Our family’s been urban homesteading for the last 20 plus years, but when we started actually documenting our journey online 10 years ago, we knew it wasn’t about “just doing it” but keeping track of what was done.
Keeping records really helps you to see where you’ve been and where you want to go. “Keeping track” [...]
Has this site inspired you, do you glean all sorts of helpful information, enjoy the many pictures of life here on the urban homestead? Do you want more? Would you like to help keep us going and growing?
The kind folks at Franklin Springs Media have give us Homestead Blessings DVD’s to giveaway this month [...]
Path to Freedom’s urban homestead featured in LA Times BRAND X supplement (pg 12)
A Green Path by Jessica Hundley
First, there is the study in opposites; sprawl of concrete meeting a spread of fecund growth, white picket fence lining city street, the roar of freeway competing with the screech of a hen celebrating the laying of [...]
Looking to the right…..
To the left. The garden is all tucked in under covers
20, 26, 28 It’s not, um. shall we say “measurements” but what the thermometer’s read these past three nights. BRRRRR
Homesteading, urban homesteading for the matter, in the city – especially in Southern California– one really has it “easy” when it [...]
Already in the 1800’s it was well-known for his tree-nurseries. ‘De Coninck’ is a well spread family name in our village. Different branches of the family ‘De Coninck’ were very active in tree-nursery. One of them founded in 1848 the ‘Boomkwekerijen – Pepinières De Coninck’. An other tree-nursery (founded in 1847) belonged to the ‘Dervaes’ [...]
An organic food group emailed Farmer D with a few questions. Thought I’d share Farmer D’s answers with you since they are some great reflections on food security and the green movement.
1. Where do you think the immediate opportunities lie for making progress in localizing the US food system?
For over 20 years, I’ve been gardening [...]
Sometimes Life interrupts our daily routine, the way year after year we are kept running on autopilot. Sometimes Life rattles us with shockwaves to force us into a different state of awareness. Sometimes Life introduces us to unspeakable death, challenging us to turn a marginalized existence into a meaningful one. Rarely does a defining time [...]
This morning Farmer D and I were on a mission -head hunting mission. To kill and destroy all harlequin bug on the premises. These natsy little buggers have totally decimated our newly planted salad sowing. Until the shipment of natural organic killer, pyrethrum, arrives it’s hand to hand combat to save our crops.
This afternoon hope [...]
While we re-organize for the new PTF site (with more information and better navigation), we thought it neat to have a “journey timeline” for readers to get a sense of where we came from and how this urban homestead project came about.
The journey for our family has been one of getting back to basics, living [...]
Path to Freedom – Living a simple, yet sustainable life with Jules Dervaes
Published in July Issue of 31tenMagazine.com
With headlines about rising food costs, soaring gas prices, and skyrocketing foreclosure rates that reach directly into everyone’s wallets, as well as sobering reports about the state of the earth’s environment, there is mounting pressure for some relief. [...]
The “hub” of the urban homestead – outdoor solar shower, composter, garden/animal feed shed, parking for bikes, homebrew biodiesel operation, garage (for packing produce and other crafty projects like soapmaking) , solar oven and edibles (figs, bananas, grapes, tomatoes, herbs, huckleberries and more)
Blackberry and Lady Fairlight say “good morning, where’s our breakfast?”
Simple & practical. [...]
The urban homestead and farming movement, pioneered online here, is really taking off and finally is on the mainstream media’s radar.
20 plus years ago when we started implementing our countrified homesteading lifestyle into our current citified surroundings it took us years to finally put all the key elements of urban homesteading in place – and [...]
While going through our family history chest, Jordanne came across this 1979 article about our grandfather. While our grandfather grew tropical and ornamental plants, we’ve taken that growing background/experience and have for the last 30 years focused on growing food.
I would like to share some excerpts (with a few of my little ad libs):
Wrong [...]
One Year Ago
We were dealing with a devastating frost (I know, I know… the new journal with categories are coming soon!) and the PTF’s urban homestead was featured on the front page ‘Home’ section of the LA Times with an article titled O PIONEERS IN PASADENA
My how time flies!
Week Three Harvest
In our 10 K harvest [...]
“Small is beautiful and productive!”
Year In Review
This year was one of the most challenging ones yet. It was one of deep frustrations and small but exhilarating triumphs. On this sustainable journey one learns that progress doesn’t come easy or swift. It’s slow, deliberate steps and when one looks back at the end of the year [...]
