Urban Homesteading - Page 4

[Brighids Flame]

I found this on the FAQ page of the Dervaes website http://urbanhomestead.org/faq#n181

We are extremely supportive of members of our online communities; fans of our websites and others who help to spread information regarding sustainable living.

If you are a  Urban Homestead(er) blogger and are simply documenting your life or sharing your journey or information, sure!  In fact, we encourage it. 

However, we must also guard against the unauthorized use or exploitation of our intellectual property for commercial gain. From the beginning, our work published online and in other media has been copyrighted and trademarked. By protecting intellectual property we are better able to ensure that our work is presented accurately and contributes to our sustainable living projects and educational initiatives.

If you want to label a for-profit endeavor or business with the term, we ask that you contact us first. 

Thank you in advance for respecting our legally protected intellectual  property rights. If you have been supportive of our ten-year online work in  the past, we appreciate very much your continued support.

If you have any questions regarding the use of Dervaes materials or trademarks, please contact us at [phone]. We would be glad to provide you with more details.

 

So it looks like they're not trying to stop bloggers and those spreading the word about the urban homesteading cause, just people who are trying to profit off the name.

[marimara]

I did a little poking around on the net about the Dervaes and there is def. more going on than what they say on their blog.  They have been saying for years how "urban homesteading" belongs to them and they are suing some people who wrote a book with the words "urban homestead" in it.  I don't really care to post all about it here but if anyone is interested it's best to look around at many sources of info.  I for one, do not support the trademarking of words...

[limette]

Originally Posted by Brighids Flame 

I found this on the FAQ page of the Dervaes website http://urbanhomestead.org/faq#n181

 

So it looks like they're not trying to stop bloggers and those spreading the word about the urban homesteading cause, just people who are trying to profit off the name.

They have been backpedaling all week. They sent letters to people that were not for profit and originally didn't want anyone to use the term without crediting them. It is clear that when they originally sent out the letters that they had no understanding of trademark law. Now that there's a public outcry they are trying to paint it all as a misunderstanding on our part.

The book that used Urban Homesteading shouldn't be a problem. As the Dervaes pointed out, another term that is trademarked is "bicycle". A person can write a book and put "bicycle" in the title. Trademark law isn't going to prevent that.

[Denvergirlie]

Yes, people profit off of the name....

Like the couple that wrote a book in 2008 that had the term "urban homesteading" in the title. The book was published in 2008, and yet the Dervaes trademarked the name in 2010, and still are going after the authors and publishers.

Like the Oakland Institutte that offers classes in urban homesteading, teaching people how to can, and yes they charge for those classes, and they too were hit with the same letter to cease and destite. Or the Denver Urban Homestead that is an indoor farmers market and education center in Denver that has been in business before the trademark was obtained.

Never mind the fact that Mother Earth News magazine wrote articles back in 1980 that used the same words "Urban Homesteading", how dare Mother Earth news try to sell magazines (make a profit) using those words.

** Editted to add... please don't feel like I am attacking you, Brighids Flame, in my follow up post, but this whole issue is just so silly that they are going after others for using the terms and going after them after the fact that these words have been used in conjunction for years in other profit driven enterprises.

Originally Posted by Brighids Flame 

I found this on the FAQ page of the Dervaes website http://urbanhomestead.org/faq#n181

 

So it looks like they're not trying to stop bloggers and those spreading the word about the urban homesteading cause, just people who are trying to profit off the name.

Edited by Denvergirlie - 3/3/11 at 4:15pm

[mouso]

Denvergirlie, yeah, I don't see how they have a leg to stand on since it was a term before they trademarked it. Wow, that's really crappy. 

