History of the Urban Homestead
Since the early 70’s our family has pioneered a modern homestead lifestyle and are now considered a model for urban self sufficiency and food production.
A journey of a thousand miles beings with a single step, and over the years these small steps have had a big impact.
Learn more Facts and Stats
1969 Back to the land. After graduating from college (Loyola, New Orleans) Jules Dervaes Jr, began searching for a meaningful and more natural, self-sufficient lifestyle.
1973 You say you want to a revolution? Dissatisfied with the new American Dream, he to New Zealand to start a homestead. Cultivated a large garden for vegetables and raising chickens, ducks and keeping bees. His eldest daughter, Anais, was born in Hokitika.
1975 Back to the USA. Returned to his home state of Florida (where Jules was born) and lived on 10 acres in rural San Antonio where he continued bee keeping, raising livestock, growing a large garden and homeschooling his children.
1985 California here we come. Uprooted the family, sold the 10 acres in Florida and purchased an simple 1917 fixer upper craftman in low income area of Northwest Pasadena. First thing was to plant a garden in backyard and improve the “adobe-like” soil with composting and mulching.
1989-90 Food not lawns. Due to the drought, decided to smothered the front lawn under a layers of newspapers and tree mulch and transformed it into edible landscape.
1991 Back to Basics. Challenging ourselves to become more self sufficient in the city, we looked at ways creative ways to conserve water and energy. Built a cardboard solar oven, recycled grey water from sinks and the tub to water the garden and to conserve water during water restrictions.
1993 Cottage industry. Created a leather crafting business and sold or consigned pieces to small boutiques in Old Town Pasadena.
1994 Small is beautiful and productive. The Pasadena Weekly wrote a review about a local tea shop using edible flowers and our front yard was full of them! Not only was our front yard beautiful it became a source of income by starting to sell edible flowers and herbs to local restaurants and caterers.
1999 Garden to farm. Edible flowers were scaled back and more heirloom “gourmet” vegetables were planted in the front and backyard.
2000-2001 One tenth acre and independence. Circumstances brought us to the city and instead of focusing on what we didn’t have (lots of acreage) we decided to make a go and homestead full time - doing what we could, with what plot and resources we had.
Started to keep track the amount of pounds harvested, energy, water usage; built self-watering containers; purchased hand-cranked appliances; first media article written about the Urban Homestead
Little Homestead in the City (2001-2010) first online blog about urban homesteading detailing our journey. <<link>>
2002 Teach the children. Compton High School was our first tour. Started our backyard flock with day old chicks, added a couple rabbits and then ducks.
2003 Here comes the sun. Self-installed 12 solar panels using PWP rebate; constructed a solar-heated outdoor shower; installed a solar tube light in the garage.
Replaced old appliances and applied for PWP rebates for energy efficient/water saver washing machine and refrigerator.
LA Permaculture Guild first Permaculture Certification Course/Class visits the Urban Homestead on a field trip.
2004 Give grease a chance. Constructed the first homemade biodiesel processor in Los Angeles made out of an old electrical water heater to make fuel to make fuel for our diesel car.
Hosted various “Self Sufficiency Series” workshops —soap-making, spinning, canning and biodiesel making and “Open Home(stead)” tours.
Exhibited at Fritz Haeg’s Garden LAb at Art Center College of Design.
Recognition received City of Pasadena Outstanding Recycler Award for Preservation of Natural Resources through the Creation of an Urban Garden.
Speaking Engagements: Presentations at Georgia Organics Conference, UCLA, Eco Farm Conference.
2005 Earth, wind and fire. Constructed earthen (cob) wood-fired oven with Ray Cirino.
Broke up and removed 30’x30’ concrete slab in backyard and reused it for hard-scaping. Added more raised beds.
Integrated clay pot irrigation (OLLAS) system in the garden to save water.
Installed a wind turbine and Jotul wood stove for heating the house.
2006 Urban Heidis. Expanded animal enclosure to included a pair of goats.
Recognition Received City of Pasadena Outstanding Recycler Award for Sustainable Development Practices.
2007 Every drop counts. Installed metal roof for future rainwater collection
Installed solar attic fans (rebated by PWP); replaced driveway with more “permeable” Hollywood strip driveway.
Captured ”wild/feral” bees swarm and started once again raising bees.
Featured article in the Los Angeles Times; our short film Homegrown Revolution screened for UCLA class.
Homestead Ambassadors: Traveled to India, Italy, Israel and New Zealand to share our homesteading journey
2008 From hippie to hip. The modern homesteading movement grows locally and globally with extensive media coverage (The New York Times Magazine and video, ABC Nightline, CNN.
2009 Our short film Homegrown Revolution is screened at film festivals worldwide; Featured on: Mother Earth News, Oprah, and the Telegraph [UK]
2011 Farming the neighborhood. A neighbor on our street asked us to take over her lawn and install an edible landscape in the front yard.
2010-2016 Homestead hootenanny. What’s a farm space without good music? Hosted an acoustic space for local musicians and artist to perform and sing-a-long.
2013 Food for the people. CSA farm box program. Featuring foods from our small city farm in addition to local organic farms and food artisans.
2016 To everything there is a season. Jules Dervaes, Jr passed away as a result of a pulmonary embolism at the age of 69.
2019 Growing the future. We are continuing to transform a second property on our block into another farm and homestead.
Carrying on the mission, we founded the Urban Homestead Institute a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Programs include: Internship, farm to table sessions and food donation programs
2021 Survive and thrive. During these challenging times, our homestead journey continues to grow and evolve.
We hope that our homestead … seeds hope and inspiration.
Featured On: CNN, Oprah, Times of India, New York Times, LA Times, Urban Farm Magazine, ABC Nightline, CBS Evening News, ABC News, Sundance Channel, PEOPLE Magazine, National Geographic, Discovery, Hallmark, Mother Earth News, Al Jazeera, Natural Home and Garden, UK Telegraph, FRANCE 5, Brazil Globo and countless other articles and books.
“Progress starts with envisioning a new (yet old) lifestyle with the home as central to all aspects of life—work and leisure, food and energy. So, real progress means bringing the economy, beginning with the food economy, home again.”
— Jules Dervaes Jr (1947-2016)