This homegrown, revolutionary project is slowly becoming known and has attracted local, national and worldwide media attention, including television, film, radio, magazine, and newspaper coverage.
The various media's featuring Path to Freedom are listed here with corresponding links to Adobe PDF 
(get Adobe Reader Free 
) or html files and video pages.
If you have created a feature about Path to Freedom and would like to have it displayed here, contact us
If you are a freelance writer, filmmaker, reporter, a student writing an essay, or whatever - and would like to create a feature about Path to Freedom, please visit our press page for more information, how to contact us, and to access a downloadable press kit.
To set up an interview with Path to Freedom and the Dervaes Family, please use our Media Inquiry submission form so we can better respond to your request.
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LOS ANGELES TIMES
January 25, 2007
O, Pioneers in Pasadena
Jules Dervaes can't help it. He's afflicted by a condition for which there is no known cure or even a 12-step program, an uncontrollable urge to change his residential surroundings. He is a serial remodeler, his mind a malarial fever of future projects. But unlike other compulsive home improvers, Dervaes is not obsessed with new or wired makeovers. It's the old-fashioned and nonelectric that drive him — and a determined bid to go off the grid in the middle of Pasadena that has won him followers in more than 100 countries. . . .
. . . "There's always this thing of where someplace else it could happen," Dervaes says. "I had that for a while. I needed more land. If only. If only I had more acreage … hey, wait a minute, what about what you have?"
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LOS ANGELES TIMES
January 25, 2007
Novice's Guide to an Urban Homestead
Farming is inherently an optimistic act, a belief that you and your hands can make something happen, even if you couldn't last year. . . .
. . . "If at first you don't succeed, keep going back to the drawing board, he [Dervaes] says. "There's failing, but when you climb to the top of the mountain, you feel pretty good."
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WHOLE LIFE TIMES
October 2006
Wisdom on Wheels
The Dervaes, a Pasadena-based urban homesteading family, craft their own biodiesel for under a dollar a gallon. "My [adult] son Justin brews 30 to 40 gallons at a time in an old waterheater in the garage," patriarch Jules Dervaes said. "It's the American thing to do, to have a gas station in your garage.
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HOPEDANCE
Issue #58 - September / October 2006
Walking the Talk on the Path to Freedom
... Inching along the 210 freeway in Pasadena, I can't help notice other drivers carry the same vapid expression that normally creeps across my face when my hopes for a speedy journey are drowned in a sea of break-lights. But this time, instead of despair, seeds of hope grow in my mind. I've just met with a quartet of urban pioneers whose lifestyle has inspired me by walking the talk on the Path to Freedom. ...
... As I slowly creep towards home, comtemplating whether I'm ready to make a ... change in my life, I imagine Robert Frost sitting in the passenger seat offering this encouragement: Two lifestyles converged in a Pasadena hood, the city and the Dervaeses have chosen the Path to Freedom. And that is making all the difference. read more » |
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LOS ANGELES ALTERNATIVE
August 11 - August 17, 2006
Green House Effect
... "When you have several people doing it, it kind of catches on. You break open this blockage where people think, ‘I can’t do that.’ People see you do it, and then they go, ‘He did it-why can’t I?’”
Dervaes pauses, and I realize he’s seen this actually work, time and time again, with people who come to tour his own home and its rainbows of heirloom tomatoes, its long, lush rows of well-loved backyard plantings, and its welcoming, wild front yard....
“With change, like with a garden, you have to persevere.” read more » |
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CORE MEDIA GROUP
Pasadena Independent
The Monrovia Weekly
The Arcadia Weekly
The Sierra Madre Weekly
Burbank Weekly
La Canada Flintridge Weekly
Glendale Independent Weekly
August 10 - August 16, 2006
GREENWAY - Abundance with Sustainable Gardening
The length of time it took for Jules Dervaes to fully realize his dream of living off the land brings to mind a familiar Zen maxim: "The obstacle is the path." ...
... "I'm doing it for the future," said Dervaes. "You know how they say, 'it takes a village?' This one takes a family."
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SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
July 22, 2006
Back(yard) to the Land - Family Grows its Meals on Tiny Urban Lot
For most people, eating organic means a trip to the local whole-foods store and, often, a hit to their wallets. For the Dervaes family, eating organic requires only a trip to the garden. The family of four raises 3 tons of food each year -- enough to supply three-quarters of their diet and maintain a thriving organic produce business to boot.
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TIMES UNION
November 1, 2005
They Cook Up Their Own Fuel
"We thought it was patriotic to be independent. We don't need to be dependent on foreign sources that are subject to terrorist acts"...
