Raising Chickens in the City

Metro Farm blog site is discussing Chickens in the City

They will have a podcast this saturday on the topic. If you miss it at 9am they have archives where you can hear them anytime by clicking here.

The forum on their site has some interesting discussion on this topic.

Hi I finally did it. I wrote up my futurescape article for Columbus. I’ve yet to read Solartopia by Harvey Wasserman. But this is the green farm jobs version of his alternative energy dreamscape.
Here’s a new write-up that I would like to do more research on. Please let me know if any of it strikes your fancy. Would you be part of a committee to take it to city council meeting or a funding group. I would dearly appreciate any comments and critique you could give me. sincerely Karen

> Green City 2009
The following initiatives are suggested as ways to regain a vibrant and healthy food economy. They would lead to a massive greening of this and any city interested.

So far I’ve been accumulating different ideas that I could rank and then pick a few of the best to present as proposals. Some are far reaching such as inner city trade zones with tax abatement’s for local food production (Complete with pack animal usage). I think the areas surrounding the bike paths coming in from West Jefferson would be prime candidates (And the Big Darby area). All quadrants having their own being a long term goal. And some as simple as allowing people to have 3 chickens as pets. Many jobs could be created this way. New Green Jobs. Let’s take a look at some of them.

> Urban farms
The spin farming movement is here to stay. There are 1,000’s of vacant lots and large grassy areas for the taking and people needing jobs really close by. One group of public holdings are the Rec Centers. Taking the closed rec centers and turning them into production facilities for supplying food to those with EBT money goes to the center of many problems. I refer you to study the Growing Power programs in Minneapolis and how they are doing great things for 15 years. The top of downtown parking lot garages are another location that viable greenhouse and rooftop garden projects have been successful. Trade zones for start-up organic farms could even be given tax credits if they are close to a bike path or in areas such as the Big Darby protected sites. I would also like to include small and pack animals as part of this package. Goat carts, miniature horses and llamas would be novel ways to reduce traffic and create agritourisim jobs as well in conjunction with nearby farm markets.
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> Youth Group development
> Groups not gangs. More interaction with 4H, inner city programs and underused facilities such as the state fair and co fair grounds. There are only 800 children in 50- 70 4H clubs in Franklin County. My guess is that only a small percentage of them are minorities. These forgotten programs have a lot to offer to both country and city kids.

Nutritional Education
This be better shared if coupled with small start up businesses such as neighborhood food coops, spin farming opportunities, neighborhood greenhouses and even soup parties to demonstrate how food good for you can taste good too. Classes on food prep techniques such as making pasta, using a pressure cooker, canning, freezing and drying foods would allow homemakers to be more self sufficient use higher quality ingredients in their food prep and reduce their long term food budgets. It would also prepare people to start their own small businesses and strengthen the local economy.

Community Gardens
A number of things need to be done to make the community gardens more successful. Cisterns, rain barrels and trained master gardeners are necessary to prevent discouraging outcomes for beginning gardeners. Allowing small animal husbandry into the city would give more equal education opportunities on par with that which suburban children receive. The city needs more groups such as 4H, Junior Achievement and FFA working on and creating neighborhood youth groups.
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> Food Bank Farm
There are several of these around the country that have proven successful in creating jobs while providing much needed high quality food for those in need. Networking a number of agency and food organizations could do this as a joint project utilizing already existing resources.

Food as Art
There are a number of ways that food can be fun as well as educational. Events could be held at public events such as film festivals of farm related issues, dramatic readings from notable books, dinner parties such as those of the Slow Food organization. Even food sculpture contests could be held. Food Festivals have long been good fundraisers for many groups.

3 chickens in every yard
Many areas of the city would be able to maintain small animals as a way to teach kids responsibility and provide low cost but high quality protein sources.

Vacant land revival
This could serve a number of functions with proper management. It could be planted with cover crops that are needed for improving the tilth of nearby gardens. It would allow for the elimination of a non native invasive (grass) that creates a large carbon footprint in its maintenance. Such locations could be used to erect greenhouses for temporary production of crops such as leafy greens, micro greens or tomatoes that are targeted for food banks.

Outreach to ethnic farmers and gardeners
There are many minorities and immigrants living here who are skilled food producers and processors. They should be included in groups such as Grange and Farm Bureau. They could be given more opportunities to use their skills and have opportunities to start their own cottage industries.

Neighborhood Redevelopment using Permaculture techniques

There are a number of projects that could energize the lost
neighborhoods of Columbus by growing and selling food that is local. This would require a concentrated effort from farm groups, health departments and governments to work together.