[Brighids Flame]

Denvergirlie, thanks for clarifying that you weren't attacking me, I was feeling a bit nervous about posting here again after all the reactions to what I posted. FWIW, I think it's ridiculous that they're trying to trademark urban homesteading. I can (sort of...kind of...maybe) see trademarking the name of their blog, since that's what they've been writing under/known as for some time. But to try to trademark a term that clearly so many other people use and feel passionate about and have been using for years is absurd. That said, what they posted on their FAQs basically means that any blogger receiving one of those "use capital letters and the trademark symbol" letters can rest a bit easier knowing that they're not going to be sued. That's all that I was trying to point out in posting that quote. I apologize if it came off that I was defending their overall actions.

[marimara]

Update:

We've started the mini orchard!  We bought a house on 1/4 acre last year in Florida, near the ocean.  I know that sounds odd and not homesteading-ish at all but we don't need a car there, we can ride bikes every where, the growing season is year round, can fish and use the ocean as a food source, there is a great local food community with several produce stands/CSAs/health food stores, etc.  The price was awesome and it is in an area where dh can find work after he retires from the military and where we can use our retired military benefits.

Back to the story,

So we planted

• a Ponderosa lemon tree (cross between lemon and citron, theses babies get huge)
• a Key lime tree (limequat)
• a lemon meringe mango tree
• a Nam Doc Mai mango tree
• am Avocado Lila tree (dwarf variety)
• a regular "Haas" avocado tree (dh purchased this one by accident, I told him to get the dwarf varities, we planted and then realized this-our plan is to dock it every summer and attempt to keep it small but still productful, if that doesn't work, this tree won't stay long term)-this tree already has fruit on it
• a Satsuma tree (tangerine)
• and a Valencia Orange tree
• oh and one small blueberry bush-has fruit on it too

* Oh I forgot, we also planted 3 Sea Grape bushes.  These are bushes that grow along the coast that protect the soil from erosion, are salt tolerant, hardy plants that produce edible grapes, the the local birds use as a food source and can be eaten by humans as well, commonly made into sea grape jelly in recent years. *all this was probably too many trees but we aren't expecting all of them to make it, so we planted extra.  I still want to plant a Barbados Cherry Tree (commonly known as the acerola, which has the highest Vitamin C ever and maybe some kind of nut tree).

All but the lemon were planted last week.  The lemon was planted 2 months ago and basically just plugged in the ground, placed where the sprinklers would hit it (our sprinkler is from our private well), and left alone for 2 months,  It's doing awesome!  It has some flower buds on it too, but I pinched off most of them so the tree can focus on getting bigger.

Already the birds and squirrels are circling, lol.

These were some of our baby steps getting set up for dh's military retirment in 4 years.  We plan on living on his retirement pension plus a small pension of my own plus whatever unjobbing money we can round up.  

Edited by marimara - 5/24/11 at 1:08pm

[CookiePie]

This is a great thread!  We are also working on making our 1/4 acre work for us better.  We only have a small herb garden and a separate small veggie garden, because we have lots of shade form our neighbors trees we don't have much workable land.   I have had mixed success growing things.  My potatoes grew but were very small & took up a large part of the garden for only one or 2 meals worth of potatoes!   My garlic was great last year I planted it in half of the bed.  But never got around to planting more this fall : (  Bush beans are super easy, strawberries, various greens, & squash.  I pretty much gave up one all else.  We are very dedicated to composting, even through the snowy winter!  That is something that we have done since we bought the house!   I would really love to get a few chickens, but we would have to sneak, because in our town you need 3 acres to have any chickens!  I'm really unsure if we could keep then under wraps if we fence in the whole yard & keep only hens...?  So since we would have to establish better fencing first, that means $ that  we don't have!  So we aren't planning on getting an, not anytime soon anyway!   We are also still tied up with house projects.  My husband is re-doing our bathroom & when that project is complete he will be replacing the roof & may need to do siding as well.   He says once those things are done we can figure out want we want to do for homesteading.   After looking at blogs & youtube I see rabbits as a great starter animal, but I really don't think we could use them for meat.  I wish I could say that we could do it but I'm trying to be realistic!  They do have amazing manure that you don't even have to compost!   How do you wrap your brain around using them for meat though?  Has anyone tried it & did you have a tough time?  DH pictures us with a bunch of bunnies because we just don't have the heart to eat them.    He also thinks that hunting would be an easier method.  Then we wouldn't have to keep the animals, feed them, clean up after them, figure out what to do when we go away for a few days, also our family wouldn't be attached to them.  Although I don't know if he could stomach hunting either.  We do have avid hunters in the family that could surly teach him!  So I feel like I don't know what the next step should be!    For us to get closer to our goals.  I've not been as invested in the garden after many things just  simply didn't grow!  Any advice on where to go from here?

