After two years of being screened at many film festivals and community viewings throughout the world, we have published (in its entirety) our award winning short film Homegrown Revolution for free viewing on YouTube.

It has been a crazy ride and exciting to have an award winning film and we sincerely thank those of you who supported this film in many ways.  A big THANK YOU goes out from our hearts to those  who supported us, purchased this video, screened it, shared it or simply let the film's message lead you to a new way of looking at your yard. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! We really appreciate it.

Our unlikely little film was a surprise success story.  For those of you who don't know the history, I'll recap briefly.  For those of you already know it, go ahead and skip to the end of this post to watch Homegrown Revolution.

Homegrown Revolution was made in a whirlwind three days after a last-minute invite for Dad to speak at Peter Sellars' UCLA class in 2007.  Jules Dervaes was to be the lead-in and local authority on sustainable food to Michael Pollan's presentation.

By now, we had given so many presentations, the explaining of our project and "Urban Homesteading" was becoming a tad redundant - there are only so many clever ways we could explain what we have been doing the last 16+ years.  Plus, the fact that this was a night class had many of us expecting a room of yawning and under-caffeinated students blinking sleepily at their laptop screens and surfing Facebook, content to get class credit simply for being a body in the seat.  Short of handing Red Bull out to everyone, we seriously thought NO ONE would wake up for this Urban Homesteading and sustainable food presentation.

Looking back at the time, I realize how far the movement has come to the point it is today.   It wasn't long ago at all, but in 2007  the movement was just blooming and I was finding out that most students didn't care or know about Urban Homesteading -- or even anything environmental or sustainable.   There's always the usual small but core group of students who were into changing the world and activism but we knew we had to reach to the others in the class that might not even have a first thought about the food they ate or about gardening.

At the family meeting / lunch following the invite, Dad turned to me (since I have unofficially become the tech geek / "electronic gadget whisperer" of the family ) and inquired about a video slideshow we had put together for a virtual tour of the Urban Homestead called "One Step at a Time."  This video brochure had been published on our website at the time  since it was first uploaded in 2004 (soon to be uploaded to YouTube for kicks).

As I am not a video editor and had no training at all, my foray into  messing about with video clips had been a sink or swim experience.   After mucking about in Adobe Premier, I had managed to put together some footage that resulted in One Step at a Time and that short film seemed pretty cool when it was made; but I was now slightly embarrassed about it and wanted to give Dad something newer and peppier for the students.

Anais and I got to work in those three days before the presentation.   We had multiple tapes of footage of the garden, animals and various projects throughout the yard but very little of ourselves.  So, I spliced those with some of the news media interviews for a  narrative effect.

I really wanted to do little interviews on our  own footage; but given the short amount of time and our aversion to being filmed by one another, it just wasn't happening. (NOTE: Seriously, I did try.  I approached Justin with a camera as he did his biodiesel brewing and asked him in  my best TV reporter voice to explain what was doing.   I received an  "are you kidding me?" stare for my troubles.  Turns out, it's hard for  us to be enthusiastic about giving each other interviews.  Try explaining to someone who already knows what you are doing, what you are doing.  It isn't easy. )

For fun and to appeal to the college kids who were my own age, Anais and I added in some well known musical favorites to create a edgy  mash-up type music video.

Turns out, as R.E.M's moody guitar in "Drive" snapped up the students' attention at  the first minute to the final frame of the fist-in-the-sky rallying  image and the drumming strains of "Revolution Cry", we had gained this class' full focus and subsequent and  enthusiastic ovation and shouts.   Yes, even the too-cool-for-school jocks of UCLA's NCAA basketball team were into it.

Later that week, we decided to publish Homegrown Revolution on YouTube (cut to 10 minutes since YouTube wouldn't allow videos of  longer lengths at that time) and it kind of went viral for a time and gained over 500,000 views.

We started to use Homegrown Revolution for an intro to Jules Dervaes' workshops and presentations and considered it a type of "video brochure" or "infomercial" to Urban  Homesteading.  Fast forward to late 2008 and we received a phone call from the awesome  folks at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival asking if we wanted to  submit our film for consideration.

