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~ Reader Comments ~

I especially enjoyed the calculation of food production and spending comparisons. ~ Sat ~

I applaud your hard work! Excellent site on the internet. I'm amazed by record keeping to the last detail. ~ Jan ~

My compliments on your beautiful site. ~ Stan ~

Really amazing site you have. I look forward to coming to visit your urban garden oasis. Thanks for sharing. ~William~

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About PTF

PathtoFreedom.com is updated daily with the latest headline news and views on current issues of the day. This site is also updated weekly & monthly with our current homesteading projects, links and articles pertaining to simple living and offers an online newsletter with updates on our progress towards a more sustainable lifestyle. check out our homesteading projects �

PathtoFreedom.com is run and maintained by members of the Dervaes family. We operate the website as a non-commercial, home-based effort with no advertising or things to sell.

Our objective is to live harmoniously and sustainably as possible in the midst of the city. On our urban homestead project incorporates many back-to-basic practices, permaculture methods, and appropriate technologies for our present circumstances. We minimize our car use, buy in bulk, prepare seasonal meals from our garden, and much more! We enjoy sharing our knowledge and helping others develop along their journey.

If you are interested in gardening, or in living a more self-sufficient lifestyle, and would like take a tour of our urban homesteading project check out tour policy.

Who we are

A family of five, we live just a ten minute walk from Old Towne and famous Colorado Boulevard. Our 1917-built house in which we have lived for sixteen years sits on a typical small city lot.

Five years ago we started a home based business providing many fine, local restaurants

and caterers with the edible flowers and herbs that we were growing in our yard.

Today we have shifted our efforts to growing our own food year round, and selling the surplus to restaurants and caterers in the area.

We have attempted to grow as much of our own food as possible in the city {See: FACTS & STATS }. In our society growing food yourself has become the most radical of acts. It is truly the only effective protest, one that can--and will--overturn the corporate powers that be. By the process of directly working in harmony with nature, we do the one thing most essential to change the world--we change ourselves.

We use a variety of agricultural methods, such as permaculture, bio-intensive farming, plus our own unique gardening system developed over time by trial and error.

Everything is grown as organically as possible, and no harmful chemicals or insecticides are used on our garden. We also try to follow agrarian principles outlined in the Bible and tithe ten percent of our increase.

Nature in Southern California presents a tough challenge even for the typical lawn landscape because the average rainfall is just 19" a year. From May to November rain does not fall here. So, to contend with this semi-arid condition, we brought in several loads of chips from local tree-trimming companies as a way of conserving water in the soil.

Each day, especially during the abundant harvest of summer, our meals consist primarily of our own healthful, organic produce. Many times we make desserts using fresh fruits from trees growing on our lot. We eat according to the seasons; from nature's shelves we make our meals.

Practicing stewardship of the land has turned our small property into a haven for many "wild" animals. There are a variety of birds feasting on the multitude of bugs and seeds, butterflies and bees that busily pollinate our plants, and a family of squirrels. We get night visits from possums and even a cute little skunk has taken up residence under a neighbor's house.

Besides providing our wholesome daily "bread," gardening gives us one good workout. And, where else can one enjoy serenity everyday but by living in a garden?

See you along the path,

The Dervaes Family

Spring 2001

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