Over 6,000 pounds of food per year, on 1/10 acre located just 15 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. The Dervaes family grows over 400 species of plants, 4,300 pounds of vegetable food, 900 chicken and 1,000 duck eggs, 25 lbs of honey, plus seasonal fruits throughout the year.

From 1/10th of an acre, four people manage to get over 90% of their daily food and the family reports earnings of $20,000 per year (AFTER they eat from what is produced). This is done without the use of the expensive & destructive synthetic chemicals associated with industrial mono-cropping, while simultaneously improving the fertility and overall condition of the land being used to grow this food on. Scaled up to an acre, that would equal $200,000 per year!

To follow the Dervaes and their Urban Homesteading activites, you can find them at http://urbanhomestead.org

Urban and near-urban farming can be highly productive, causing whatever size of land you have to work with to produce with more abundance. It is time to solve hunger worldwide, through creating local food abundance.... Anyone can do it, once you learn how.  (h/t Catherine Cromell)

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Check us out at: http://www.urbanhomestead.org
The Dervaes Family on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dervaes
The Urban Homestead on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/urbanhomestead
For more on the film: http://www.homegrownrevolution.com
To purchase a copy for public screening: http://www.peddlerswagon.com/p-282-ho...
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This film features: Jules Dervaes, Justin Dervaes, Anais Dervaes and Jordanne Dervaes

Homegrown Revolution is a short introduction to the homegrown project that has been called a new revolution in urban sustainability.

In the midst of a dense city setting in downtown Pasadena, radical change is taking root. For over twenty years, the Dervaes family have transformed their home into an urban homestead and model for sustainable agriculture and city living.

Through the creation of the "Urban Homestead" the Dervaes family shows that change is possible -- one step at a time. They harvest 3 tons of organic food annually from their 1/10 acre garden while incorporating many back-to-basics practices, solar energy and biodiesel in order to reduce their footprint on the earth's resources.

Through the creation of the "Urban Homestead" the Dervaes family shows that change is possible,

Homegrown Revolution is a short film that was never created for a film festival circuit but has a true homegrown, homemade story behind its creation.

The original version of Homegrown Revolution was made in three days for a lecture Jules Dervaes gave at the University of California Los Angeles in October 2007 on the topic of Slow Food (SEE ORIGINAL VERSION: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89HRDn... ). It received a wildly enthusiastic response from the students and, subsequently, attracted an avid following on YouTube, with over 500,000 views to date.

This new version of Homegrown Revolution was created in 2009 and went on to screen at many film festivals throughout the world.

It is a collaborative project done by Jules, Anais, Justin and Jordanne with each member taking part in the filming, editing and structure of the film. No one had any previous film editing / filming experience but they hope the passion and enthusiasm of their lifestyle and project show through any technical flaws.

Made in-house on computers powered by solar/green sources. All transportation was done in a biodiesel-fuled car and All camera/mic batteries were rechargeable and charged with solar energy. Waste was kept to a minimum -- paper composted or recycled and all publicizing materials printed on post consumer paper.

Some of the honors Homegrown Revolution (2009) won are:

WINNER

Best Environment & Ecology Film North America,
Swansea International Film Festival, UNITED KINGDOM

Prize of the Mayor of the Capitol City of Slovakia
Ekotop Film Festival of Sustainable Development, SLOVAKIA

Best Short Documentary
Southern Appalachian International Film Festival, TENNESSEE

El Capitan Film Award
Yosemite International Film Festival, CALIFORNIA

Best Sustainability Film
Green Screen Environmental Film Festival, CALIFORNIA

Robert T. Nanninga Award for Excellence,
Cottonwood Creek Film Festival, CALIFORNIA

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HONORABLE MENTION - Westpac Award Best Short Film
Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival, NEW ZEALAND

NOMINATED - Best Film, Climate Change & Sustainable Technology
CMS Vatavaran Environmental & Wildlife Film Fest, INDIA

FINALIST - European Spiritual Film Fest, FRANCE

Clips were also feature on OPRAH's 2009 Earth Day show.