Back in 2003, we self installed 12 solar panels on our garage roof. The City of Pasadena solar rebating us 2/3rds of the cost.  This was something that we couldn't pass up!  They made solar affordable to common resident.  By producing our own green power, it was one more step in making the urban homestead more self- sufficient.

With our energy use being at 6.5 KWH a day, the solar panels are able to produce nearly 3/4 of our energy for the year.  For the other 1/4, we opted to pay the few extra cents for the city's green power program.  The urban homestead energy source is either sun or wind - both renewable.

Our DIY solar project is highlighted in the Kids Book Series GREEN TEAM.  In fact you can purchase a copy at our online store.

:: Field Hand Appreciation :: RW $40.  Thank you for your generous support.

Correction: Justin meant to say our energy bill is $15 for per billing cycle which is every TWO months.

FACT: every day the sun shines, an equivalent of 4.25 TRILLION barrels of oil falls on the US alone in the form of solar energy

I have a confession, I been addicted to solar ovens ever since we built our first cardboard, aluminum oven back in the days -- 1990 to be exact.   Yep, we were granolas way back when.  This sort of self reliant and sustainable lifestyle has been a common thread throughout my whole life.  We've gone from hippie to hip in the last few years.

In the last decade, the appropriate technology in solar cooking has left those cardboard, black paint and glue days in the dust or sun rays I should say.

A solar oven is the ultimate in energy-efficient cooking. Solar ovens will cook anything that can be cooked in a conventional oven, in approximately the same amount of time.

Here on the urban homestead we have accumulated a small family of solar ovens.  A homemade solar oven,  two Sport Solar Ovens (one given to us), one Global Sun Oven (given to us also) and now this really awesome hybrid solar model from India joins the collection.

Tulsi Hybrid Solar Oven Heats up to 400degrees Electrical consumption: Approx. 0.15 to 0.4 KW/h. Uses 75% less energy than a conventional oven.

Boy howdy, I am sure going to get spoiled with this beauty.  I won't have worry about cloudy days or AM sun angles, I can just plug it in and tap into our 12 solar panels on the garage roof.  Still tapping into the energy from the sun!

And the best part is we are adding this Tulsi Hybrid Solar Oven to the family of sun ovens offered on the Peddler's Wagon.

Good for the Environment

I really like using the solar ovens - food taste better and is in fact more healthier and best of all you aren't using polluted energy to cook meals.  Something as simple as a solar oven can have a positive impact on lightening your footprint.  I mean, imagine how many meals are cooked in a lifetime - hundreds, thousands?

Stay tuned for some solar cooking fun here on the urban homestead.   With this solar oven, I may never need to use our gas oven again.  Sweet.

Good for Health

Fact is, by cooking foods you can lose as much as 80 percent vitamin C, 50 percent vitamin B and 97 Percent folic acid.

Food cooked by solar heat is lovely in appearance, aroma, flavor, and taste. It is ultimate medicine (Amrita) for manly vigor and glorious skin complexion without doubt. -- 'Yagyavalk Smriti'

Reading the informative manual that came in DVD form with this Tulsi Hybrid Solar Oven, not only does solar energy reduce one's impact but it also has a positive health effect.  Indians believe that most of mankind illness are due to an unhealthy gut. Most of their Their ancient Ayurvedic treatments are for improving your "inner plumbing"  And so it is with solar cooking you are choosing a more healthful way to cook your meals, harnessing the healthful solar rays into your food.

Solar cooking is similar to slow cooking. Slow cooking retains flavor, moisture and nutrients and makes meats tender. Recent studies indicate that foods cooked at moderate temperatures may be healthier.  Solar cooked food is succulent, moist and delicious.

Sunshine is the primary element for life here on planet earth.  Solar cooking dates back as far as a few thousand years in India where solar cooked food was called AMRITA and the cooking appliance was know as AKSHAY PATRA or SUYRA BHAND they believe that solar cooked foods are charged with positive photons or energies.

Modern cooking methods destroy the nutrients and medicinal powers of foods. A healthy diet involves eating raw or lightly cooked foods that can provide our body with all the nourishment that our body needs for growth and energy.

Eating the Wild Electron

From personal tasting experience food does indeed have a truly more flavorful, superior taste when cooked in the solar oven.

