Spring 2010
By Sharon Biggs Waller

Self-sufficiency may be the rage right now, but it’s not a new concept. After all, pioneers had to be independent to survive in a new, often hostile, environment. A move away from the land began when farming became mechanized after World War II. Soon, suburbia replaced fields, and gardens gave way to landscaping. In the 1970s, people began to yearn for a simpler life, and the self-sufficiency movement began to grow.

Today, there is a huge trend to go “back to the land,” but why are we embracing a lifestyle where manure happens and vegetables come into the house covered in dirt instead of plastic wrap? Some make the decision because they don’t want to rely on the corporate machine for their food source; others are concerned with the planet and want to reduce their carbon footprint; while others want the pleasure and security that comes with self-reliance.

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An Urban Setting

Self-sufficiency on acres of land is all well and good, but what about urban and suburban dwellers? how can you care for a family on such a tiny piece of land?

Jules Dervaes is probably the finest example of an urban homesteader in the world. Alarmed by the introduction of genetically modified organisms into the food supply, Dervaes wanted to stop relying on corporations for food. The Path to Freedom, his family-operated urban homestead in Pasadena, Calif., is the result. The homestead is run by Dervaes and his three adult children, Anais, Justin and Jordanne, and they produce more than 6,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables (400 different varieties) each year on their 1/10-acre garden. His urban farm has been feature by Oprah, ABC’s Nightline, CNN and The New York Times Magazine. Homegrown Revolution, Dervaes’ film about his project, has received worldwide praise and recognition.

“In 2001, there was a recall of taco shells that we had been eating,” says Dervaes. “They had been accidentally made with GMO corn that wasn’t certified for humans. I thought, ‘If corporations are able to make giant mistakes like this, how could I be satisfied with that lack of safety?’”

Dervaes says it took a few years to learn to work with his small space. He killed the grass in the front yard but didn’t have anything to replace it, so he went through a “brown year.” “We had some strange looks from the neighbors,” he says. “My daughter was worried to go outside because the neighbors would ask, ‘What is up with your dad?’ But I can’t blame them, because it was radical change. Everyone’s front yard looked the same.”

Dervaes finally hit on the idea of having an edible front garden, and today it’s a lush haven that people stop to admire. The back garden fits into every bit of space, both vertical and horizontal. Pots holding herbs are suspended from trellis poles. Raised beds, divided by small footpaths, are crammed with vegetables.

The Dervaes kids yearned for animals and found Pasadena codes allow all livestock except swine. “You’re allowed to have a set number, and some livestock have to be kept a certain distance from the neighbors’,” says Dervaes. “We did take it a step at a time. We had bantam chickens, then ducks and now two pygmy goats.”

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How Much?

Self-sufficiency is a journey, not something you can jump straight into. Most people aren’t completely self-sufficient, even the most earnest.

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Dervaes knows it’s difficult to be directly self-sufficient in a modern world, so all their extra produce is sold to local restaurants. They save seeds and sell them online. [Note: the family's own seeds are not available for sale. They do sell open-pollinated seeds from other suppliers at FreedomSeeds.org.] Solar panels, hand-cranked appliances and a greywater catchment system cut down on power and water bills. They also started several websites designed to help like-minded people get a start in urban microfarming. “Even though we have little space, we are still viable,” he says. “We grow the more valuable vegetables that we can sell to chefs, and we buy staples from a co-oop.”

Self-sufficiency is drawing people from many walks of like and for many different reasons. But they all have one thing in common–to go back to a simpler way of life, a life that rests easier on the land. What could be more rewarding?

[Inset] Not a Trend

Jules Dervaes and his family don’t see sustainable living as a trend. They see it as life. Plain and simple.

Well, maybe simple isn’t quite the word we’re looking for. In addition to their blossoming front yard that produces 6,000 pounds of herbs, fruits and vegetables every year, the Dervaeses own goats, chickens and ducks. With all those animals and no livestock vets in their community, they’re responsible for their animals’ health care. Talk about commitment and dedication.

See the family in action in Urban Farm exclusive online videos: www.urbanfarmonline.com/dervaesvideos.