Nearly three quarters of a million people own a chicken coop, a rise of 80 per cent in three years, the British Hen Welfare Trust has revealed.
The boom in growing fruit and vegetables has, for 700,000 people, spilled over into keeping hens.
One shed supplier, Navigation Distribution of Halifax, says sales have more than doubled in three years.
And as demand for coops booms, supermarkets are cashing in with their own ranges.
At Tesco, sales have soared by 180 per cent in three years during the fall-out from the credit crunch.
The fun of keeping hens and the prospect of freshly-laid eggs for breakfast after a short stroll to the end of the garden has become more appealing than ever.
Brian Mott, of dried pet food supplier Nature’s Grub, said: “The latest breed of chicken keepers is willing to spend a little bit more if it means finding the right product for their birds’ needs.
“It would appear that we are seeing a return to years ago when it was quite usual to keep half-a-dozen chickens in the back yard.
“Over the past few years more Britons have started growing their own fruit and vegetables and the next step in consumers’ return to ‘The Good Life’ seems to be having their own eggs.”
The fad follows a boom in rabbits as pets. Seventy per cent more people have rabbits compared with three years ago, according to the RSPCA.
The UK pet accessories industry is worth about £1billion a year, according to AMA business analysts.
Tesco buyer Clodagh Corbett said: “The surge in demand for chickens and coops shows how keeping hens has become a hobby for many. Keeping rabbits is more popular than ever too.”
2011年7月31日星期日
2011年7月27日星期三
I think that we have deliberated this enough
"We have been sitting here for more than six hours and I would like to table this until we have fresher brain cells," said Wittanen. Following the motion, several people in attendance moaned in disagreement with the idea of postponing a decision for recommendation.
"I think that we have deliberated this enough. Although we may be tired, these people have all come here for a decision, and we are asking them to have to drive down here again," said Stratman.
About 85 people attended the Planning Commission meeting and all seemed to have very passionate positions either for or against the proposed egg operation.
According to Reg Cridler, the area planning commission and the neighbors of the proposed project were notified the first week of May that Edwin and Eileen Hostetler wanted to build an enclosed egg operation on Powel Mesa where they own 97 acres, and that Greg and Carmen Hostetler wanted to build a similar operation on 40 acres on Redlands Mesa. Former county planner Kelly Yeager is representing both families.
Cridler is a past member of the planning commission, and when he commented in opposition of the application, he came out swinging. "I want to clarify some of the smoke that Kelly is blowing. I was a hog producer and I know how bad things can get. Those Mennonites are a communist community and they are not welcome here," said Cridler.
He continued in a follow-up interview the next day by saying, "I don't respect the Mennonite people. Quite frankly they are not welcome here. They have no respect for our way of life and our community and I am not doing business with them. I raised 3000 hogs a year for commercial sale on a 500 acre lot in Michigan, and I know how important management is. The local health department has no authority to do anything about this if they are not managing it right," said Cridler.
Because of the nature of the proposed operation, the applicants are going through the Delta County Specific Development permitting and regulatory process.
As part of the Specific Development process, the applicants must fill out and submit specific information about their project to the Delta County Planner, Dave Rice.
Rice and his staff then send out that information concerning the proposed plan to all neighbors within 1000 feet of the property. The neighbors then get to comment on all aspects of the proposed application and either support or oppose it.
According to officials, this public process allows all involved parties to voice concerns and gives the applicant time to respond to those concerns, and when necessary, work with county staff to mitigate or resolve issues through the process.
Specific to these two proposed developments, many people came forward. They raised concerns about everything from flies and odor, to water quality, animal abuse and disease. They also claimed incompatibility with the area, decline in property value, traffic, noise, dust and a myriad of other issues.
The Leroux Creek area planning committee recommended denial to both projects when they sent it to the Delta County Planning Commission.
Debbie Schum spoke representing the Delta County Libertarian Party. She handed out Colorado Revised Statute 35-3.5-102 for reference on Colorado Law. "I want to point out that in this statute, you cannot prohibit someone from agriculture activity because someone thinks it's a nuisance."
Schum took the position that if the Planning Commission denied recommendation or the Board of County Commissioners denied the application they would be in direct conflict of the law.
Later in the meeting, landowner and attorney Steve Harper said that the State law did not apply in this situation, bringing people's attention the rest of the statute. "You have to read the whole document not just one line. This says that the operations had to have been established prior to this document." Harper said that the statute addressed agriculture and not commercial operations. "I am asking you to deny this application," said Harper.
Tom Hulet lives in the adjoining property just feet from another chicken operation. "I live next to six chicken houses with about 10,000 birds in each house. I have never had a problem in ten years of living next door. There are no flies, no problems, and the most odors I get are when I go get the manure from them and spread it on my own yard. There is no odor from these places and I live downwind of the prevailing wind.
Five people spoke on behalf of the Hostetler application.
Commission members asked a plethora of questions after the application points had been read into the record. Questions about noise, access and flies, along with dust and traffic topped the list of questions.