I broke in the  Tulsi Hybrid Solar Oven warming up some homegrown vegetable soup (known by some of our longtime readers as the 007 soup) and some organic rice.

What's your solar cooking experience, do you also taste a difference in solar cooked cooks?  Let's hear from all you solar cooks out there.

:: Field Hand Appreciation :: DS $5.00 donation is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

We were shocked to see that last months power bill was double that of last January. Actually we were downright dumbfounded, how on earth could that be? I mean we hadn't gotten "power hungry" and purchased any new plug in devices or appliances. I know our computer usage is a bit more with all the web projects in the works. No matter, the extra bit computer usage just can't double the amount of power used here on the urban homestead.  So, how in the world did our power usage double from 3.5 kwh to nearly 7 kwh ?

After much mulling and wracking our brains, it finally hit us that with the recent documentary filming (oh, I want to make very clear there is no film/doc movie contract, PTF is not making any money - nada, zilch, zip... period) going on with interviews being indoors those huge, power sucking lights could be the culprits.  Yep, I think that's what caused the recent power surge.  We were pretty bummed to see the jump in watts, but are relieved that it wasn't completely our personal use of power that contributed.

Labor Day

Monday was just like a typical day here on the urban homestead - "labor" in the garden, in the kitchen, on the computer, and on the roof. Well, except for taking a break for a few hours when a LA Times staff writer was here doing a story for an upcoming issue of Calendar, it was a busy work day.

La Tea Da

With such heat, humidity and work, everyone is very thirsty these days and is in need of a good thirst quencher, lucky for us we have a 1lb of organic, certified fair trade rooibos tea. I learned about rooibos (and many other teas) working in the English tea shop here in town.

Rooibos makes a great thirst-quencher and sport drink. Because of its mineral content of iron, potassium, zinc, manganese and sodium, it restores the body's equilibrium after strenuous exercise.
read more about rooibos tea benefits

Not only does this non caffeinated tea taste delicious the health properties are similar or even more beneficial than green tea.

Sunny Solution

An easy summer-time tes solution is sun tea.
Here's how to make SUN TEA 

Peach Wine

With peaches pouring in, and now that we have some wine making supplies, we whipped up a batch of peach wine. Of course, it won't be ready for a least 3 months - all that needs to be done today is add the yeast, remove the pulp in about 5 days, siphon it in about 3 weeks and again in 2 months, bottle and wait patiently.

The elderberry wine is less than two months away from being ready to bottle.

Hey, Pasadena Residents - Green Our City

PWP is offering 10 free trees (qualifying species list includes a few edibles like avocados, citrus and peach). Residential electric customers who purchase an eligible Cool Tree will qualify for rebates of $40-$60 per tree (up to 10 trees per year)

Also, Pasadena Water and Power is offering a rebate to residential customers who install solar power photovoltaic (PV) systems. The rebate offered is $3.50 per watt, not to exceed $8,000. Thanks to this rebate offered by the City of Pasadena we diy-installed 12 solar panels in 2003, costing us (after rebate) a little over $4,000. Green savings -  environmentally and financially.

Read more about Pasadena's Green Incentives, Rebates and Conservation Programs

Sorry for the lack of postings this week. It's been just too nice outside and too many things to do around the urban homestead.   

The guys are working on the last phase in the expansion of the animal enclosure. Now that the sun is out, we re-foiled the solar oven panels so that we can start using it to cook our meals. The homemade solar oven is over 4 years old now and is still in good working condition - except for the plywood panels. We'd like to replace them with some light reflective metal one day. Otherwise, this oven works quite well and, since the guys mounted it on a cart, it's easy to maneuver to follow the sun's path.   This week, I finally got around to re-plastering the cob oven. The top set well with very little cracks; however, I am still having trouble with the bottom.

With the warmer weather, the solar shower comes in handy. Jules plans to add another mounted panel of coiled black garden hose; but, in the meantime, I had enough hot water to do a good job of washing my hair.

This week promises to be another busy one. Today, a few folks fromTreehugger TV stopped by to do a short on energy alternatives here on the homestead. They say that they would like a few more short segments, so we'll see.