I seriously had no idea what they were talking about!   Film?  What film? We don't have a film, I thought.

They soon convinced us that they were really asking for Homegrown Revolution which one of their members had seen on YouTube.  This touched off a flurry of more video editing.  Since the original version contained a lot that was not our footage, we began to re-shoot a lot of scenes and I soon had Homegrown Revolution up to over 25 minutes long.  But because Wild & Scenic had accepted Homegrown  Revolution into their program as it appeared on YouTube, we knew we  had to keep it to 10 minutes.

In the end, the final product came out  at 15 minutes after we all refused to cut out anything more.  There was also concern from some of Film Festival folks about remaking  Homegrown Revolution so much that it would no longer feel like the  original version so we felt a little restricted in our creativity.     I did try to obtain the rights to some of the footage / interviews that appeared in the original version but with so little time to  remake the film, it turned out easier to just re-speak most of it  instead of dealing with all the paperwork.    Again, all this had to  be done in a short amount of time - definitely not enough time to be at one's full creativity.

Unfortunately, although most of our words as they appear in the 2009  version of Homegrown Revolution had been spoken to interviewers  previously, it was hard getting family members to say the same lines  with enthusiasm and with the same passion as they had when speaking to  someone "new" and curious to what we were doing.  Looking at the film today,  I can see all the mistakes and where it could all have been better.

But this was a collaborative project done by all of us -- with each family member taking part in the filming, editing and structure of the film.  Neither of us had any previous film editing / filming experience but we hope the passion and enthusiasm show through any technical flaws and other problems.

It's also important to note that the film was made entirely in-house on computers powered by solar/green sources.  All transportation was done in a biodiesel-fueled car and all camera/mic batteries were rechargeable and charged with solar energy.  Waste was kept to a minimum – paper composted or recycled and all publicizing materials printed  on post consumer paper.

We are humbled by the impressive impact Homegrown Revolution had in  the film festivals both nationally and internationally. It  was never created for a film festival circuit but has a true homegrown, homemade story behind its creation. Today,  whenever I am frustrated by learning something new or seeing where I fail in trying to get something perfect, I just need to look at where our little film that could has taken us.

I am compiling a  tally of the festivals and known public screenings to be published at HomegrownRevolution.com but here are the AWARDS and HONORS Homegrown Revolution has gained so far:

WINNER

Best Environment & Ecology Film North America,
Swansea International Film Festival, UNITED KINGDOM

Prize of the Mayor of the Capitol City of Slovakia
Ekotop Film Festival of Sustainable Development, SLOVAKIA

Best Short Documentary
Southern Appalachian International Film Festival, TENNESSEE

El Capitan Film Award
Yosemite International Film Festival, CALIFORNIA

Best Sustainability Film
Green Screen Environmental Film Festival, CALIFORNIA

Robert T. Nanninga Award for Excellence,
Cottonwood Creek Film Festival, CALIFORNIA

-----------------------------

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Westpac Award Best Short Film Runner Up
Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival, NEW ZEALAND

NOMINATED - Best Film, Climate Change & Sustainable Technology
CMS Vatavaran Environmental & Wildlife Film Fest, INDIA

FINALIST
European Spiritual Film Fest, FRANCE

Footage aired on Oprah's 2009 Earth Day show

You can still purchase the DVD here for community screenings or to just own a copy. We're still sending the film out to festivals who request it, so if you know of any film festivals or other opportunities, continue to send them our way. Thanks!

Pssst...!

Sharp eyed or observant readers might notice we now have a new YouTube address:  http://www.youtube.com/urbanhomestead

We'll still have the http://www.youtube.com/dervaes one but we might FINALLY be getting into sharing how-to videos.  We are launching this new channel for video clips showing snippets of life from the Urban Homestead as well as some how-to videos.

So be sure to subscribe to this new channel to get all the latest videos - thanks!

Looking back on our goals from last year Justin (Jethro) got his fish project underway,  the grey water project too.

