Kevin and I went down south to Encinitas today for the Encinitas Environment Day.  They are in their 4th year promoting environmental awareness to the community.  

We talked to folks about getting solar panels on the house - the price has come down considerably since we last looked at this 2 years ago.  We were up to a $40,000 price tag back then and decided it was not within our reach.  But maybe now it is.  We talked to 2 different companies and we are having them both figure out what can be done.

We also met the Dervaes Family who I have been following for years with their Path to Freedom website.  This family took their residential home in Pasadena and started growing their own food, they included chickens which grew to ducks and a small goat too.  They have an incredible story and have been a major inspiration to me.  I never dreamed that I would actually be in the position I am in to follow these dreams of mine.

From them We bought:
a book called "Create an Oasis with Greywater" written by Art Ludwig
a book called "Serving Up the Harvest" by Andrea Chesman
a video called Homegrown Revolution - a film by Path to Freedom
a video called Homestead Blessings - The Art of Bread Making by The West Ladies
a video called Homestead Blessings - The Art of Soap Making by The West Ladies
a video called Homestead Blessings - The Art of Gardening by The West Ladies
a video called Homestead Blessings - The Art of Canning by The West Ladies

You can tell where my interests lie - and I should have been a librarian to boot!

We talked to folks about worm composting - already do that; raising rabbits - already do that; avoiding the use of pesticides - already do that too.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day!

Peace And Carrots - I'm pleased to see that the site is still being actively updated, and the archives are all still there to see.  Wendy, the mom, had a CSA - (Community Supported Agriculture) Where people bought shares in the crops she grew.  Her daughter, Heather was / is a truly remarkable young lady.  She built her own house at the age of 17, and shared her story as she went along.  Heather now has begun her own college - and calls her curriculum an "Unschooling".  These are both two very amazing women!


The Old Farmer's Almanac  This is where I first started trading seeds with others from around the world.  It is so exciting to get a package in the mail! Especially one that contains life.


Countryside is a magazine I've subscribed to on and off through the years.  It's a lot of homesteaders like me who post their trials and tribulations.  It's a place to go for advice or to share your latest and greatest ideas for dealing with problems, new inventions, money making plans - etc.