grind wholesome grain, gain muscles at the same time!

Whoohoo!

THE BAYOU BIO

Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-oh

Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou (bio)

Touching on a little bit of our Southern Roots there... me oh my o

Now on a serious note, did you know that 40% of United States' oil refining capacity lies between Baton Rouge and Houston?

Nicole and a couple of her friends are coming tonight to do Titration - Applied to Biodiesel, titration is the act of determining the acidity of a sample of WVO by the drop wise addition of a known base to the sample while testing with pH paper for the desired neutral pH=7 reading. The amount of base needed to neutralize an amount of WVO determines how much base to add to the entire batch.

On the car search, we may have found a diesel car and we are getting all facts and details together. It wasn't something that we started looking at - first it was a diesel Mercedes wagon, then a suburban or van.

We actually need three types of cars - one truck for picking up lumber and other salvaged goodies, a little runabout ("putt putt") for around town and delivering, and a family car. Well, what kinda car is it? Don't want to count cars before they hatch so stay tuned!

Weather Report: Nice & warm 85º!!!