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
August 2005
Cost, Food Safety Concerns Lead City Dwellers to Keep Gardens
Jules Dervaes and three of his four grown children work tilling the urban garden full-time. In return, it 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...
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(published in over 40 media outlets across the nation) |
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PASADENA WEEKLY
June 30, 2005
Food Fight! (Deborah Koons Garcia comes to Pasadena)
During an hour and a half presentation Sunday sponsored by Path to Freedom, a Pasadena-based group that advocates sustainable urban agriculture, Garcia, wife of late rock legend Jerry Garcia, presented her film, which deals only with genetic engineering of plants that are used for agricultural purposes...
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PASADENA STAR NEWS
June 20, 2005
Frying Pan Into Fuel Tank
For Southern California users like Dervaes, biodiesel is more than a fuel -- it's a lifestyle.
"We feel it's worth the extra effort on our part. We feel like we're in a battle for our
future and this is our salvo," Dervaes explained... read more » |
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LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
June 19, 2005
LA Lagging on Biodiesel Trend
There are many reasons Jules Dervaes fuels his Chevrolet Suburban with biodiesel – but convenience is not one of them. Every month Dervaes and his son Justin collect used frying oil from a local restaurant and cart it back to their Pasadena home...
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BEECHWOOD VOICE
April, 2005
Earth Day at Cheremoya School
One of the students' favorite booths was that of The Path Project, an urban homesteading and self-sufficiency center ... who created a bicycle that ground grains as the children pedaled...
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PASADENA STAR NEWS
November 3, 2004
City Honors Recyclers
Path to Freedom has converted a suburban lot into an edible landscape that provides habitat for wildlife and insects and incorporates water-saving techniques, organic pest management...
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PASADENA INDEPENDENT
November 4, 2004
City Honors Recyclers
Path to Freedom, a family-operated urban farm, was honored for preservation of natural resources...
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LOS ANGELES TIMES
July 22, 2004
It's Kind of Easy Being Green
Dervaes, 57, and his family are on the leading edge of L.A.’s green movement — part of
the growing impulse to take the old "reduce, reuse, recycle" mantra to a higher level. The
green movement tends to ebb and flow with the economy and political climate, and right
now, it has plenty of steam...
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PASADENA STAR NEWS
July 31, 2004
Give Grease a Chance
Dervaes' workshop has formulas scrawled on the chalkboard and bottles of biodiesel in
its various stages lining a table. It looks as if it could be part of a weird scientific
experiment conducted by "Back to the Future's" Emmet 'Doc' Brown, minus the time traveling
DeLorean... read more »
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PASADENA STAR NEWS
May 11, 2004
Path to Self-Sufficiency
"We’re trying to see if we can make a living off our property," said Dervaes, 57. "We
call it urban homesteading. We grow our own vegetables and fruits. Our goal is to get as
close to self-sufficiency as we can, we're just doing it in the city"...
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PASADENA IN FOCUS
November / December 2003
Saving His Corner of the Earth
"Our electricity bill is considerably less than in previous years," he reports. "In 2000 we
were using an average of 10.6 kilowatt hours per day and now we average 6.8 kilowatt
hours"...
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USA TODAY / Associated Press
June 25, 2003
Move Over Fido! Chickens are Becoming Hip Suburban Pets
"They're productive for me. For me, they're a profitable thing, but for our children, it's
more fun and a personal liking," said Jules Dervaes, 56, of Pasadena, Calif., whose
family grows its own produce and raises five bantams... read more » |
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CAPITAL PRESS
December 20, 2002
From Their City Lot, More Than Enough Food
Dervaes said he didn't start out with the idea to grow all of their own food. "I really just wanted to try and see how much I can get out of this lot. Then I thought, why not go all the way? I wasn't sure we could do it"...
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C-NET NEWS
January 26, 2007
Urban Homesteaders: Off the Grid but Still Blogging
Jules Dervaes and his family are "seeding a revolution" one heirloom tomato at a time. They're demonstrating a way of life that may become necessary when the world's economy has to operate without dependence on petroleum or other fuels for shipping foods great distances and when city dwellers may need to grow their own food or purchase it from nearby sources.
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CARLA'S COUNTRY LIVING E-NEWSLETTER
October 12, 2006
Path to Freedom has become a shining example of an sustainable eco-oasis in an urban jungle. The Dervaes family and Path to Freedom have inspired me for years; opening my eyes to some issues and inspiring me to change the things I can along the way. I encourage you to spend some time with the Dervaes and Path to Freedom and learn from those who are mapping the trail for many to follow.
