22 Mar
This just out from the alliance of Berwyn chicken keepers: Chickens have landed. The ordinance has passed! Congrats to Vince and his group! Interested in joining the group? Check out Chickens in Berwyn on Facebook.
Maybe we need a Svengoolie skit “The Chickens of Berwyn” a la “The Werewolves of Berwyn”?
23 Aug
At a special meeting Monday, the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development removed Right to Farm protection for farm animals raised in neighborhoods with more than 13 homes within 1/8 of a mile of the animals, or with any home within 250 feet of the proposed facility….
The Right to Farm Act was created in 1981 to protect farmers from the complaints of people from the city who moved to the country and then attempted to make it more urban with anti-farming ordinances. These new changes will affect residents of rural Michigan too. Shady Grove Farm in Gwinn, Michigan is on six and a half acres and homes 150 egg-laying hens that provide eggs to a local co-op and a local restaurant. This small Michigan farm also homes sheep for wool and a few turkeys and meat chickens to provide fresh healthy, local poultry.
Read more about this change here and here.
4 May
It’s hard to believe a basic right such as the ability to grow you own food and choose what you eat would be taken away by the government, but that’s apparently what has happened in Michigan.
Michigan residents lost their “right to farm” this week thanks to a new ruling by the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1235774/michigan-loses-right-to-farm-this-week-a-farewell-to-backyard-chickens-and-beekeepers/#i1AK46CdkMJT3hv4.99
Where are we headed next?
17 Apr
On April 13, 2014 the Homewood Village Board decided to draft an ordinance to allow chicken keeping.
Home to Roost will be supporting the Homewood chicken keepers with classes. Watch the blog for more info.
28 Feb
Congrats to Aurora, Colorado*, for moving forward with a chicken-keeping ordinance!
Aurora City Council voted 6 to 4 in approval of the measure. Ward IV Councilwoman Molly Markert and Ward V Council Member Bob Roth voted against it, citing their wards’ opposition to backyard chickens, along with At-Large Councilman Pierce and Ward VI Councilman Bob Broom. – See more at: http://www.aurorasentinel.com/news/city-council-chickens-feb-24/#sthash.Rb4sLuuV.dpuf
*We had initially reported this as Aurora, Illinois. However, this is Aurora, Colorado – no less deserving of congratulations!
26 Sep
I recently attended my first board meeting for the Illinois Stewardship Alliance (ISA). The Alliance seeks to promote local food and connect local farmers with restaurants and institutions that can use their products. The ISA also serves as a lobbying group in Springfield.
It was great to be part of a group of like-minded individuals, trying to make a difference for small-scale farms.
Mission: Illinois Stewardship Alliance promotes environmentally sustainable, economically viable, socially just, local food systems through policy development, advocacy, and education.
Vision: We envision a system where soils are treated as a precious resource, local food producers earn a fair, living wage, local food education is integrated into all levels of education, infrastructure is rebuilt to accommodate local food systems and good food is available for all.
Illinois Stewardship Alliance (ISA) is a membership-based organization. If you are local food producer, concerned citizen or food-systems related organization, we invite you to join us! Alliance members span the state and have one thing in common: they all care about the food that is produced and consumed in Illinois and want to support the increase of fresh, local foods. Click here to find out how you can become part of the Alliance.
Donor Policy: Illinois Stewardship Alliance receives grant funding and donations from entities that have a mission that aligns with our basic tenets (see above)
28 May
Check out this article by Patricia Foreman if you are interested in legalizing chickens in your town. She addresses the most common arguments against backyard birds in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner.
11 Apr
Many municipalities have their laws online. See if you can find your location’s legal code. You can also see if your town is included in this site’s database.
28 Jan
A legal clause prohibits people in Canton, NY, from raising chickens. But the townspeople are interested in changing that. For more on this story, check out this article.
26 Jan
At a board of trustees meeting on February 22, 2013, Arlington Heights again rejected backyard hens. Mary Green, Matt Scallon, and a contingent of chicken supporters, including Home to Roost, showed up for the meeting and made a valiant effort, but to no avail.
Mary’s letter follows:
Dear Backyard Chicken Supporters,
Thank you all for your words of encouragement, and a special shout out to those who attended and spoke at tonight’s meeting!
The Arlington Heights Village Board voted to deny both my and Matt’s variance requests.
We were given our (brief) time to speak, but it was clear from the onset that some of the Trustees were offended by the fact that the issue was even being brought up again (Matt went before them in Feb. 2012). Some of them believed that the 7-2 vote at last year’s meeting indicated that the Board was voting against having chickens altogether. Period.
In fact, they hadn’t changed the language of the ordinance and that enabled us to bring our petitions up this time. There was a valiant effort by one Trustee to discuss how to define a “customary” pet, but overall their minds were made up.
I see the experience as successful in that we energized the discussion and had an opportunity to educate people about the benefits and misconceptions of backyard chickens.
Historically, many proposals brought before the Board in the past have been met with strong opposition (including paved roads and a sewer system). A movement like ours won’t go away, we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing and change will come.
~Mary
When building a coop for your hens, it is important to choose a design with the right dimensions, features, and materials. Get all this information on the Chicken Coop Spec Sheet, now available from Home to Roost! Purchase on PayPal using the button below.
NOTE: I will e-mail you the spec sheet after I receive your payment. Your e-mail address will automatically be included in the notification I receive from PayPal.
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