The fence rows through out the city could be planted with melons, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes. Back yards and large spaces could be planted with decorative leafy plants such as spinach, chard and collards. Southern facing patios could be hung with large baskets of salad greens. Potted peppers and tomatoes and eggplants could line porches and balconies.
Local jobs could be created in the greenhouse industry to supply these plants.

Commercial greenhouses
These could be planted with the cooler season crops over
the winter to extend their business and keep sales taxes
local instead of increasing road taxes to bring this food in
from other states and countries. It could also be included with regional freezing and canning operations.

Green teams
It would take the creation of skilled teams to go out
into the neighborhoods to teach permaculture or manage
neighborhood based food economies at first. Landscapers
with rototillers would need to be hired to start new gardens or create edible swales on public and private lands. The Master Gardeners program of the Cooperative Extension Agency would need to step up their programing. Trained horticulturists and social workers would be needed on board to deal with those experiencing the cycles of poverty.
Hauling in large quantities of high quality compost for
brownfields that are grass but not toxic is a big need.

It could even reinvigorate the Farm Bureau and the
multitude of FFA students who can’t find a farm related
job once they graduate from high school and college. We as a society would be on the way back to self-sustainability as we once knew. People who once were on public assistance
could now pay the rent by selling jams, jellies, pickles,
fruit and food. Just like our forbears did to create the
wealth this country was known for. People could even learn to make their own sauces, pasta, bread and cheese. It’s not that hard. It’s a skilled job that would save families a lot of money and create more family togetherness. So not everyone is meant to be a farmer. But with 200-300 people living on a block there must be a couple who like to garden and could manage a small market garden or Ag related service nearby. We have a glut of housing on the market. Why does every lot need a house on it. Why can’t condo and housing projects include gardens in their planning. Every block could have it’s own greenhouse for early and late starts of dark leafy greens. These green houses can also house chickens and other small animals during the winter for 4H projects. The added nutrients would be a useful additive in the spring eliminating the need to truck in compost.

Vacant yards and the large expanses of grass surrounding business warehouses could be planted with cover crops that could be planted in attractive swales of different colors. They would need mowed less often then grass. When collected and mixed into compost piles they can be managed easier where they are then hauling them to a landfill or yard waste facility in other counties. The same ATVs such as Arlington
uses for trash pick up could be used to deliver 1/2 ton loads to nearby community gardens. Growing food locally would also reduce the packaging currently flooding our landfills and driving waste pickup taxes higher.
Alleys could be lined with berries for kids to pick and eat to their hearts content. A much healthier snack than potato chips or cookies. Is it really better not to know anyone in our housing units, not give kids more options of play and learning surrounding their homes. This is a lot to think about. Please find an idea that interests you and work on it.

Don’t Cuss the Farmer With Your Mouth Full

Spring is officially here. We received our annual visit from the Health Department. No, I don’t mean the inspection for my mobile food vending license. I still need to schedule that. I’m talking about the follow-up on an anonymous complaint about the chickens that’s become something of an annual ritual here, typically about this time of year.

Chicken Scratchings from Karen

I was thinking about writing this as follows:

State of the Chicken Address by Buruck Buruck Bantama

My loyal cluckers. Let me tell you the state of affairs here in Chicken City We’ve got Feed and that’s Lousy. Lousy with a capital L. Yes I’ said Lousy. Right here in Chicken City.

Okay I can’t remember the words exactly but here’s the story. Chickens need food whether they’re free range or not. There’s a lot of details that go into the care and feeding of your chicken so that you can eat him or her.
A number of people are getting into the business and finding that getting good feed is also a limiting factor. Everyone asks why organic cost more, “They don’t use chemicals, What’s the difference?” I wish I could take the time to tell you. But I’m just finding out myself. So here’s a brief overview of resources for those thinking about it. I’m hoping to write an even longer version of my “Address” that will be worthy of an open stage at a poetry forum.
I lifted the following from a chat on OEFFAdirect last week.

> Yes, there are several sources in Ohio that I know of. There are two sister stores in Holmesville and Mt. Eaton that offer it (330-279-2501), Curly Tail Organic Farm in Fredericktown (740-694-8622), and Dale Filbrun Farms in W. Alexandria (near Dayton)–(937-787-4885). We have bought from Curly Tail and found them very good and reasonable. Mary Hooker
>
Now for my take on the subject, Karen.
I spoke with Ed and hope to talk to Denise Anderson at 2 Silos. So far this is what I’ve learned and am also injecting into. There is a market here. One should think in terms of 50 acre field’s of corn, oats plus the others crops such as millet, amaranth etc. to achieve an economy of scale for planting and harvesting and then marketing to what ever number of small and mid-range farms available. This would follow directly with the implementation of the Mobile Processing Unit currently under discussion at localfoodsystems.org. Trish Mumme added that the lack of mill grinding is also a factor.
Mills such as a 6 quart are listed at $1899. 16″ stone burr mills that can process 50-60 lbs an hour are around $1900. The largest at 30″ processing 700-1250 lbs an hour can cost as much as $16,260. Too bad they didn’t include my comments about Wonder Bread at the Governor’s food policy meeting last year and look into the implications of what I was saying. Anyone know what kind of equipment they will be auctioning off?