Jordanne (Ellie Mae) revamped our two social networks, Freedom Gardens and launched Backyards & Barnyards and did get around to organizing a lot of mess.  Not to forget the launced her super amazing Natural Poultry Supplement Mix which is receiving rave reviews!

As for me (Granny),  the mountain of fabric and yarn still looms like a huge shadow but the craft-music room is coming along nicely.  Not sure if I am talking less and listening more – guess I’ll have to ask my family & friends that.

The 7K bonanza harvest wasn't the only highlight from 2010

We went back to Wild & Scenic located in the quaint mountain town of Nevada City and had a chance to meet our favorite author, John Robbins.  Had a workshop at the Eco Farm conference in lovely grounds Asilomar (didn't get to spend as much time on the beach as we'd like since it was soooo cold and rainy!).   Not to mention numerous articles and video pieces which all were featured here on the blog – our favorite being the recent So Cal Connect piece , I am Los Angeles , Private Chefs of Beverly Hills,  Sis and I were "Cover Girls" & with an article featured in this online magazine and I wrote about my home school experience for another

Our home made film "Homegrown Revolution" won  many awards including : Best Environment & Ecology Film North America - Swansea International Film Festival, U.K.; Prize of the Mayor of the Capitol City of Slovakia - Ekotop Film Festival of Sustainable Development, Slovakia; Best Short Documentary - Southern Appalachian International Film Festival, Tennessee; Honorable Mention: Westpac Award Best Short Film - Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival, New Zealand.  (You can purchase a DVD copy)

We traveled to back to the homestead in New Zealand where I was born (more pics and tales to come) and with our biggest turn out ever to a presentation on urban homesteading!

After the New Zealand trip: Other outreach opportunities included four university appearances by "Farmer D" and a presentation for a public school district's student gardens fundraiser.

On the urban  homestead

Keeping it real.  As with any journey, we had our ups and downs.

Passing of dear old Clementine (the poster chicken & darling of the UH movement) and our duck Amy after freak accident which never fully recovered from.

The cycle of life continued, Though there were sad deaths there was new life with four additions to our flock.  Our southern belles  - Annalee, Lulu Belle, Beulah and Opal.

Pushing the envelope in urban sustainability we added new projects:  hops for beer and 50 tilapia for aquaponics fish farming and wrote about the challenges that we face of growing food in the city.

Wrote about necessary Urban Homestead apparel and "Natural Beauty, "  "Homesteader Hygiene", & Living Without AC,  Washing Clothes by Hand & threw an amazing  "Girlie" Tea Party under $50!

Long time customer, Elements, who featured our many of our homegrown items on his menu unceremoniously dumped us (having money issues)   When one door closed, it opened up our produce to the public with the launch of the Front Porch Farm Stand featuring local foods and goods.

Weather continued to be a problem with a record heat wave in October & record rainfall in December

Though we had one of our best honey harvest in years, Varroa Mites (and early cold weather) wiped out all of our of beehives except one.

I dropped the ball on the Weekly Meal wrap ups (sorry readers) posts but I picked up guitar which I am enjoying relearning – well, except for the sore finger tips.   Ouch!

There you have it!  Some of the highlights of 2010,  I know I just touched the tip of the ice berg otherwise I’d be here all day.

So what our plans/goals for 2011?   That’s certainly a good question and a lot to digest ….  we do know are going to have sadly terminate some projects because of the lack of support.   It’s a bitter pill to swallow put sometimes you got to cut things that are weighing you down.  I’m talking to myself here… have to keep saying that!

Also like to thank all of you readers who have supported us via donations or purchases from our online store.    Not to mention all the wonderful letters, cards and emails.   THANK YOU!

While I try to shake off a awful case writers block, if you are new or a lurker to this blog, this is a good time to swap howdies or better yet TELL US what your FAVORITE post(s) of 2010 were!

So pull up a chair and give us a holler ya hear and hope 2011 is off to a good start for you!