Tomorrow we'll be going on our annual Memorial Day hike with a few friends.

On Wednesday, CBS 2is coming on to to a piece on the garden and on Thursday we'll be visiting a local school, getting the kids involved in planting activities and, of course, we'll be bringing along the goats.  

Busy, busy, busy.

A mockingbird is singing its heart out, bees are happily buzzing from flower to flower. The cats and other animals are frolicking in the sunshine.  Plants are getting lush and full - it's nice here on the homestead.

Slowing down

Slow Food Dinner

Saturday evening we had about 16 friends and new acquaintances over for a "slow food" dinner - one of many we hope to come.   We served, thanks to everyone's delicious contributions, a four course meal.   For many this was the first time sitting down to such a meal.    Our contribution to the dinner was fresh salad topped with bright & peppery nasturtiums, herbal rose lemonade and berry bars made with berries from the garden.

There was a wonderful assortment of appetizers, delicious vegetable side dishes and a hearty main dish (vegetable curry), creamy homemade flan (made with duck eggs!) and beautiful fruit bowl, hearty rolls and much more.

The flowers that Jordanne picked to decorate the tables and the nasturtiums that topped the salad were so fresh that the bees were working them right there on the tables.

After a filling dinner, a few of the guys (and Jordanne) picked up their guitars and started to play music (and some of us even joined in singing of a few songs). Justin started a fire (which everyone slowly gravitated to as the night wore on) to ward off the chill. We spent the rest of the evening sitting around the fire and engaging in some lively and thoughtful conversation.   It was around 1 AM before the last guests left.

Goats hanging out at school

Goats Day Out

Friday, Jules and Jordanne visited La Mirada High School to participate in their Earth Day celebrations.

Jordanne said the goats (Blackberry & Fairlight) were an absolute hit with the high schoolers. The girls wanted to walk them around, even the guys took interest and wanted to hold Fairlight and she obliged and even rested her head on their shoulders.   Jordanne said the goats traveled well and soaked up all the attention. When the bell rang for the kids to return to class and the field cleared, the goats let out a pathetic bleat as if they were saying "where did everyone go?"

BOOKMARKS
Chews Wisely

Local or organic? It's a false choice
There was a lesson here, one that often gets lost in the debate about which is better, local or organic? Too often this is understood as a zero-sum game
-- that the money you spend on organic food at the supermarket will mean less
for local farmers. After all, the food you buy is being shipped from who knows
where and then often ends up in a processed food product.
read more

{Thanks, Jennifer, for emailing the article}

We're Walking, Talking Toxic Waste Dumps

It wouldn't be kind to say that these 10 are walking toxic waste dumps, but their levels of phthalates (found in such diverse products as shower curtains and fragrances), PBDEs (found in flame retardants, mattresses and furniture), mercury, pesticides, lead and other chemicals were high enough to make both scientists and subjects sit up and take notice.
read more

Cat Stevens (the tabby) loves to go into the animal enclosure to hang out with the ducks, chickens and rabbit. Now, for some reason, he loves to climb into Sierra's (our rabbit) hutch and sit in her bed. Silly cat in a cage.

Ringo (part maine coon) loves to follow me around the yard (especially when there's a camera in tow). He loves to hog the camera and plops down on the ground and rolls around saying "take a photo of me, I'm a stud muffin."

Cassidy ( tuxedo ) is truly a "girlie, girl" cat, she's sweet and always has a look of wonderment as if she's always exclaiming "oh, my!" In the winter and early spring she loved to spend her days under the row covers getting her much needed beauty sleep.

All our cats were strays that were rescued. They, along with the other menagerie of animals, are comedic to watch. Since we don't have cable and there's nothing but junk on TV (excluding PBS, of course) we do have our very own comedy channel and the best part it's free... well, almost have to take in account their food and occasional "tweats."

RISING COST OF FUEL

Bye, bye gas stations.

It's a powerful feeling not have to worry about the rising cost of fuel and we feel sorry for those who don't have any alternative options. There's a true sense of freedom not have to being ruled/manipulated by big oil and their tricks.    Running our car on waste vegetable oil that we brew into bioidesel, we (and our car) are not tied to one of the major tentacles of our industrialized, modern society.   Even though we have this exhilarating sense of freedom (for the moment), we try to not abuse it and don't believe this alternative gives us the right to ride more. We still limit our car use by combining trips, not using the car at all, instead bike or walk.