I’m getting a little bored with the state’s web site. Lots of well- meaning researchers but they aren’t making sense in their current posts and there has been no follow through from most of their earlier ones. The site is clumsy and impossible to navigate for any understanding and connection to their proposals. To establish an organic feed network of producers, processors and final product users would be easier with an oversight committee that can watch and regulate overproduction and quality control. Competition with all the market forces and big conventional businesses watching your every move is sure to affect things somehow. I’m sure they aren’t happy with a lot of start up farmers moving in on their territory. (I like to think big and want to see family farmers have a true renaissance.)

I would also like to refer people to follow the Chicken Keepers blog at localfoodcleveland.com for more info on chickens in Ohio.
So I will stop here. Looking forward to comments.

snopes.com: Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009

Snopes sheds some light on HR 875

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/organic.asp

A Somber Tome to Spring

It’s been an eventful week. Spring is here. All my pet projects are starting their transplants. 4 Seasons City Farm has gotten a good start on setting up their gardens, Bella Cafe has their first salad pots ready for distribution to their host food pantry and Food not Bombs had their first seed starting party. Good things to come from all. This weeks research included looking into the urban chicken movement and the lack of local organic chicken feed. I even read a blog on how to raise my own grubs as a necessary protein component of chicken feed. Soy has been incorporated into most mixes but isn’t the most preferred protein, just the cheapest. I even watched a video about slaughtering a hog. Sorry you vegans/vegetarians but for now I think meat can be more holistic and localized, but still needs to be allowed and respected as a part of our society. I’m glad to see that The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is getting some good coverage. I was blessed to attend one of their Encuentro training workshops several years ago with my friend Oannes who offered up a Native American blessing on their gathering along with representatives from 7 other religions. It was truly inspirational to be there in support of workers rights and equality. Everyone should strive to understand why thinking globally and acting locally is so important. Respecting food from the ground up needs to be part of everyday living. Well that’s it for now. KG

Columbus Ohio Going Green

I just read this article in thedailygreen.com about what the City and people of Columbus are doing to “go green”. In the local food arena it mentions:

• The Tip Top Restaurant downtown that is committed to extremely local food: they grow their vegetables on the roof of their building.
• Black Creek Bistro, a restaurant that recycles its fryer oil into biofuel to run the tractor on the farm where their produce is grown.

Read the entire article at www.thedailygreen.com

Shout out for help growing local food.

I’m calling this post the shout-out post. We’ll probably refine it after it’s initial try out but here goes. Do you need something for gardening like share a load of compost or mulch. Is renting a trailer in your future for moving a rototiller or some such large equipment? Well let’s work together and save some money or barter our services.
This week’s topic is a little out there for local food but here goes. On OEFFA direct today there was a lot of talk concerning the limited availability of chicken feed. There’s only a couple farmers in this region that produce organic feed for the growing local chicken industry. I think I could grow some of the corn, beans, flax, millet and amaranth for this new business need. Even worms and grubs could be a business for someone. But first we need to access who needs it and how much. I’m told that about 100 chickens can eat about 10-20 (50 lb) bags a month depending on their age. So for those who saw my post on OEFFA direct today leave your comments here.

H.R. 875 and the Food Safety Bills

The analysis below clarifies what the bill will and will not do.  Mentioned is HR.759 which can cause some issues for small farmers including recordkeeping requirements for farms and safety standards for fresh produce.
Link to HR.759 PDF

Link to HR.875 PDF

Food & Water Watch’ s Statement on H.R. 875 and the Food Safety Bills

The dilemma of how to regulate food safety in a way that prevents problems caused by industrialized agriculture but doesn’t wipe out small diversified farms is not new and is not easily solved. And as almost constant food safety problems reveal the dirty truth about the way much of our food is produced, processed and distributed, it’s a dilemma we need to have serious discussion about.

Most consumers never thought they had to worry about peanut butter and this latest food safety scandal has captured public attention for good reason – a CEO who knowingly shipped contaminated food, a plant with holes in the roof and serious pest problems, and years of state and federal regulators failing to intervene.

It’s no surprise that Congress is under pressure to act and multiple food safety bills have been introduced.