With slipping Freedom Seeds & Urban Homestead Supply sales and donations on the decline due hard economic times, it's come as a great boost to our morale when reader's step up and show their support!    We were happily surprised and extremely grateful to the The Ridgewood Boys of Kentucky who are holding benefit concert for Path to Freedom's growing outreach.

This father and son duo serve up cld-time and early bluegrass music throughout Kentucky, central Tennessee, and southwest Virginia

Date: November 26, 2010
Time: 8:00 PM
Location: Kentucky Coffeetree Cafe
Address: 235 W Broadway Street Frankfort, KY 40601
Cost: Donations

Full event details

Let's see that they have a great turn out ya hear!

Check out online CALENDAR for more upcoming EVENTS

Sure wish we could have a fiddle, bluegrass old-timey benefit concert in these here parts.

Work isn't to make money; you work to justify life.  ~Marc Chagall

It’s still raining!  Come Saturday, it will be a week of rain.  A weather occurrence that is very rare here in So Cal.   Anyone have a row boat?

There sure is plenty to do inside but outside the work is piling up; however, it's hard to do with everything SOOO wet.  Animal compound needs cleaning and you can forget laundry (it's not cold enough to start up the wood stove).  We still manage to sneak in some outside work in between waves of rain showers.

Another plant project this year was growing hops.  Adding to our couple hundred of flora grown in one season here at the homestead.   Since it was the first year, we didn’t really have enough to brew hooch but I did harvest enough to make some herbal sleep sachets.   I mixed in some fragrant botanicals that are growing here on the urban homestead like roses, lavender,  lemon verbena, mint and chamomile.  Smells delightful!  The herbs in this blend are traditionally associated with rest and dreaming. Combine them with calming oils they make a dream inspiring sachet to slip into your pillow at night.

Now that all the homestead herbs are nice and dry I put them into little unbleached cotton bags tied up with a ribbon.  They are now on display on our front porch farm stand and selling for $4.00.  I only have just a few sachets and think they’ll make nice little gifts, especially for the holidays that are just around the corner.

Speaking of gifts, going to put our crafty heads together and hopefully offer more homegrown and handmade goodies from the urban homestead.

How are you growing your own home economy and working for your daily bread?

Affiliate Program

Revenue is needed to keep this and our network of sites going and growing. Please consider supporting this site.

If you are or have to purchase herbs, vitamins and supplies for your homestead herbal projects please use our affiliates. We buy from this company ourselves and so should you!

1. We order herbs that we can't grow ourselves from Mountain Rose Herbs - click on the button below when ordering and we'll make a few cents off your order

With all that's going on, figure it's high time I sit and collect all the newsbytes and articles that ya'll may have missed this week.

On Fridays, I am going to try to make it a weekly h, haaaaaa..... habit (whew, that's a hard word to write!) to post some highlights.

Git along, little dawgies!

Start off the "Round Up" with the news of our new social network - Barnyards and Backyards.

* This week' you'll find a GIVEAWAY  for a FREE bag of Natural Poultry Supplement and articles (like the Frugal Chicken or this one about Arsenic in Chicken Feed) by some wonderful contributing writers.  We had a bunch contributing writer applications so there are more writers on tap to join the network, so stay tuned - perhaps you are one of them!

* Next up will be the revamp of Freedom Gardens.  The site will get upgrades and include contributing writers (yeah) similar to that of B & B so we'll be looking for some passionate garden/farming folk to write about growing their own food.

* And that's not all!  Jordanne is working on a site called "Freedom Kitchen" where we can easily share and feature recipes.  Sorta like an online cookbook.   Sis and I also have conjured up another social network, but we'll keep that one under wraps for now.  Besides, we have enough on our plate for awhile. LOL

* Our online networks wouldn't/can't survive without community, so make sure you sign up at Barnyards and Backyards and Freedom Gardens.  Tell your friends, post around and help the sites get going and growing!