Even though biodiesel is not the solution to our energy crisis, it's a triumphant moment to drive past a gas station and not feel tied/drawn to it. What a sense of freedom it is to be able to fend off, for the time being, the "dark forces" who try to pull you into their capitalist system.

BOOKMARKS
Killing Watts [via Daily Granola ]

Calculate exactly how much electricity your household appliances use, so you know which items are guzzling the most juice (and which ones are the best targets for savings).
Thinking about going solar? It's very doable, but it will still take 15 or more years for the system to pay for itself at current prices.
read how

[ Thanks to the City of Pasadena and its rebate we were able to afford our solar panels. Installed, the solar system would have cost about $15,000, but because we installed the system ourselves (with a bit of help/advice fromEE Solar) the initial cost was roughly $11,000. The city's rebated us back 2/3rds of the cost (~$8,000) leaving us out only about $3,000 ]

DIY Salt [via Mad Eater ]

Northern Californian food junkie makes her own salt.
read how

[ Something to try on our next trip to the Pacific Ocean - which I hope is very soon! ]
Nuked [via Greenerside ]

Does microwaved water kill plants and poison food?
... granddaughter's science project, in which the kid watered two plants (geraniums? the leaves on the clippings look different from the plantings). One sprout sipped microwaved water while the other got stove-boiled water--after it chilled, I assume. It's not a double-blind study, peer-reviewed in Nature. Yet one glance at the results are enough to make any microwave-wary folks gulp.
read

[ Our family never owned (and never will ) a microwave and if this stuff is true no wonder so many folks are sick ]

Maybe it's a good sign that the main stream tide is turning towards natural products? Either way, after 15 years of buying this brand, it just won't feel the same.

Colgate Purchasing Tom’s of Maine

Tom’s of Maine co-founders Tom and Kate Chappell said, “We chose Colgate as our partner because they have the global expertise to help take Tom’s of Maine to the next level. Just as importantly, we see Colgate as an excellent fit with our own cultural values. Colgate has a commitment to product excellence, to global efforts to promote oral health and has a 200-year history of caring for consumers and for giving back to the community. We are excited by Colgate’s desire to continue Tom’s of Maine leadership and heritage in natural care.”
read more

SUN POWER

Solar shower

The sun came out today, everything smelled and felt fresh. Perfect!

Here's a shot of the newly redesigned solar shower, on right is our large hand cranked composter (aka "big green"). The weather hasn't been conducive to outdoor showers, but soon the new shower should be used. The water will drain into a gravel pit and permeate into the surrounding soil watering the plants and adding moisture to the adjacent compost bin.

A new addition to the urban homestead arrived today - sun composter. With our having so much green and kitchen waste that already fills to capacity our worm bin, 2 bin composters (from the City of Pasadena), "big green" crank-composter and a "compost" pile of green plant waste that we stack in animal enclosure we figured another compost system would be helpful.

Solar composter

The Scrap Eater is the only truly solar-powered composter. A warm environment accelerates the composting process. Using conventional techniques a compost pile at least 3 ft. across is needed to obtain the necessary elevated temperatures. To compensate, the Sun Frost Scrap Eater uses solar architectural techniques, glazing and insulation to attain elevated temperatures. The insulated walls of the composting chamber trap solar heat collected through the dome, along with heat generated internally by respiration of composting microbes. A unique feature of this insulation is its ability to keep the heat in, while it allows oxygen to freely flow to the composting microbes.
Plants growing in the soil on the perimeter of the Scrap Eater feed directly off nutrients that you create in the composting section. This miniature ecosystem composts food scraps in a sealed compartment so you can display the Scrap Eater on a deck, porch or even an apartment patio without concern about odors, insects or animals.
read more

Reliance on anything will make you vulnerable and we are determined as the years go by to lessen our dependence on unnecessary energy sources and other ties to the system.

Sol Muy Bien

What a lovely sunny day today is and the sun is expected to stay for few days. Always love the feeling after a huge rainstorm-- the air is crisp and fresh smelling. We are pretty happy about our decision to transplant the banana from behind the garage. Since moving them we doubled our solar production!