Home Hair Cuts Save Money & Energy!
This week was hair cutting week here on the urban homestead. For nearly 30 years now we’ve done hair cuts ourselves, saving money and gaining a necessary back to basic skill. Of course, we like to keep things simple, so you wouldn’t find any fancy smancy style cuts [...]
Winter crops
Warm Wishes
Warning bragging post ahead. Doors thrown wide open, shirt sleeves, brilliant blue skies, towering palm trees, a comfortable (warm) 85 degrees, and orange citrus hang like decorative ornaments throughout the sunny southland. Sorry, hope I didn’t spoil your day!
The spoiling winter weather makes it tolerable to live in the land of [...]
Lemony violas
From Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis (1952) (chapter 5 “We Have Cause to Be Uneasy”) “
We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the [...]
Homestead history
The Old Homestead
Like to thank Charley from New Zealand for passing along these great old photos of the original Dervaes homestead located in a old small gold (and jade) mining town of Stafford, New Zealand. Charley is a nephew of the young Dervaes family’s only neighbor in Stafford, Nancy Merewether, who just [...]
Flashback
Mr Beekeeper
The urban homestead’s resident beekeeper has nearly 30 years experience in raising bees so we are in good hand when there’s anything that needs to be done saving these vital insects. His love affair with these sweet creatures began in New Zealand where he started his own honey business selling honey in the town [...]
Mid 1980’s, Early 1990’s, Late 1990
PTF Through the Years – How We’ve Grown
Back to the land pioneer in 1972, growing food and simple living since 1973, lawn turned edible landscaping since 1990, online since 1999 and documenting our urban homestead online since 2001.
It’s remarkable to look back and realize that PTF pioneered the very first [...]
Urban home, tranformed to urban homestead (note: no aritificial photo manipulation)
Urban Homestead
The seeds of living off the land and homesteading for Jules Dervaes started back in the late 1960s. When he found the Mother Earth News in 1972 he then had an instruction book to follow along with the Nearings’ book The Good Life . [...]
New digs
Organized Chaos
Every year at this time chaos erupts here on the urban homestead as a new year winds down and another looms over the horizon. A flurry of activites and assorted projects begin: plantings, composting, organizing, planning, scheming, dreaming– and more –all start now.. The months of Nov & Dec are vital in the [...]
Homegrown Revolution™
When UCLA professor Peter Sellars invited PTF to come and speak to his class, we were honored at such an opportunity. Since it was such a short notice, we had to scramble to get something that would get the students’ attention about the homegrown message of PTF. Since the class focus was on [...]
City Chickens
After getting our first urban chickens back in 2002 and the last that remain living out their retirement days, it’s good to once again hear the cackle of laying hens (as if they want some sort of applause for their contribution). When we are in the yard and the hens start up after [...]
Jules gives presentation at UCLA
Speaking Engagement
Jules Dervaes of PTF was invited to speak at Peter Sellars’ World Arts and Cultures class, Art as Social Action, at UCLA as a guest speaker along with food writer Michael Pollan on Monday (yesterday). Peter Sellars is known for getting his students to think [...]
P.S
Just a note about the last post, hoping the letter didn’t give the wrong impression to those true fellow travelers out there who, inspired by our journey, have started on their own path. PTF is with you 100%. We are glad that you have found inspiration from our work. We had an idea at [...]
Courtesy Chris Kelly / German FAZ
The Urban “Hollywood” Homesteaders?
Move over Leo? Awhile back we received an email inquiry from a tv agent who is interested in developing an urban sustainability show. Excerpts from the emails:
“Congratulations on your success living off the grid in an urban setting. I am intrigued (and impressed) by your efforts…..[and [...]
Ok, where was I…. sorry been so busy with things … that’s right you are all waiting for my baby photo.
After urban farmer Justin’s“down and dirty” and Jordanne’s “urban Heidi” debut, next on our trip down memory lane, preservation queen, head chef, herbalist, crafty gal and main PTF blogger — yours truly, Anaïs
Here we [...]
Front yard in October, 66′ x 132′ urban, edible eden
Bare Necessities…. the simple bare necessitiesI
‘ll stop before I have our readers, humming the catchy tune from Disney’s Jungle Book
When people ask what I do, I proudly state that I’m an urban homesteader or urban pioneer. What’s an urban homesteader? An insane (sane) person who is [...]
