Testimonials
I arranged the speakers for the Georgia Organics annual conference this year, with over 66 presenters and 1200 in attendance. The keynote presentation was delivered by Michael Pollan. The conference included six, concurrent in-depth workshops. One of these 3.25 hour workshops was delivered by Mr. Dervaes, speaking about intensive urban agriculture production.
Nearly 150 people signed up for Mr. Dervaes' workshop, close to a sell-out for the size of the room and the top attended in-depth workshop for the conference. The presentation was extremely well-received, and very highly rated. One attendee says:
"Personally the 3 hours I spent with the Jules Dervaes family was worth everything to me, THAT is a real revolution!"
I've attached the evaluation summary for the session. Needless to say, with the very high ratings on usefulness of content, professionalism and knowledge of presenter, and the high attendance, we'd definitely invite Mr. Dervaes to present again, and highly recommend him for other conferences and workshops where people are interested in practical, actionable information on urban food production.
- S. Welander, Georgia Organics Conference, March 2009
Urban Homesteading: Eating and Living off the Grid, 4 hour workshop led by Jules Dervaes.
Workshop evaluations' rating (1= poor, 5= excellent)--
Program provided useful information: 4.8
Presenter was well prepared and knowledgeable: 4.9
- Georgia Organics Conference, March 2009
The New Brighton Project was lucky enough to have the opportunity to host Jules Dervaes and his family when they recently visited New Zealand. While here, Jules Dervaes presented the workshop Urban Self-Sufficiency- Eating and Living the Sustainable Way in one of our community centres.
The power of community was really seen on the day—we expected around 80 people to come but in fact had over 200 arrive! Such was the popularity of the Dervaes family and the success of modern social networking!
His film, Homegrown Revolution, and presentation were very well received. Highly professional, the format was also simple enough that even a novice could 'take something home'.
We thoroughly enjoyed having the Dervaes family be a part of our community for a day and would recommend anyone who had the chance to do the same.
- R. May, Organizer, New Brighton Project Workshop, May 2010
I really enjoyed Dervaes’s low-key yet passionate style, and it’s great to get a little glimpse into the man behind Path to Freedom, a project and a website which have inspired thousands of people to take up the cause of freedom gardening and the 100 foot diet.
- web blogger
The whole weekend started off with a bang! With an 8AM workshop by Jules Dervaes and family about "Urban Homesteading and Living Off the Grid". Fantastic! ... Mr. Dervaes covered everything from growing a yearly crop of 6,000 lbs of organic vegetables in his tiny back yard, to soil enrichment, water harvesting and reducing the use of grid electricity... biodiesel production, the keeping of livestock in an urban homestead, seed preservation, strategic garden planning, everything! This workshop had a profound effect on myself and my companions, and set the tone for a weekend full of amazing information and insights.
- Attendee of 2009 Georgia Organics
When I walked into the Urban Homesteading workshop at the Georgia Organics annual conference a couple of weeks ago, I was expecting a speaker who was —- well —- a little nutty. After all, what kind of person does it take to turn a 1/5-acre suburban lot into a self-sustaining homestead for four?
It takes a person who may be a lot saner than the rest of us, it turns out. ... Dervaes leads their efforts with a great deal of thoughtfulness, humility and humor. ... Dervaes’ talk was downright inspiring. And that was the whole point.
- Attendee of 2009 Georgia Organics
I cornered Jules to talk about his vision, his methods, and that unbelievable topsoil, and he took up my ill-informed questions with an enthusiasm that he sustained for the next three days of presentations, film viewings, and community gatherings. He believes that growing one's own food is the most powerful political, social, and environmental action possible to reclaim sovereignty over our bodies, minds, and communities while restoring the earth. He is a farmer-activist-philosopher in the tradition of Wendell Berry, and I think I’d bronze a gym sock if he’d scribbled some words across it.
- Attendee of Homegrown Revolution screening and Urban Homesteading presentation in Udaipur, India, November 2009
From a 1/4 acre section...in New Zealand, I thank you! :)
We have been waiting for the means to purchase our dream lifestyle block out of town, to produce our own food, to build our own home...
We have a larger garden this year...but were still sitting about "waiting" before we could go further. After attending a local craft/lifestyle/sustainability fair last weekend I was even more inspired, but still "waiting" for the day that I would be able to have these things. I came home feeling rather wistful - I knew the lifestyle I wanted, but I had to "wait" for it.
A few days later, a link to your site was posted on a messageboard I frequent. I've just read your June 2003 insight ["Small is Beautiful & Productive"] and I've had a lightbulb moment! (Several lightbulbs really - I'm feeling illuminated! lol) What am I waiting for when there is so much I can do right now!
I have much more to read on your site, and many plans to make but at least I'm not waiting anymore :)
Another lightbulb flashes and I realise that the state of mind of "waiting" is not conducive to achieving my goal. Actively doing what I want/need to be doing may help me get to the dream lifestyle acreage in the country with the adobe house faster, and if not, at least I'll be kept busy in the meantime.
