Archive for April 5th, 2011

5 Apr

May 21, 2011: Home to Roost at Earth Fest in Oak Park

Posted by chickenwoman in Events. Tagged: , , , , .


Earth Fest 2011, a gathering of eco-friendly vendors, groups, children’s activities and live entertainment, is seeking vendors for the event set for 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sat., May 21 at the Oak Park Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd.

This year’s event will feature vendor booths and a variety of kid-friendly activities available outside at the Public Works Center. Some of the items available from the vendors will include clothing, personal care items, books gardening items, services for health and sustainable living, and more.

The event also will coincide with a celebration of Public Works Day, which will feature an open house to give the public an inside look at the LEED-certified Public Works Center with an up-close look at the building and equipment, snacks and much more.

For more information on Earth Fest or to reserve your booth for the event, call 708.660.1443 or e-mail maria@ghexperts.com.

5 Apr

May 1, 2011: Home to Roost at Cheney Mansion’s Green Sunday in Oak Park

Posted by chickenwoman in Events. Tagged: , , , , .


Home to Roost will be at the Cheney Mansion’s Green Sunday event again this year! Come out for family fun!

More information to come!

Talking about coop design

Margot sketched her proposed coop design, and we discussed several ideas for making chickens feel at home.

5 Apr

UIC’s Family Farmed Expo

Posted by chickenwoman in Events, Urban agriculture.


UIC’s Family Farmed Expo was nicely done and well attended! There was a great selection of topics and vendors, and the chicken panel had a great turnout!

The panel included Martha Boyd, Program  Director of Angelic Organics Learning Center; John Emrich, owner of Backyard Chicken Run; and Jen Murtoff, owner of Home to Roost Urban Chicken Consulting. Sarah Elizabeth Ippel, founder and director of the Academy for Global Citizenship, did a fabulous job as moderator!

We discussed our chicken-related interests and businesses, then did a brief presentation on the backyard chicken movement in Chicago.

Then we turned to the audience for a great round of Q&A! A fun time was had by all!

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5 Apr

Healthy Hens Visit

Posted by chickenwoman in Housecalls. Tagged: , , , .


One of the services I provide to urban chicken keepers is a Healthy Hens visit.

This generally involves checking the chickens for any signs of disease, addressing any questions the owner has about the flock, and checking out the coop.

Recently I visited an urban chicken owner in Chicago who owned a lovely flock that included a game bantam, a buff Orpington, a silver laced Wyandotte, a speckled Leghorn, and a barred rock.

The little bantam was showing signs of being picked on, and her owner wanted my opinion on the situation, as well as the health of her birds and the layout of the coop.

Tammy, the game bantam turned out to be an older bird, and the others were indeed picking on her. The others were all healthy and happy! My recommendation was to separate Tammy from the others, and I provided other suggestions about the coop, perches, food, and water. I also showed the owner how to assess the health of her birds.
Here are some pix from this healthy hens visit!

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5 Apr

Home to Roost at Old St. Mary’s School

Posted by chickenwoman in Events.


It’s quite an entertaining event when you introduce kids to chickens! It’s even more entertaining when the kids are well versed in incubation and hatching!

My chicken friends and I visited Old St. Mary’s School on South Michigan Avenue on March 15. The kids were great! They were well prepared, had good questions, and were well behaved. They asked some really interesting questions and then got a chance to touch a hen!

Check out the slides from my time there!

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5 Apr

April 16, 2011: Home to Roost at Green Metropolis

Posted by chickenwoman in Events, Urban agriculture.


Where can you find the most interactive, family-friendly green fair in Chicago? Check out the Green Metropolis Fair, hosted by Mindful Metropolis magazine and Green Parents Network! April 16, 10am-4pm, at the Irish American Heritage Center (IAHC), 4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago.

The festival features an amazing day of activities for both adults and children with an emphasis on fun for the whole family.

Green Living Topics!

  • Chickens! Home to Roost will have a vendor table and a panel discussion from 12 to 1 PM.
  • how to compost effectively in the city with the Urban Worm Girl, Stephanie Davies,
  • growing and preserving fruits and vegetables year-round in small spaces
  • participate in interactive workshops
  • making your home energy-efficient and sustainably beautiful

Petting zoo! Children will get an opportunity to pet goats, rabbits and other furry critters!

Movies! The festival will screen two films:

  • Dirt! The Movie, narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis. This film focuses on the wonderment of the soil. “Made from the same elements as the stars, plants and animals, and us, dirt is very much alive.”
  • Vanishing of the Bees explores the lives of honeybees and the phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder associated with the mysterious disappearance of honeybees across our planet.

Green Merchants! The festival also features a retail marketplace where vendors from all over the Chicago area will be selling their wares.

  • organic baby and children’s clothing
  • naturally scented soy candles
  • beautiful jewelry
  • home furnishings made from repurposed ordinary items

Admission is free, but a non-perishable food item donation is requested. All are welcome regardless of ability to donate.

The IAHC is conveniently located off I-90/94, the CTA Blue Line stop at Montrose and multiple bus routes. There is also ample free parking.

Visit www.greenmetropolisfair.com for more details, call 312.281.5199 or email info@mindfulmetropolis.com. This event is part of the MindfuLive! Event Series. More information about these events can be found at www.mindfulmetropolis.com.

 

Mindful Metropolis magazine and Green Parents Network will host a Green Metropolis Fair on April 16, from 10am-4pm, at the Irish American Heritage Center (IAHC), 4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago. The festival features an amazing day of activities for both adults and children with an emphasis on fun for the whole family.
Learn how to compost effectively in the city with the Urban Worm Girl, Stephanie Davies, get information on keeping backyard chickens, growing and preserving fruits and vegetables year-round in small spaces and participate in interactive workshops. Suppliers and contractors will showcase tips to make your home energy-efficient and sustainably beautiful, while children will get an opportunity to pet goats, rabbits and other furry critters!
Along with the interactive experiences, the festival will screen two films: Dirt! The Movie, narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, this film focuses on the wonderment of the soil. “Made from the same elements as the stars, plants and animals, and us, dirt is very much alive.” And, Vanishing of the Bees, which explores the lives of honeybees and the phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder associated with the mysterious disappearance of honeybees across our planet.
The festival also features a retail marketplace where vendors from all over the Chicago area will be selling their wares. Try out a Balance Board, feel the softness of organic baby and children’s clothing, smell the relaxing aroma of naturally scented soy candles and marvel at the talent of local artisans who turn stones to beautiful jewelry and repurpose ordinary items into fine home furnishings.
Admission is free, but a non-perishable food item donation is requested. All are welcome regardless of ability to donate.
The IAHC is conveniently located off I-90/94, the CTA Blue Line stop at Montrose and multiple bus routes. There is also ample free parking.
Visit http://www.greenmetropolisfair.com for more details, call 312.281.5199 or email info@mindfulmetropolis.com. This event is part of the MindfuLive! Event Series. More information about these events can be found at http://www.mindfulmetropolis.com.