Here is a great idea, combining rain water harvesting and drip irrigation.

A couple of articles I came across, that explain more about it.

Drip irrigation with rain water | Green-Trust.Org

It’s gardening time here in the southeast, and our thoughts return to watering. Rainwater is my favorite source of water, as it’s free, and takes no energy to.

Why Start a Rain Water Collection & Drip Irrigation System …

There’s nothing new about the idea of a rain barrel to store water for future use. People have been catching and storing rain water for centuries and in many countries rain still provides the majority of the water for irrigation, …

Hopefully, these will give you some ideas that could help you.

Most of us, well, at least myself, normally think about having land in the rural countryside, when we think about becoming more self-sufficient and sustainable.  This family that I’d like to report about, only have about 1/5th of an acre!  Live in a big city.  They have been doing this for quite awhile.  I only recently learned about them.

I think you will be inspired by them, just like I have been.  Enjoy these videos about what they ARE DOING!

The Dervaes are living the green life in Pasadena, Calif.

Living a Path to Freedom – uprisingradio.org

In Pasadena, the Dervaes family has transformed their residential lot into an urban homestead on which they generate more than half of their own food by literally growing it themselves, and 70% of their own energy via solar panels on their garage … And indeed tens of thousands have already been inspired by the food and energy independence such a life style offers. But, it’s not easy – as I found out yesterday when I spent the afternoon with Jules Dervaes and his family, …

http://www.pathtofreedom.com/

Grow your own food, make your own fuel

Off-grid has been covering the Dervaes family’s eco lifestyle in Pasadena for years. Now the family is becoming famous – they are California’s leading off-grid ambassadors. … Anais Dervaes says her family has been living green way before green was in. Their home is paid for and they live on about $25000 a year. What they don’t sell, they eat. “Anything that can be cooked in a normal oven can be cooked in a solar oven,” says Anais. “And here we have some homegrown …