* With the recent summer growth spurt one needs to make sure that these sites are "cared for and watered."  So please remember there are many ways you can support our non profit outreach work. In fact, we just added two with these two affiliate programs at  iHerb.com (get $5.00 off your first order - enter code JUL275 ) and Mountain Rose Herbs

It's been  awhile, but we'd like to hear from you -how we are doing.  I know there are still issues with the site(s), etc., but what we've done so far - how's it working for ya?

Hope ya'll have enjoyed the entries this week, have a good weekend!

PS: we are getting close to naming our new four baby ducks.   In fact, I can hear Dixie playing now!

Growing Right Along

Though I know it really has nothing to do with the title of this post, there's so much news and projects in the works I don't even know where to start.

Some important things to mention so listen up and listen carefully!

Jordanne's working on a couple "top secret" projects. HINT: has to do with one of her favorite things.

I know ya'll have be clamoring for recipes so she's also working a a recipe sharing sort of thing that will feature recipes from LHITC.

Not only that but upgrades to our gardening social network, Freedom Gardens, is in order and so to with the popular photo gallery. The most hit page on our website is getting yet another face lift and even more photos!

Are you totally excited and impressed like I am?

Well then, here's where I am going to add a gentle reminder that LHITC is ad free. If you enjoy daily reads here, gleaning information and inspiration here's how you can go about supporting our growing outreach. Or send a big box chocolate to keep this girl going as she works into the wee hours of the night to tackle some of these projects.

After a cool start weather wise, the summer harvest is now just started to pour in and what a blessings. We are so thankful for the bounty that the earth provides.

Now for some incredibly yummy photos. Going to mix in a few shots of what we harvested (many of the seed varieties can be purchased from our seed store Freedom Seeds) along with what we have been eating.

Heirloom tomatoes

Basket of peaches

Apples

and more apples!

Part of the winter squash harvest Pumpkin, Baby Blue Hubbard and Burgess (www.FreedomSeeds.org)

Chantenay Red Core Carrots (www.FreedomSeeds.org)

Eggplant, tomato and basil bruschetta with tabouleh

Peacevine Cherry Tomatoes (www.FreedomSeeds.org)

Veggie patty with beans and carrots

Double Yield Cucumber (www.FreedomSeeds.org)

A whooper! Cherokee Purple Tomato (www.FreedomSeeds.org)

Tabbouleh with tomato and summer squash pasta

Homemade/handcranked peach ice cream

Homegrown toppings for pizza

Sun cooked pizza in sun oven (www.PeddlersWagon.com)

Provider Green Beans (www.FreedomSeeds.org)

Homemade/handcranked strawberry ice cream

Vegetable pot pie with cucumber and tomato salad

Tomato, cucumber soup with herb croutons

WEEK OF EATS AT THE URBAN HOMESTEAD

All food items are homemade/homegrown/home preserved unless otherwise specified

Our Food Pledge

If not from backyard, then locally produced
If not locally produced, then organic.
If not organic, then family farm.
If not family farm, then local business.
If not local business, then fair trade.

SATURDAY

Breakfast - blueberry pancakes with strawberries
Dinner - flour tortillas with spanish rice, topped with sauteed green peppers and red onions

SUNDAY

Breakfast - apple crumble
Lunch - Saturday dinner leftovers
Dinner - avocado and tomato sandwich

MONDAY

Breakfast - apple crumble
Lunch - tomato and squash pasta with tabouleh
Dinner - tomato and squash pasta with green beans

TUESDAY

Breakfast - apple crumble
Lunch - veggie pot pie with cucumber and tomato salad
Dinner - leftovers

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast -apple crumble
Lunch - tomato and cucumber salad with herb croutons
Dinner - leftovers

THURSDAY

Breakfast - apple crumble
Lunch - vegetable patty with carrots and green beans
Dinner - herb pizza dough topped with tomatoes, basil, peppers, garlic with carrot, raisin citrus dressing salad

FRIDAY

Breakfast - french toast and honey
Lunch - roasted eggplant, tomato and basil bruschetta with tabouleh
Dinner - no knead bread, fresh tomato sauce (tomatoes, onions, peppers, parsley, basil) over spaghetti with salad

What summer time treats/feasts are you enjoying in your neck of the woods?