Two of the bills are about traceability for food (S.425 and H.R. 814). These present real issues for small producers who could be forced to bear the cost of expensive tracking technology and recordkeeping.

The other bills address what FDA can do to regulate food.

A lot of attention has been focused on a bill introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (H.R. 875), the Food Safety Modernization Act. And a lot of what is being said about the bill is misleading.

Here are a few things that H.R. 875 DOES do:

-It addresses the most critical flaw in the structure of FDA by splitting it into 2 new agencies –one devoted to food safety and the other devoted to drugs and medical devices.

-It increases inspection of food processing plants, basing the frequency of inspection on the risk of the product being produced – but it does NOT make plants pay any registration fees or user fees.

-It does extend food safety agency authority to food production on farms, requiring farms to write a food safety plan and consider the critical points on that farm where food safety problems are likely to occur.

-It requires imported food to meet the same standards as food produced in the U.S.

And just as importantly, here are a few things that H.R. 875 does NOT do:

-It does not cover foods regulated by the USDA (beef, pork, poultry, lamb, catfish.)

-It does not establish a mandatory animal identification system.

-It does not regulate backyard gardens.

-It does not regulate seed.

-It does not call for new regulations for farmers markets or direct marketing arrangements.

-It does not apply to food that does not enter interstate commerce (food that is sold across state lines).

-It does not mandate any specific type of traceability for FDA-regulated foods (the bill does instruct a new food safety agency to improve traceability of foods, but specifically says that recordkeeping can be done electronically or on paper.)

Several of the things not found in the DeLauro can be found in other bills – like H.R. 814, the Tracing and Recalling Agricultural Contamination Everywhere Act, which calls for a mandatory animal identification system, or H.R. 759, the Food And Drug Administration Globalization Act, which overhauls the entire structure of FDA. H.R. 759 is more likely to move through Congress than H.R. 875. And H.R. 759 contains several provisions that could cause problems for small farms and food processors:

-It extends traceability recordkeeping requirements that currently apply only to food processors to farms and restaurants – and requires that recordkeeping be done electronically.

-It calls for standard lot numbers to be used in food production.

-It requires food processing plants to pay a registration fee to FDA to fund the agency’s inspection efforts.

-It instructs FDA to establish production standards for fruits and vegetables and to establish Good Agricultural Practices for produce.

There is plenty of evidence that one-size-fits-all regulation only tends to work for one size of agriculture – the largest industrialized operations. That’s why it is important to let members of Congress know how food safety proposals will impact the conservation, organic, and sustainable practices that make diversified, organic, and direct market producers different from agribusiness. And the work doesn’t stop there – if Congress passes any of these bills, the FDA will have to develop rules and regulations to implement the law, a process that we can’t afford to ignore.

But simply shooting down any attempt to fix our broken food safety system is not an approach that works for consumers, who are faced with a food supply that is putting them at risk and regulators who lack the authority to do much about it.

You can read the full text of any of these bills at http://thomas.loc.gov

___________________________

Sarah Alexander

Senior Food Organizer

Food & Water Watch

1616 P St. NW Suite 300

Washington, DC  20036

salexander@fwwatch.org

www.foodandwaterwatch.org

Sarah Alexander is a senior food organizer. She works to promote a healthy and independent food system and works to improve public knowledge on food issues including factory farms, and country of origi labeling. Sarah has worked on issues related to food sovereignty, genetic engineering, and local food security. Her background is in community organizing, strategic campaigning and legislative campaigns, having previously worked with Green Corps, the White Earth Land Recovery Project, and the American Community Gardening Association. Sarah is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied English. She can be reached at salexander(at)fwwatch(org).

New Community Garden Seeking Participants

Are you an apartment dweller looking for a place to garden?  A gardener looking for more space than you currently have?  Art Yoho has generously volunteered his front yard for the site of our new community garden.  The space is about one acre on Maize Road, just a bit north of Cooke Road.  We’re looking for interested people to participate.

There is no fee for participation.  Wayne Shingler of Frijolito Farm will be available to help those new to gardening.  Whether you’re looking to make a dent in your grocery bill or just want to give away your crop to neighbors or a food pantry, come out and play in the dirt with us this year!

Plots will be ten feet by ten feet, but if we have more plots than gardeners, you can do more than one plot.  Everyone is welcome, but in the spirit of localizing our food system, preference will be given to those who live nearest to the garden if we get more interested people than we have plots available.

Special thanks to Art Yoho, Chuck Lynd, and Michael Jones for making this garden possible.

To sign up or for more information, contact Wayne at (614) 390-2692 or at wayne@frijolitofarm.com with “Maize garden” in the subject line.