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GROOVY GREEN
October 10, 2006
Interview: Jules Dervaes, Path to Freedom
Jules Dervaes and his family are fueling a revolution. More and more Americans are waking up to reality and beginning to recognize that we have real problems at hand concerning energy and the environment. Examples of people making real change can help others who are ready to do the same. Prepare to be inspired and informed! (interview taped: August 2006)
 View page and listen to audio clip» |
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LA CANADA VALLEY SUN
August 14, 2006
Global Warming Documentary in Pasadena
Sponsoring organization Path to Freedom is a not-for-profit, family-operated, viable urban homesteading project established by Jules Dervaes in 2001 to promote a simpler and more fulfilling lifestyle and reduce one family's "footprint" on the earth's dwindling resources.
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POST CARBON INSTITUTE & GLOBAL PUBLIC MEDIA
August 2005
Interview with Jules Dervaes
... we still have to find the right solution somewhere down the road that will make sense for everybody. Well, we want to go back to basics, and we want to go back to where we don't rely on mechanical energy and carbon fuels.
Video » 
Transcript » |
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OFF-GRID.net
March 2005
They Practice What They Preach
"Self-reliance and growing your own food doesn't have to involve a move to the country," he says. "Its about helping you and your family re-establish control over your day-to-day lives"...
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ECOLOGY ACTION NEWSLETTER
November 2004
A Path to Freedom
For many years I felt something was missing in my life. I wondered why we couldn't all become independent as our farmer-forefathers were before us. The freedom they tasted came from making a living the old-fashioned way; they had to earn it from the soil...
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METROPOLISMAG.com
October 12, 2004
An 'Experiment' Commenting on L.A.'s Ecology
The Path to Freedom information booth, run by the Dervaes family, who farm their own food, shows how you too can become an urban homesteader...
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AMERICAN FREE PRESS
August 9, 2004
Urban Homesteading
From such web sites as pathtofreedom.com, a wealth of information is now on the Internet, which provides insights and warnings about
people's trials and successes getting off the grid...
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LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT MEDIA
May 12, 2004
The End of Suburbia Comes to Los Angeles
The beauty of the Pasadena urban farm gave little forewarning of the serious nature of the documentary the guests were about to see...
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LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT MEDIA
February 1, 2004
Transesterification Can Be Fun
The water tank processor was designed by Girlmark, who works with the Berkeley Ecology Action Center. The Path to Freedom group modified and improved the design, making it more compact. One of the beauties of this do-it-yourself technology is how open it is to creativity...
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NATURAL HOME AND GARDEN
May / June 2006
Pasadena Paradise
The Dervaeses' operation
is about 60 to 150 times as efficient as their industrial competitors,
without relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
"Everybody wants more land," Jules says. "We decided to find
out how much we could accomplish on this piece of land."
read more »
Purchase a Copy of this Magazine |
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PLENTY
October / November 2005
Green My Ride
Dervaes decided to make his own diesel fuel from waste vegetable oil...
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ORGANIC STYLE
April 2005
A Grassless Society / A Feast for the Senses
More than a decade later, Dervaes and his children run a farm on their tiny one-fifth acre, selling to caterers, bakeries and restaurants. "If you can make a garden look good and eat it, why not?"...
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ABC:
Los Angeles, CA
Tiny Urban Farm in the City Lives Green
September 28, 2006
The Dervaes family runs Path to Freedom, an urban homesteading project, in Pasadena. Since the '80s the family has transformed their city lot into an organic permaculture garden. The yard features more than 350 varieties of plants which are either edible or used for other purposes. The garden supplies the family with their food year round.
The family sells some of their greens to local restaurants. Doing this gives them money to purchase solar panels and energy efficient appliances. The solar panels provide their home with power and they use a solar oven to cook food on sunny days.
(Note: news segment mistakenly mentions the goats were producing milk. They ARE dairy goats and can produce milk, but like all mammals, they only lactate when pregnant or nursing babies. We haven't bred our two goats yet. )
Watch Video (  Runtime: 2:00 / 2.22MB)
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TREEHUGGER TV
Urban Homestead
August 23, 2006
Roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty with the urban homesteaders Path to Freedom. The Dervaes family shows us how they coverted a 1/5 acre city lot in Pasadena, CA into an eco-oasis that has reduced their dependence on electricity by 2/3 and increased their goals of living sustainably and self-sufficiently. From installing solar panels to brewing biodiesel, Path to Freedom has started what they call a "homegrown revolution ... using their hands as weapons of mass creation."