The FIVE winners, chosen by random.org, of our Homestead Blessings DVD giveaway are:

1. Melissa Hummel - Art of Canning

2. Sweet Briar - Art of Canning

3. Laura 'Living Our Way' - Art of Canning

4. Joanie H - Art of Growing Herbs

5. Laura Williams - Art of Sewing

Please email us with your address!

Didn't win, then visit our Urban Homestead Shop today and purchase Homestead Blessings DVD - choose from nine different titles

The Art of Dairy Delights
The Art of Cooking
The Art of Sewing
The Art of Canning
The Art of Gardening
The Art of Growing Herbs
The Art of Bread Making
The Art of Candle Making
The Art of Soap Making
The Art of Quilting - NEW!

Even the though this giveaway is over you can still

1. Become a Facebook fan of the Urban Homestead
2. Sign up for Path to Freedom Urban Homestead newsletter
3. Follow the Urban Homestead on Twitter
4. Add "Little Homestead in the City" blog to your blogroll
5. Add our LHITC button to your blog -- grab it from the right sidebar "save image as" and link to LHITC
6. Write about LHITC on your blog. Don't have a blog? Then share LHITC with sites, blogs/bloggers that you visit or on message boards, facebook, twitter accounts.
7. Support by giving a tax deductible donation
8. Subscribe to LHITC RSS feed

We took a bit of a break after the BIG revamp, but we are right back working on more improvements as we speak. There's much more to come, but in the meantime, we'd love to hear your comments on how we are doing.

BUY IT

Visit our Urban Homestead Shop today and purchase Homestead Blessings DVD - choose from nine different titles

The Art of Dairy Delights
The Art of Cooking
The Art of Sewing
The Art of Canning
The Art of Gardening
The Art of Growing Herbs
The Art of Bread Making
The Art of Candle Making
The Art of Soap Making
The Art of Quilting - NEW!

THE GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Franklin Springs Media & Homestead Blessings, five lucky readers will receive a DVD of their choice!

MANDATORY ENTRY

1. Visit the Urban Homestead store and tell us which DVD you would choose if you were the lucky winner (1 entry)

*You must do the first entry first to qualify for bonus entries.

Please leave a comment [on this blog post ONLY] for each entry -- If it says 3 entries then leave 3 entries!

eg. If you have signed up on Facebook write TWO entries saying "I signed up on Facebook" or "I signed up for your newsletter"

BONUS ENTRIES

1. Become a Facebook fan of the Urban Homestead (2 entries)
2. Sign up for Path to Freedom Urban Homestead newsletter (2 entries)
3. Follow the Urban Homestead on Twitter (1 entry)
4. Add "Little Homestead in the City" blog to your blogroll (3 entries)
5. Add our LHITC button to your blog -- grab it from the right sidebar "save image as" and link to LHITC (3 entries)
6. Write about LHITC on your blog. Don't have a blog? Then share LHITC with sites, blogs/bloggers that you visit or on message boards, facebook, twitter accounts. (4 entries)
7. Support by giving a tax deductible donation (5 entries)
8. Subscribe to LHITC RSS feed (1 entry)

Homestead Blessings Giveaway will end on 6/8/10 at 10 PM PST

Winners will be chosen by random.org and will be e-mailed. The winner has 48 hrs. to respond to e-mail or another winner will be chosen. Winners will be announced on this post.

Homestead Blessings Giveaway valid only in the United States.

COMMENTS HAVE CLOSED.  Winners will be announced soon

Virtual barn raising: All hands on deck!

Whew, we did it!   Took us longer than we expected but it was well worth the wait and as about as close as an Amish barn raising experience we city folks get!