Damage Assessments

Damage from the recent storm, besides a few blown down plants, includes the cob oven. So instead of baking in this week, it will be needing a touch up in places - pretty bummed out about that. Even though the oven was covered in tarp, somehow rain got in and wore away the finish coating of plaster. Now it will be a challenge to recoat a harden surface.  I've been so busy and always thought I could get around to it, but am hitting myself for not forcing myself to find time to put boiled linseed oil over the final coat. Perhaps that would have helped - I dunno.  A cover would have helped, but with rain swirling and coming in sideways I don't think the copper leaf cover that Ray built would even have helped if we had gotten it put up. I think we may have to reconsider to a more practical covering for the oven that will protect it from wind driven, sideways rain and not just light sprinkles.

Tear down those walls!

New Loo

Thecomposting toilet arrived yesterday. The three boxes now are stored in the dining room while the guys fix up the back "1/2" bathroom. They've busted out a storage closet that was adjacent to the toilet to expand the bathroom to include a sink that will drain into a gray water area right outside the wall. The addition of a sink will be great, especially when we have events - no more having people wash hands in the kitchen sink.   With the bathroom renovation, garden shed, improved solar shower and other projects all going on at once, we realize we can't do it all ourselves. Well, then again, we could but it may be a whole year before the projects are completed. So, we are hiring a friend to help us with the work and hopefully, with his help, the projects will be completed a little faster.

Hatching Chickens

We may have an opportunity to acquire, thru bartering, a brand new incubator! That's the first, easy step.   Now Jordanne is going to have to choose which type of chicken we are going to hatch this year. She is looking into heirloom breeds that have been "untouched" and narrowed it down to a few choices. The choices, they all sound wonderful!   These are the times you certainly wished you had a wee bit more land to be able to raise a few more variety of chickens.

It would be great to get an incubator that way we can hatch a few chickens (or ducks) I know there are a few people who would like to get a few Khaki Campbell ducks.   Perhaps we can have a small hatching business?  But before we get all excited about the possibly, there is one huge drawback. What to do eggs that hatch which are male? Can't just throw them away like some farms do -- grinding them up alive (yes, this is a true horrible fact of the egg and chicken industry).   We city folk don't have room for male animals, especially chickens. If you have a small place, then people would want the females because they are the ones that give the eggs. Males are useless unless you want fertile eggs or duck l'orange or roast chicken.

For us and our replenishing our citified chickens, we are hoping that only a few males will hatch and then we will have the task of finding them a good home in the country somewhere but having to find homes for any more would be a hard deal.

Tasty treats are ripening in the garden -- plump black blackberries and luscious red
strawberries. JM & I plan to whip up some tasty treats over the weekend.

REPRIEVE

Thankfully, we've got a teensy break from the heat  - one expects it in summer, but this early?

Should continue to be cooler for the next few days.

SOLAR DISARRAY

The guys finished laying the bigger conduit and wires yesterday - today, perhaps, they'll hook it up to the inverter and load board. 

We hope replacing the bigger wires will help solve the problem of the inverter "shutting down" during peak hours in the afternoon displaying the error message of "VAC-BFR."

We were told by Sunny Boy (the inverter company) that this indicates that the AC wires from the inverter to the main load were malfunctioning (not being able to send the electricity made to the main load and the city during peak sunlight hours).

Back in October, we had paid a volunteer to put in the wires for the solar - and he, not knowing this, put in the wrong sized wire (he assumed it was like any other solar installation that usually is located on the house). Being the Fall and Winter season and the angle of the sun, the inverter was able to send us enough kwh during the day. Now, as the sun's intensity grows stronger, the inverter has been failing more often.

Upon further assistance from the solar inverter technician, we were informed that there is a "voltage drop calculator" on Sunny Boy's site which calculates what size wire to use after accounting for all the factors involved ( feet from wire from inverter to main load). Using their calculator it indicated that we needed #4 wires to cover the 100 foot plus distance from our garage inverter and the main load located towards the front of the house.

So, we shall see if the bigger wires will help us receive some kwh. Hate to think if that doesn't work... then what?

Weather Report: Bit cooler.