Little Homestead in the City: The Self-Sufficient Dervaes Family

Did you read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books when you were a kid? Those idyllic days of self-sufficiency are long gone...or are they? The Dervaes family in Pasadena are "urban pioneers" and they live their life as green as they can.

[ Photo of the Dervaes' home with their edible front yard from the Urbanhomestead.org ]

They grow their own food in their front and back yards (more than 300 kinds of produce!), hand wash their clothes, burn scrap wood instead of turning on central heat, and...use a bike to operate a blender.

Their site, UrbanHomestead.org, is chockfull of information about greening the home as well as cooking tips and energy conservation. But the most inspiring section is their journal where family members constantly update on events happening in the garden and the home--as well as challenges and setbacks.