More Suburbanities Growing Their Own Food
by Justin Thomas, Virginia 
on 08.26.05
The Corvallis Gazette-Times is reporting that many backyard farmers say they're growing food out of a fear that much of the commercially grown food found at the supermarket isn't safe. For example, Jules Dervaes and three of his four grown children work tilling their urban garden full-time. The garden produces about 6,000 pounds of food a year — enough to feed the Dervaes, their menagerie of ducks, chickens and bunnies and even some diners seeking organic meals at local restaurants.
"We're farming on just a 10th of an acre here," Dervaes said. They're at the forefront of a small but growing number of city dwellers who are ripping out lawns and replacing them with vegetable beds and fruit trees.
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hey! that's my backyard! was just thinking "mmm, that looks familiar", turned out i bike by that place everyday :)
The family featured in the AP story owe some of their success to the SF Valley's lamented prince of poo, Tim Dundon. The LA eccentric who maintained a vast pile of hummus, some would call it a rotting waste heap, that fed organic gardens throughout the area.
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206~22097~2827678,00.html
How about a direct link directly to Jules Dervaes project?
This is quite a toe-hold in the urban sprawl of Los Angeles.
Does anyone know of a good resource on creating a sustainable food supply on your own property (such as, what to plant, how much of it, how much land you need, etc.)? Thanks!
That might seem a bit too obvious, but I'd borrow a couple of gardening books from the library and decise on how much of what to plant based on the diet of my family (do we eat lots of tomatoes? cucumbers? carrots? etc)
two good resources for home gardeners are metrofarm and
square foot gardening
I have been a loyal ptf reader for quite sometime. thier DIY projects are excellent and the links form thier site make me proud to be green! We should all be able to learn from the Dervaes family.