Aerial view of our 1/5 acre
Modern Pioneers
Citified Farm Animals
Energy Independence
Organic Gardening
Self-Sufficiency
Water & Waste Reclamation
The path to change the world begins at your door
Over the years, we have documented our progress in our journey towards becoming self -sufficient in a densely urban setting with charts, diagrams and stats.
Our homestead is a continually evolving work in progress and these records have helped us to compare our successes and failures. They also serve as an aid in planning future plantings and projects.
In no way are our accomplishments "one size fits all." We realize circumstances and situations have allowed us to take these steps. We do not intend to compare or endorse our progress as being possible for everyone.
However, we hope that by providing this information and making our records public we can prove that YOU can make a difference. Perhaps you may get inspired to make your own changes by the examples provided here. After all, no matter how small the change, you too, can take a step in the right direction.
And then, who knows where the path will take you? Let's walk!
A Journey Documented ... at a Glance
Jules Dervaes sold his 10 acres in rural Flordia and purchased this "fixer-upper" home in the mid-1980s ("before" pictures 
) at a reasonable price by California standards.
Sorely neglected by years of being occupied by renting tenants and located in a low income neighborhood, the home was in bad need of repair (and still is, in most places) and the yard was a combination of broken asphalt, large concreted areas, weeds, Bermuda grass, chalky "adobe-type" soil, and a few landscape plants. But the property provided potential because of its relatively spacious yard for an urban Pasadena home and its locality -- within walking distance of downtown Pasadena, the Rose Bowl, and the San Gabriel Mountain range / Los Angeles National Forest.
Where We Are:
Area Climate:
 Average Rainfall: 19 inches National Zone: 9-10 Western Garden Zone: 21 Average First Frost: January |
Average Last Frost: Mid-March Growing Season: Year round Elevation: 865 ft Soil Type: Sandy / 6.5 ph
|
Average Temperature (F): HIGH / LOW
| WINTER Jan · Feb · Mar 65°F / 40ºF |
SPRING Apr · May · Jun 75°F / 50°F |
SUMMER Jul · Aug · Sep 90°F / 60°F |
FALL Oct · Nov · Dec 80° F / 50°F |
House & Property:
Location: Northwest Pasadena, one mile from downtown Pasadena
Property Size: 66'x132' = 8,712 sq .ft. (1/5 acre)
House: Simple, wood frame craftsman bungalow. Circa 1917
House Size: 1,500 sq ft.
Garage Size: 600 sq ft.
Garden Size: 3,900 sq ft. (approx 1/10 of an acre)
Garden Diversity: Over 350 different vegetable, herb, fruit, berry
Productivity: 6,000 lbs harvested annually on 1/10 acre
Aerial views of PTF's urban location
Diagram of our property in comparison
Garden diagram backyard / front yard
Harvest Stats:
Fruits & Veggie Harvest Comparison 
6,000 lbs Breakdown (consumed vs sold)
Yearly Garden Harvest: 2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004
Growing Methods & Principles
|
Natural Pest Management Permaculture / Organic Bio-intensive / Beds No-till / Mulch Ancient Practices Stewardship / Biblical Principles |
Edible Landscaping Vertical Gardening Container Gardening Multi-story Mode Dervaes Sr.'s Jungle Style Dervaes Jr.'s Max-out Method
|
Weekly Food Bill:
| WINTER $100 - $120 |
SPRING $90 - $100 |
SUMMER $50 - $85 |
FALL $60 - $85 |
Average grocery bill per week for family of five on a vegetarian diet (no red meat, fowl, pork, or fish). Items that we cannot grow are purchased in bulk through a local co-op or health food store.
Percentage of Our Food Grown: "Guesstimate" of our vegetarian diet"
| WINTER 55% |
SPRING 65% |
SUMMER 80-90% |
FALL 65% |
12 grid-tied solar pv panels 7.2 kwh
Rebate refunded 2/3rds of the cost
DIY installation by Dervaes family
Energy Usage:
Daily 6.0 kwh
Monthly 195 kwh
Annual 2340 kwh
In Perspective:
Powering Down:
Energy Conservation: All Energy Star appliances. Passive cooling and heating, line drying clothes and limit energy use through hand cranked, non electrical devices/appliances.
Heating: Jotul wood stove NEW. Vintage 'Perfection Oil Heater' converted to burned homebrewed biodiesel that we make using free waste vegetable oil (costing 70 cents a gallon).
Cooling: Open windows, screen-door, and passive cooling trellises on south & westfacing windows.
Cooking & Refrigeration: Gas cook stove, solar and cob oven. Efficient, Energy Star electric refrigerator {lived without a refrigerator for 3 years}
Lighting: Lights used only when necessary. Typical bulbs replaced with energy efficient {CFL} bulbs. Other alterative sources include natural sunlight (sun tube), oil lamps filled with homebrew biodiesel, olive oil lamps, and soy/beeswax candles.
City municipal service
Spot-watering by hand in garden
Water-saving front load washing machine
Use of old-fashioned hand washer and wringer
Limited toilet flushings
Reduced useless running water
Heavy mulching in garden - tree trimmings and green "living" mulch
Removal (depaving) of driveway and concrete ("urbanite") patio. Eliminating water running off into the street therefore allowing the water to soak into the ground.
Clay pot irrigation in garden (old fashion method of drip irrigation) NEW
Toilet link sink NEW
In Perspective:
Water Reclamation:
Wash water reused on fruit trees and edible shrubs
Outdoor shower water allowed to penetrate into surrounding soil and landscape
Garden and kitchen waste composted
Vermicomposting
EM bokashi, a fermenting compost method, used to treat kitchen waste
Bottles, cans, paper recycled by a City wide recycling program
Rabbits, chickens, ducks, worms and goats turn garden and kitchen waste into nutrient rich compost
Canvas bags used when shopping to eliminate the need for paper or plastic bags
Purchasing staple foods in bulk to reduce packaging
Diesel car that runs on homebrewed biodiesel made from waste vegetable oil ( costing 70 cents a gallon)
"Muscle"-power:
Reducing the use of the car and combining trips - on most weeks an average 3 out of 7 days are "car-free" days. Increasing the use of bicycles or walking.
Selling organic, specialty produce is primary source of income
Quality handcrafts in leather and fiber
Skills Actively Used on the Homestead:
Organic Gardening
Animal Husbandry{chickens, goats, ducks & rabbits}
Baking & Cooking from Scratch
Natural & Home Health Care
Website and Graphic Design
Self Publishing for Books and Materials
Photography
Knitting
Crocheting
Woodworking
Leather Crafting
Home Hair Cutting
Sewing
Food Preserving
Soapmaking
Candlemaking
Bicycle Repairs
Self Teaching, learning by experience
In Perspective:
Self-Sufficiency Chart
Forging a path to a sustainable present and future :
Composting toilet
Grey water reclamation system
Wood cook-stove
Solar water heater
Rainwater cistern/harvesting
Keeping bees (again)
Replace asphalt roof with environmental friendly metal shingles - DONE
Our urban homestead is a work in progress, please check back for updates or read our online journal for the latest.
