Justin Dervaes
Justin is jack-of-all-trades. Pry a little deeper and find a seed junkie in denial. Justin is addicted to plants — often planting seeds and growing…Team Members

Justin Dervaes
Justin is jack-of-all-trades. Pry a little deeper and find a seed junkie in denial. Justin is addicted to plants — often planting seeds and growing them until there just isn’t a single inch of space to put them. If you can’t find your way to our front door, blame it on Justin.. It truly is a jungle out there.
When he’s not trying to grow every heirloom tomato that exists on this planet (and some that don’t…yet), he’s passionate about taking care of the little insects that make all the produce possible – those wonderful little honey bees.
From brewing biodiesel to installing solar panels, Justin loves to get his hands on projects. Give him a bike and he’ll break it apart and put it back together faster than a soldier with a rifle.
Justin’s runs the daily the farm operations and is the head manager of the farm box program, serving the customers with his practical “know-how” and his ever-ready smile.
Anais Dervaes
Anais is a country girl at heart and throwback to another era. She’s an apron-wearing barefootin’ dynamo who never shrinks from a challenge. …Team Members

Anais Dervaes
Anais is a country girl at heart and throwback to another era. She’s an apron-wearing barefootin’ dynamo who never shrinks from a challenge. She’s passionate about food, since she was a kid has always loved to cook & bake. Over the years she has honed her kitchen skills to the point where she can prepare food with maximum efficiency feed 40 people – no problem!
Since 2001, she taken to chronicling the family’s daily struggles and triumphs of life on their city homestead. She runs the farmstand operations and numerous outreach programs – workshops, film screenings, knit togethers, socials, and school tours/sessions.
Anais also enjoys developing homesteading skills includes: candle and soap-making; knitting; herbal remedies; sewing; crocheting; canning and food preservation. She loves the homestead life and sharing her “pioneer” passion with everyone she meets. Laura Ingalls would certainly be proud.
Jordanne Dervaes
Co-Founder - Assistant Director of Urban Homestead InstituteJordanne is a mix of old-fashioned and 21st century techie. Imagine for a moment a hybrid of Jane Austen, Ellie May ( of Beverly Hillbillies),…Team Members

Jordanne Dervaes
Co-Founder - Assistant Director of Urban Homestead InstituteJordanne is a mix of old-fashioned and 21st century techie. Imagine for a moment a hybrid of Jane Austen, Ellie May ( of Beverly Hillbillies), Annie Oakley and a 21st century Techie-Geek” and you get the most basic of picture.
For someone who has always felt that she was born in the wrong century, Jordanne handles the contradiction very well – one minute coding a website for a client and then next performing minor surgery on a chicken without skipping a beat.
Jordanne loves all creatures great and small, and uses her skills and knowledge to help others treat their critters with an encyclopedic mind of holistic & herbal remedies.
When she’s not mucking out the chicken coop or welding powertools you’ll find her in the kitchen baking yummy desserts, brewing up medieval mead and wine concoctions or repurposing second hand “junk” into Pinterest worthy masterpieces.
She shares her knowledge & passions through the teaching of workshops with her unique and straightforwardly honest style.