There's still tweaks and some parts are not finished but we certainly see a light at the end of this tunnel!   There's still a bunch of content (Steps Taken, Cast of Characters,  About Us, etc, etc)  to come as we put everything in back order.  Of course there are some plug-ins yet still to be added like "Most Popular Post" and "Most Recent Comments", etc.  But on the bright side, the new blog is working - whoot

Merging all the categories into a more simplified format was like trying to fit a semi truck thru the front door.   Boy that was rough!  Still not sure if we merged everything properly.  I love the new way you can view the complete Urban Homestead Chronicles (located in the right side bar under "Complete Urban Homestead Archives" )  Mind you, there's a heck of a lot of posts (10 years worth)  so you may need to step away from the computer make yourself some tea and sandwich and then come back!   Oh and since we've been chronicling our journey online for the past decade (before there were even blogs) the older posts are still somewhat of a mess.

We have added a humorous warning:  "Some posts may cause drastic changes in your lawn, excessive seed buying, frenzied bouts of planting and the overwhelming desire for hand-cranked goods. We are not responsible for family and friends possibly labeling you as a "nut".

With the new "intro" page, highlighted posts will remain, well, highlighted.  So you don't have to, as my sister says "scroll down yonder way" to get to it.

Of course, there's a new "old"  look which we are hearing nothing but positive feedback on ("more family friendly" folks are saying) - thanks everyone!   Doesn't the illustration remind you of the old Little House and the Prairie book covers?  But what we are even more excited about is the access to content so we cleaned it up a bit (less clutter!) and now you can easily search and read over a decade worth of posts.  The site is chock a block full of information, tidbits, tips and hidden gems.

Better yet, the site still remains free of ads and sponsors -  a BIG thanks to all our readers who have contributed over the years.  We hope that you continue to benefit from your generous support.   In fact,  we have now a easy accessible donate button (located just to the right side bar) that we will hope will remind you to support this site.

Grab this image!

If LHITC is a favorite of yours, there's also a new nifty blog icon you can grab to use on your site.   Feel free to "save as" and post on your blog.

Um, let's see what else?   Can't rightly think because we are too darn tired to even think but I reckon there's something I forgot.

There's lots of homestead happenings to catch up on but as we catch our breathes and a few hours of shuteye --

Welcome back ya'll!

:: Disclaimer ::

The new blog has been tested on all browsers.  If there is a viewing problem we suggest that you updated your browsers, otherwise, please report (nicely) any problems that you have to Jordanne and she will try her best.    In the meantime, Jordanne will leave this (blog) plate for the time being and start spinning another one that's been waiting in the wings.     But first, she's going to get some much needed R & R and visit the goats.   And me, well, I got lots of catching up to do!

Oh, and I know that "the goat ate this page" (holder)  is getting tiresome to some folks.  But we are doing the best we can with what we have.

Front porch farm stand

Getting to know your farmer and where your food comes from.

Our urban farming foray's started back in the early 1990's when Farmer D smother the front lawn to grow food. After 15 plus years supplying local restaurants we are now expanding our homegrown produce sales to be csa-like.

These days, folks are dropping by the urban homestead picking up jams, eggs to greens galore.  Not to mention local pick ups of seeds, soil blocks and more from FreedomSeeds.org and PeddlersWagon.com (hint: if you are local click on "local pickup' and save on shipping!)

We like to thank all our regular customers for supporting local foods and farms, not to mention the tremendous amount of positive feedback we get about the fresh "out of this world" veggies.

Would you like to become part of the Weekly Urban Farmstand - go to DervaesGardens.com and sign up to receive weekly email updates on what's growing in the garden.

Fresh from our garden to your table!

Help us Grow

Speaking of support, I'd like to highlight one Freedom Gardeners post on the forum today that really made our day!

Dear Dervaes family, please keep this topic at the forefront. Keep reminding us that we need to donate and support this site, as well as other PTF sites.

I breeze right past that big Donate button many times a day. How could I have missed it? Sometimes we get so busy in the efforts to become self-sufficient that we forget this site costs your family $$$ to keep up. The work you all are doing, and that we here are trying to accomplish as well, is too important to risk the site not being able to move forward.

It's so simple to donate here; I just used Paypal. Too easy! Thank you for your wonderful site. It's my favorite on the entire Web.
Barb