[ghostlykisses]

 Right now I am in a holding pattern but I am hoping we are going to be renting to own a massive newer 4 bedroom double wide sitting on two lots in a ancient mobile home community soon. LOL I know that sounds weird but we like the area and the price is right. If we get the place I am looking forward to seeing how much I can do under those circumstances.The back yard appears to have a slope to it so gardening might be interesting.

[_ktg_]

subbing!  I'm so glad to have found this thread and the recommended books.  I've been considering this idea for a couple of years now and I want to explore it further! 

Right now we're just starting with our veggie garden to try and get better at growing our own veggies.  Last year was our first attempt with 3 tomato plants and a small row of carrots... we got some fresh from the garden veggies despite our very novice attempt at gardening.  We have about 1/4acre of land, if this year we are successful with our garden I anticipate it growing in future years!

We've also switched over to reducing the amount of paper products, making more meals from scratch and I'm getting quite good at canning via water bath & the pressure cooker!  Skills I need to work on are:

1. Sewing
2. Knitting
3. Baking (gf) - this year especially since DH heard wheat prices are going to skyrocket soon and I love bread! 

In a couple of years I would love to think about chickens, but right now with me working FT - that is just not doable

[Paigekitten]

My husband and I raised a dozen meat chickens in the garage and back porch this spring.  We paid someone to do the processing.  It was fun, and we might do it again, but we are thinking about renting the house so I didn't get anymore chicks this year.  We already have 3 hens, but I think maybe I posted about them forever and a year ago...

[marimara]

I'm in my house   finally!  Still working on keeping these fruit trees alive through the summer.  We haven't got much rain so that's causing lots of problems.  I planted the berry patch, it's struggling in the heat and lack of rain, I did just mulch with pine bark the other day so that should help.  In central/south florida, not much to plant in summer.  I do have sweet potatoes growing in containers.  I am currently nursing 2 mango, 2 avocado, 1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 tangerine, 1 orange trees back to life after taking a beating during my last absence.  Though, since I'm now moved in and not  going anywhere they should be ok, mulch, compost, water....Speaking of compost, my compost is coming out great, it takes me about 4 weeks from eggshells and apple peels to nice dark dirt.  I planted a papaya tree in a nice big hole filled with compost so I have high hopes for it.  It should give me some fruit before the winter comes.  My xeriscaped/native plants are doing awesome though: prickly pears are growing nicely and so are the aloes.   My clothesline is hung and used all the time.  I need to get some kind of rain collection going though.  

[hikingfortruth]

Homesteaders ahoy!  So fun!

Have you read the book Possum Living?  It's entertaining and full of awesome information. 

I saw the Backyard Homestead mentioned too.  That one is awesome!!!  It's our main manual.

We have a big veggie garden, an herb garden and beds the whole way (sounds like a lot but our house is teeny) around the house.  Two 4x4 foot compost bins. 

Been going for 3 years now.  Spent the first one in a tent in the backyard.  Lost our tent and we're sleeping on the floor in the house for now...  Ride bike to a lot of places, walk, etc.  We do as much as we can.  It's hard though, in a world of temptation to convenience.

Can't have chickens, borough regulations. 

We knit, crochet, blow glass, sew, herbal medicine, cloth diaper, cloth TP, ...  if anyone needs resources, I've got some good ones. 

Thanks!