Posts Tagged ‘Chicago’

28 Sep

Chicago’s Urban Chicken Movement Reaches Michigan Avenue

Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care, Events, Urban agriculture. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .


The urban chicken movement is really picking up speed here in Chicago, and this chic (chick?) new trend has reached trendy and cultured Michigan Avenue: the Chicago Cultural Center at 78 E. Randolph dedicated an exhibit to urban avian agriculture this summer.

There were pictures of Chicago’s feathered residents, a full-size coop, information and resources on raising chickens, and educational displays about hens and eggs. Martha Boyd from Angelic Organics Learning Center was instrumental in creating the exhibit, and chicken owners from around town contributed pictures of their birds and coops.

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21 Sep

Advice for Female Entrepreneurs in a Tough Economic Climate

Posted by chickenwoman in Media coverage. Tagged: , , , , , , , .


So you’re a woman with a great business idea, but the economy is slowly recovering. Now can’t be a good time to start a business. Right? Wrong!

Anytime is a good time to pursue a passion or a dream!

If you have an exciting idea for a new niche market (like urban chicken consulting), set things in motion. Follow your passion. Go down rabbit trails. Talk to people. Get a buzz going about your idea.

From my experience this spring, it pays to follow your interests and passions. As I mentioned on WCIU this morning, initially I didn’t take urban chicken consulting seriously. But talking to some friends led me to give it a try. Here is some practical advice:

1) Get a presence on the web. WordPress blogs are a free and easy way to get a web presence.

2) Put together a presentation/workshop/class. Market this, or do it for free, to get the buzz going.

3) Have a gimmick. My chicken purse gets attention and gives me a natural way to talk about what I do.

4) Network, network, network. Print business cards and hand them out. Talk to friends, family, coworkers, people on the L, in elevators…

5) Offer freebies or give-aways. Let people sample your product or idea. Give them a chance to try it! They’ll love it!

6) Find a niche. Do you have something unusual and unique to offer? Wrap it up and starting marketing it, and then see what happens!

As Jeanne and Melissa mentioned this morning on the U, there are also workshops to attend, such as the Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference, tomorrow, 9/22/2010, at McCormick Place.

You go, girl!

20 Sep

Urban Farm Showcase/Job Training, Sept. 25, 2010

Posted by chickenwoman in Urban agriculture. Tagged: , , , , .


Employment Training Showcase at Growing Home’s Wood Street Urban Farm Saturday, September 25th, 10am-3pm.

814 S. Wood St.
773/434-7144

Admission: $5 suggested donation OR used, plastic grocery bags for our farm stand

Growing Home provides job training through an organic agriculture business and is located in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago.

Featuring:
-Work Opportunity Tax Credit information for employers
-Seasonal refreshments made by our interns, with our own organic produce
-Farm stand
-Tours of the farm
-Workshops:

  • Seed Tapes
  • Keeping Produce Fresh
  • Growing Great Garlic
  • Brewing and Using Compost Tea
  • Building an Urban Root Cellar
  • Herb Drying
  • Growing an Indoor Salad Bowl

17 Sep

9/21 Home to Roost to Appear on WCIU

Posted by chickenwoman in Media coverage. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .


We’re scheduled to appear on WCIU between 7:30 and 8:30 AM on Sept. 21. Tune in to hear more about urban chickens!

10 Sep

Home to Roost Leading Backyard Chicken Basics Workshop

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


Join Chicago’s Angelic Organics Learning Center’s Backyard Chicken Basic Workshop on 11/6/2010. Go to the website to register: http://www.learngrowconnect.org/node/2769

There are 35 slots, but they generally sell out quickly. Home to Roost will be presenting the workshop.

This is a great opportunity to connect with other chicken people!

Basic Backyard Chicken Care

November 6, 2010 1:00pm

LS chicken

Farm fresh eggs from your own back yard?

YES!

Please join us for a workshop on best practices for Basic Backyard Chicken Care in Chicago and surrounding communities.

Raising chickens as pets and for eggs is LEGAL in Chicago – and part of our growing local food and urban agriculture scene.

Learn how to keep you, your chickens, & your neighbors happy – from daily needs and year-round care to relevant city regulations.

You will leave the workshop with the knowledge, recommendations, and resources you need for your own home flock – and you’ll make connections with other chicken enthusiasts in Chicago. (Visit our Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts google group for more info.)