Saturday Outing
Saturday PTF was invited speak at this month’s meeting of the Foothill Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers at the LA Arboretum. A few of the PTF team traveled the 15 mile round trip by bike and it was a lovely day for that – clean air, blue skies and a few white [...]
Edible landscaping in front yard (basil, marigolds,peppers, calamondin)
Life Interrupted
To find fault is easy; to do better may be difficult. — Plutarch
We had hoped to have a few outstanding sustainable projects finished this summer, but we were so busy with the bumper summer harvest and other little things that interrupted our plans. However, [...]
Building new citified animal house for our mini farm
When you’re one step ahead of the crowd you’re a genius. When you’re two steps ahead, you’re a crackpot.
– Rabbi Shlomo Riskin (Feb. 1998)
Another busy week, new projects to work on and there was another a few hours of filming on Wednesday and again on Sunday.
Nope, we [...]
Urban Heidi
Then… and Now ( 2 of 3 )
After urban farmer Justin’s“down and dirty” debut, next on our trip down memory lane, the urban homestead’s main citified animal caretaker, baker of goodies, crafty gal, and website extraordinaire — Jordanne.
Here we have Jordanne, about 3 or 4, at the LA Zoo on one of our homeschool [...]
Then… and Now ( 1 of 3 )
Another day of filming this week. The producer wanted to tell the story of our journey, so we pulled out some old photos from our chest of memories and thought it would be nice to share them with our readers. Especially those when we were kids.
I’d hadn’t looked [...]
Yom Kippur Blessing
Summer ended and fall started with an unexpected blessing – rain. And lots of it. Here at the urban homestead our gauge measured 1.25 inches of rain. That one storm brought nearly 1/2 the amount of rain we received all last season (a miserly 3 inches).
Although unexpected, what a blessings this rain has [...]
Tallest eggplant? 7 foot and growing….
On the Urban Homestead
We’ve been so enjoying the cooler weather, certainly helps out the garden and gets everyone to start thinking about indoor activities — like knitting all those UFO’s (un-finished objects) laying around, organizing seeds, etc.
In between working on a new website and other PTF related projects, the pace [...]
With the heat sending us inside for most part of the day last week, we were able to catch up on computer work and hash out the new path for the PTF site.
Something old
Cleaning out seven years of online clutter is one heck of a job. Sheesh, I much rather in a hot kitchen standing [...]
Big Ideas
We received a call the other day fromSUNDANCE ‘Big ideas for a Small Planet’. They were interested in thetoilet lid sink that our online store carries and thought we were the manufacturer. Nope, but we definitely have one in use here on the urban homestead. I gave her the company’s contact info and so [...]
Both Sides Now
When we have time we sneak a peek through the referral statistics from the PTF website and it’s great to see the many sites that link to ours (and if you are one of those linkster who’s reading this post – thanks for spreading the word) Besides the insane amount of traffic (46,000,000 [...]
Before / After
Greening the Urban Landscape
When we moved into this house back in 1985 it was obvious the previous owners liked concrete. Concrete was everywhere since they had poured a huge ~40′ x ~30′ slab in the middle of the backyard which we finally removed 90% of it by hand in Fall of 2005.
Beside that [...]
Before (1985)/ first garden After (2007)
More yard photos for your viewing pleasure here
Taking off the old roof
Before (1993-2006) After (2007)
Sustainable Steps
July not only marks the sixth anniversary of the PTF journal, last July was when we tackled putting on a new roof which was finished 5 months later in early January (read about ithere… scroll [...]
Being the change by sowing a homegrown revolution
It’s been six years since the PTF Journal started breaking new ground. Six years, how short and long it feels at the same time. It’s been quite a journey and we are blessed that we’ve been able to share and inspire fellow travelers and pioneers.
Over 6 years [...]
The LA Hillbillies, Photo Courtesy FAZ/ Chris Kelly
The Revolution of the Squashes
Critics of Globalization and Capitalism are demonstrating in Heiligendamm. The Family Dervaes on the other hand lives a life apart from the consumer society – and that in the middle of the Big City Jungle of Los Angeles.
If Jules Dervaes steps out of his [...]
Jules Dervaes and the Path to Freedom Project [SixRedHeads.com]
One day about 6 years ago, I was sitting at my computer in the family room, feeling more than a little down that we seemed trapped in Suburbia, unable to realize our dreams of a country lifestyle, or of being more self-sufficient in how we provided for [...]
