A Pasadena CA family raise 300 kinds of produce on a mere tenth of an acre of usable land, make biodiesel in the garage, have solar arrays on the roof that generate 60% of their power, and support themselves by selling their high-quality produce to local restaurants. All this in a heavily urban area next to a freeway on a tiny plot of land.
The bizarre recent weather in LA has affected their gardens, as the massive heat last summer killed tomatoes and the recent freeze severely damaged produce.
[The heat wave] “was brutal. We lost 90% of our heirloom tomatoes, which were supposed to bring us thousands of dollars,” Dervaes says. “That was our introduction to global warming.”
Like many in the back to basics movement, they are amused by the incongruity of getting back to nature as they spread the word on the Net.
Check their websites, pathtofreedom.com and dervaesgardens.com for more on what they do.
Yes, our Pasadena neighbors at PTF do great work — the Pasadena / Altadena area is home to more of this than one might imagine. My own humble home runs on solar / wind, we compost and do worm compost, and have several crops as well as a half dozen varieties of fruit trues going most of the time.
Anywhere else we’d be serious treehuggers. (Grin.) PTF shows us all how far one can go with a good idea!
Roger
easygreen.blogspot.com
ezgreenjournal.blogspot.com