Many thanks for sharing your lifestyle with the rest of the globe :)
- E-mail message, 2/27/2008
Your DVD "Homegrown Revolution" ... really helped me convince my husband that we could have chickens too, which I have asked for, for many years! He wasn't real convinced until he watched your DVD. He even cried at the end of your dvd (I am NOT kidding you!). Last night in the garden, he told me I could have the chickens!! YAY!! So I will be getting 6 chickens (R.I Reds) in the following weeks.
When my husband saw what your family accomplishes on a city lot - he googled more info on it, and has now come on board! THANKS Dervaes family!!!!! See how you are making a difference??!
- Blog reader, 3/11/2010
I was not planning on listening to this call, but I am really happy that I did!! I had never heard of this man before! What an amazing human being! A very beautiful man!! I am in awe! I really admire and respect what he stands for, what he's accomplished with his life, and the traditions and legacies that he will leave behind for his children!! This man is simply amazing!!! I am so grateful that there are people like him in the world!! He is a blessing!! I can't say enough good things about him!!! This call was a gem for me!!
-----------------This was great! I have five web-sites to look up. Let's hope this will be a good year for growing vegetables. I am kind of scared. I have grown flowers for several years, but I will be so bummed if groundhogs, racoons, rabbits, moles, etc. eat all my vegetables.
Jules and Shannon both have such delightful voices.
Jules also asked us to consider what is our (me, my) true (unique) role in life. I just turned 58, and I have no idea. This is giving me some consternation. Lots of work to do.
-------------------Homegrown food! Fabulous! This is my passion and am pursuing it as best I can. Hats off to Jules for integrating it into raising his children and then sharing it with others.
-------------How inspirational! He makes sustainable living sound easy!
-----------What a neat guy. So humble and such a model human and family man. I would love to be his neighbor.
----------------So inspiring! I live in Alaska where the growing season is short but I just hearing Jules experience made me feel really happy and motivated to work harder.
- Feedback from an Interview broadcast 3/12/2010 for the W.I.S.H. Summit
[...] The Leszczes were actually plotting a move to De Soto two years ago in order to open an organic blueberry farm. They'd whetted their appetite for country life by keeping backyard chickens and ducks. [...]
The couple's house had been on the market for a month when they saw a Slow Food St. Louis showing of Homegrown, a documentary about the Dervaes in Pasadena, California. The family went off the grid in the mid-1980s and now harvests 6,000 pounds of food annually from a 4,350-square-foot patch of suburbia. "That was really the first time we thought, 'Oh, wow, we could do what we want right here,'" says Danielle.
"We came home, called up the Dervaes, and I said, 'My husband and I just saw your movie, and we're gonna do this!'"
Justin quit his job selling Audis for Bommarito Automotive Group three days before Christmas in 2008. The Leszczes cut their household income by more than half, sold one car and acquired a vintage Vespa. Instead of researching their next gourmet vacation in San Francisco, they began counting down the days till the monthly Midwest Bird and Animal Breeders Association Swap in Waterloo, Illinois. [...]
[Read rest of article.]
- "Justin and Danielle Leszcz chucked the 9-to-5 in favor of a 3,700-square-foot farm in Affton" By Kristen Hinman, Riverfront Times, 3/16/2010
Thank you so much for your website and for doing rather than preaching.
I have, for years, put off 'cleaning up my act' because I wasn't in the 'right' place. But you've shown me that by 'doing something' no matter where I am is better than not doing it at all.
I've always day dreamed about having a hobby farm so that I can get back to a 'better time' but a light bulb went off when I saw and read your journey. I realized that by not 'learning' and putting into practice some of what I've read and dreamed about doing, I wouldn't know what to do with the hobby farm even if I got it one day.
So I've started in my own backyard. My vegetable garden isn't very big right now but I'm increasing its size every year and I am starting new habits so that if that 'one day' dream happens, I'll be ready for it and the world will be a slightly better place until I get there.
One step at a time. That's my new motto. I thank you for my light bulb moment.
- E-mail message, 8/7/2007
I am excited and inspired! Found your website today. You have accomplished exactly what we had the vision for 2 years ago. We live on almost 1 acre in a residential subdivision in Central Mississippi. Started the project last spring by cutting down 21 pine trees and plowing up the yard and planting a vegetable garden. The garden has doubled in size this year, and am preparing the patio area to become an herb garden. Front yard trees were replaced with apple trees. Have various other fruit trees and berry bushes. Solar clothes dryer :-) goes in next week.
I am not only impressed with what you have accomplished, but with your non-commercial, "roll up your shirt sleeves" pass-it-on approach.
I've already learned and gotten ideas from your pictures and video, and am headed back to your site for more.
- E-mail message, 4/24/2010
Subject: it is possible
I was looking for a soil block recipe and came upon your site. I have been a would-be homesteader but somehow life got in the way. At 53 with a back problem I thought those ideas were not to be. Then I thought about the possibility of urban homesteading. I didn't [think] there was a successful model. Thank you for being there as a mark of success.
The biggest tragedy in a man's [life] is for his dreams to die before he does. You inspire me to create a dream I thought was lost. Thanks.
- E-mail message, 6/8/2010
