Who invented Urban Homesteading (TM)?

As I've said before, not everyone should (or can) move to the country in order to live a conscientious, sustainable life. Many city friends intensively garden, shop local, reduce their carbon footprint, share resources, carpool, barter, make preserves, raise bees and chickens... some even more than we do out here on WildSide Farm.

But whoops, I'm evidently not allowed to talk about it. If I have the gall to celebrate them as "urban homesteaders"(TM), this little blog might get shut down. Seems some family down in California thinks they invented the idea, and believe they can trademark the term. Like my grandpa or my friend Steve never thought of that kind of urban life before the Devreas thought it up in the 1980's.

Funny thing is, even if "Urban Homesteading" (TM)could belong to anyone, it wouldn't be that family. They didn't invent the concept, and didn't even invent the term. It was addressed in the 1976 Article on the Integral House and a 1980 article on Modern Homesteading by Mother Earth News.

But they've not only trademarked "Urban Homestead" (TM)and "Urban Homesteading" (TM), but evidently they beat Nelson Mandela and countless other inspirational folks with the idea of a "Path to Freedom" (TM). They are so brilliant that they invented the idea "Grow the Future" (TM), and have sparked their very own "Homegrown Revolution" (TM).

Until tonight I've facebook "liked" what they do and stand for. I thought they were fellow journeymen on this brilliant and brightly-varied path we're all trying to take. Now it turns out they own it.

Come on folks, there's enough room on this path for all of us. In fact, it's not only a lonely path but it's ultimately unsustainable unless we walk it as equals.