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
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
