Urban Homestead in Pasadena, California, has an ambitious mission: providing organic food and flowers to the family and surrounding community while teaching all-comers how to live a low-cost, eco-friendly homestead lifestyle even in an urban environment.
As the Los Angeles Times detailed, the story began back in 1984 when Jules Dervaes Jr. brought his family to the run-down property. The family had previously lived on a farm in Florida, and Dervaes originally intended to leave that life to study theology.
However, he changed his goals and started building his homestead. Although his wife left, his children stayed and learned from him, and three of them remained at the farm, now known as Urban Homestead.
"At first we were just gardening to grow food for our family, but then Dad took on organic gardening as a business," Anaïs Dervaes, the eldest sister, told the LA Times. "In 1989, we took out our front yard — even the concrete — to grow more food, and our neighbors thought we were crazy, but the business took off, so you can make a living by removing your lawn."
Over the years, the operation has grown, and Urban Homestead now provides organic produce and flowers to multiple local restaurants and caterers, as well as over 100 subscribing families.
Producing food this way is a win for your wallet and the environment. When you grow your own produce, you can eliminate the high cost of fresh fruits and vegetables at the grocery store while often enjoying higher-quality items.
Growing organic food means avoiding pollution from harsh chemicals, which is healthier for you and for the Earth. Plus, growing your own food or buying food that's locally grown means no long-distance shipping, which gets rid of the heat-trapping air pollution created by the vehicles carrying food to your table.
Urban Homestead doesn't just produce food; it also offers tours and classes to give other potential homesteaders the foundation they need for success. Despite some struggles surrounding January's wildfires, this homestead is still open for business, according to its newsletter.
"There was a sense of identity here, and family survival," Anaïs told the LA Times. "It gave us purpose and a passion. I would plant on the moon if I had to."
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