For more information about the Learning Center’s registration & refund policies – click here. If the workshop fee presents a barrier to your participation, please inquire about limited work-exchange scholarships. For Chicago workshops, contact chicago@learngrowconnect.org.

Actual costs of workshops are close to double our workshop fees. If you are able, please consider making an additional donation to help cover the full cost of your workshop.

Price: $40.00
Location:

Angelic Organics Learning Center’s Chicago Office
6400 S Kimbark Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637 US
First Presbyterian Church of Chicago

24 Aug

Home to Roost on AOL’s WalletPop site

Posted by chickenwoman in Media coverage. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .


A event at LaSalle Street Church downtown a few weeks ago landed an interview at Lavazza over gelato for the chicken purse and me!

Home to Roost’s AOL interview

1 Aug

Chicagoland’s Chicken Population: For the ‘Burbs?

Posted by chickenwoman in Media coverage. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .


Hens are legal in Chicago, but in the suburbs, it’s a bird of a different feather. Some suburbs allow hens, while others do not. Evanston residents are trying to get an ordinance on the books that allows chickens.

The issues surrounding backyard chickens in the Chicagoland area were covered recently by Kay Severinsen in the Chicago Sun-Times.

27 Jul

Center for Sustainable Community Coop Tour Aug. 1

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


The Chicken Cooperative Tour

Center for Sustainable Community (in Stelle, IL) is hosting a coop tour on August 1.  It includes a tour of their land, including the chicken co-op.

CSC is an intentional community (created about 30 years ago) by a group of Rogers Park residents. About 2+ hours south of Chicago, it is literally in the middle of “nowhere” — meaning corn and soybean fields — an oasis of communal living. Midwest Permaculture is based there, too.

Ten Stelle families established the Chicken Co-op four years ago on the CSC property by written agreement with CSC.  The objective was to illustrate the production of chickens for meat and eggs at cost. During the first two years of operation, the co-op raised and harvested two 100-member Rock-Cross rooster flocks, which were fed certified-organic grain blends and grazed, using home-made chicken tractors.  Currently, seven families manage a mixed-breed laying flock of 30 hens (Buff Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds) and four roosters. Eggs are shared at cost among co-op families who sell regularly to families in Stelle at a slightly higher cost.  The tour will highlight the co-op’s experiences, with attention to the features of the current flock and the coop, which is fitted with solar lights, rain water catchments, and AC power.

Topics on the Chicken Cooperative Tour:

  • How the co-op works: members, duties, finances, etc
  • Breed selections
  • Feeding options
  • Seasonal care
  • Medical Care of the flock

Following an optional tour of Stelle at 10:30 AM, three CSC residents will do “show and tell” about three activities on the land:

  • the chicken co-op, presented by Ed Homeier;
  • the orchard, presented by Argena Marie;
  • and the community garden, presented by George Blackman.

The presentation will be from 1:00 until 4:30. Price for the workshop is $35, and you can sign up and see more details by going to the website.  A nutritious lunch, featuring locally grown and organic foods, will be available at noon at an additional cost of $10.

Find more information at http://www.centerforsustainablecommunity.org/.

13 Jul

Evanston Debates Chicken Ordinance

Posted by chickenwoman in Bird miscellany, Chicken care, Media coverage. Tagged: , , , , , .


Evanston, IL, a suburb of Chicago, currently prohibits chickens. However, residents are getting their feathers ruffled over the ordinance. Other Chicago suburbs allow backyard fowl, including Oak Park, where Home to Roost is based. Read the Tribune‘s coverage of the Evanston story.

22 Jun

Photos from Green Day at the Lycée Français

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


My friend Jane helped me out with Green Day at the Lycée Français. It was non-stop kids! The hens were kind of stressed, but Jo Schmoe did really well. I think we saw all grades in 2.5 hours.

The older kids got to hold the hen; the younger kids got to touch. They were surprised by how soft she was. We had a few poop accidents, which caused quite a stir, too!

One of the most memorable kids was the little guy who kept asking if we were going to eat the chickens. He said he wanted fried chicken. When he got a chance to hold one of the hens, however, he decided she was too cool to eat!

The little ones were a little more timid, and generally they would hang back until one of their classmates was brave enough to touch the hen. Then everyone wanted to touch – all at the same time!

Enjoy the photos!

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