Watch Video » |
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CBS:
Los Angeles, CA
IN THE GARDEN - VEGETABLE GARDEN
June 15, 2006
CBS2 / KCAL9's Ann Martin visits Path to Freedom for a episode of her 4 p.m. weekly news segment where she visits prominent area gardens. Southern California residents, the Dervaes family, have turned their front and backyards into an urban garden in this episode titled: "Vegetable Garden."
Watch Video » |
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READY OR NOT (2006)
USC STUDENT FILM
An unique media hybrid, this documentary employs archival footage and photos in a historical examination, startling news coverage about the current issues, and contemporary footage r/evealing the struggles of three families as they prepare for an impending societal crash due to the devastating effects of avian flu, global climate change and the peak and decline of our oil supply.
Jules Dervaes from Path to Freedom states: "The consequences of not preparing are so much greater than the consequences of preparing. It's not worth a life."
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NIPPON TELEVISION CORPORATION
Tokyo, Japan
Biodiesel as an alternative fuel.
Watch Video ( Runtime: 3:08 / 9.46MB) |
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THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil depletion and the collapse of the American Dream
Commentary with Producer Barry Silverthorn & Director Greg Greene. (DVD timecode: 01:10:07)
Read Transcript » |
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POST CARBON INSTITUTE & GLOBAL PUBLIC MEDIA
Interview with Jules Dervaes
August 2005
... we still have to find the right solution somewhere down the road that will make sense for everybody. Well, we want to go back to basics, and we want to go back to where we don't rely on mechanical energy and carbon fuels.
Video »
Transcript » |
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CBS:
BIODIESEL RUNNING
When the tank on his truck runs low, Jules Dervaes looks for a fillup. But unlike most of us, Jules doesn't stop at the corner gas station. In fact, he passes by all those high-price petrols. Instead, the former math teacher heads home to his garage where he fills 'er up with his homebrewed biodiesel.
Watch Videos:
KCBS 2 News, Los Angeles, CA
( Runtime: 2:07 / 4.03MB)
WWLTV News, New Orleans, Louisiana
( Runtime: 2:51 / 5.43MB)
KCAL 9 News (CBS affilate), Los Angeles, CA
( Runtime: 3:11 / 6.07MB)
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PBS:
KCET Los Angeles
CALIFORNIA CONNECTED
June 26, 2003
Where most people in Altadena, California have a two-car garage, Tim
Dundon has a 40-foot high pile of, well, crap.
Dundon believes, “The idea is to take everything that is life and turn it
into piles of power.
Dundon’s compost has a lot of fans in the neighborhood,
including Jules Dervaes’ Family.
The Dervaes’ are urban homesteaders who farm every inch of their onefifth-
of-an-acre lot, and one of 40 households where Dundon makes
weekly deliveries.
Watch Video
( Runtime: 5:49 / 5:06MB)
Read Article » |
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NPR Radio
DAY TO DAY
February 2, 2007
Calif. Family Lives Off the Energy Grid
by Karen Grigsby Bates
In Pasadena, Calif., Jules Dervaes and his family have already begun living the change that many suggest is needed to combat global warming. They use appliances that are powered by hand-cranks and even bicycles ...
Listen to Audio Clip ( Runtime: 4:00)
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KPFK
90.7FM
THE MORNING REVIEW with Gabriel Gutierrez
August 9, 2006
Karen Chosof, creator and producer of the film (The Great Warming) and Anais Dervaes, member of Path to Freedom, speak about "The Great Warming" which documents how climate change is affecting the lives of people everywhere.
Listen to Audio Clip ( Runtime: 3:35 / 3.29 MB)
NEWS UPDATE
April 2005
Biodiesel at Santa Monica's 2005 Earth Day Celebration
Listen to Audio Clip
( Runtime: 3:35 / 3.29 MB) |
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KMUD
Women on Wednesdays Program Solfest 2004 Interview |
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CITY OF PASADENA'S 2006 OUTSTANDING RECYCLER AWARD
Sustainable Development Practices
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CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL OUTREACH TO LA MIRADA HIGH SCHOOOL
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GREENOPIA 2005 4 LEAVES AWARD FOR GREEN BUSINESSES IN L.A. AREA
Greenopia's four leaves award recognizes Path to Freedom / Dervaes Gardens for being in the top 10% of green businesses in L.A.
view »
buy your own copy of "Greenopia's Guide to Green Living in L.A." » |
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CITY OF PASADENA'S 2004 OUSTANDING RECYCLER AWARD
Preservation of Natural Resources through the Creation of an Urban Garden view »
Congratulatory Letter from Mr. Berryhill of Pasadena's Department of Public Works view »
Congratulatory Letter from Pasadena's Mayor Bogaard
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Congressional Recognition Certificate
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Congratulatory Certificate from Los Angeles County view » |