Don Vanderlaan wanted to know what kind of management experience Greg Hostetler had so that he could assure himself that Hostetler had the skills to manage his operation.
"I would not think that you would take the responsibility lightly," said Vanderlaan to Hostetler. "I want to know what management skills you have and want to know do you have any training," questioned Vanderlaan.
Bob Nernix said, "It seems to me like some of your questions are relevant, and some of these questions are questions you should only be asking if you are his banker. You are not putting up the money, you are not his banker, and it is not your business about how much management training he has. He has the same right to make a go of his business as anyone, and just like the rest of us, if he can't manage his business he will lose it."
Opponents of the operation stood in line to speak out against the project.
Elaine Brett said the operation was not compatible for the area and that it should be located somewhere else. Mobley Cooper said that she had found a professor in Switzerland that could take a formula and figure out the monetary cost to property values when an operation like this was next door. "As a real estate broker, anytime someone says they live near a coal mine or a chicken coop, there is an immediate stigma to the area," said Cooper.
Concerns about access, water quality, and Delta County's ability to monitor and enforce any development agreement were called in to question as well.
Ken Nordstrom who is the department head for the County Health Department said, "This kind of operation can easily operate without any problems. The only issues I see as being a potential problem is the flies and odor. With good management this will not be a problem."
Nordstrom said that in years past there were a couple of complaints about other commercial chicken operations, but that the issues were resolved.
"I think that we have deliberated this enough. Although we may be tired, these people have all come here for a decision, and we are asking them to have to drive down here again," said Stratman.
About 85 people attended the Planning Commission meeting and all seemed to have very passionate positions either for or against the proposed egg operation.
According to Reg Cridler, the area planning commission and the neighbors of the proposed project were notified the first week of May that Edwin and Eileen Hostetler wanted to build an enclosed egg operation on Powel Mesa where they own 97 acres, and that Greg and Carmen Hostetler wanted to build a similar operation on 40 acres on Redlands Mesa. Former county planner Kelly Yeager is representing both families.
Cridler is a past member of the planning commission, and when he commented in opposition of the application, he came out swinging. "I want to clarify some of the smoke that Kelly is blowing. I was a hog producer and I know how bad things can get. Those Mennonites are a communist community and they are not welcome here," said Cridler.
He continued in a follow-up interview the next day by saying, "I don't respect the Mennonite people. Quite frankly they are not welcome here. They have no respect for our way of life and our community and I am not doing business with them. I raised 3000 hogs a year for commercial sale on a 500 acre lot in Michigan, and I know how important management is. The local health department has no authority to do anything about this if they are not managing it right," said Cridler.
Because of the nature of the proposed operation, the applicants are going through the Delta County Specific Development permitting and regulatory process.
As part of the Specific Development process, the applicants must fill out and submit specific information about their project to the Delta County Planner, Dave Rice.
Rice and his staff then send out that information concerning the proposed plan to all neighbors within 1000 feet of the property. The neighbors then get to comment on all aspects of the proposed application and either support or oppose it.
According to officials, this public process allows all involved parties to voice concerns and gives the applicant time to respond to those concerns, and when necessary, work with county staff to mitigate or resolve issues through the process.
Specific to these two proposed developments, many people came forward. They raised concerns about everything from flies and odor, to water quality, animal abuse and disease. They also claimed incompatibility with the area, decline in property value, traffic, noise, dust and a myriad of other issues.
The Leroux Creek area planning committee recommended denial to both projects when they sent it to the Delta County Planning Commission.
Debbie Schum spoke representing the Delta County Libertarian Party. She handed out Colorado Revised Statute 35-3.5-102 for reference on Colorado Law. "I want to point out that in this statute, you cannot prohibit someone from agriculture activity because someone thinks it's a nuisance."
Schum took the position that if the Planning Commission denied recommendation or the Board of County Commissioners denied the application they would be in direct conflict of the law.
Later in the meeting, landowner and attorney Steve Harper said that the State law did not apply in this situation, bringing people's attention the rest of the statute. "You have to read the whole document not just one line. This says that the operations had to have been established prior to this document." Harper said that the statute addressed agriculture and not commercial operations. "I am asking you to deny this application," said Harper.
Tom Hulet lives in the adjoining property just feet from another chicken operation. "I live next to six chicken houses with about 10,000 birds in each house. I have never had a problem in ten years of living next door. There are no flies, no problems, and the most odors I get are when I go get the manure from them and spread it on my own yard. There is no odor from these places and I live downwind of the prevailing wind.
Five people spoke on behalf of the Hostetler application.
Commission members asked a plethora of questions after the application points had been read into the record. Questions about noise, access and flies, along with dust and traffic topped the list of questions.
Don Vanderlaan wanted to know what kind of management experience Greg Hostetler had so that he could assure himself that Hostetler had the skills to manage his operation.
"I would not think that you would take the responsibility lightly," said Vanderlaan to Hostetler. "I want to know what management skills you have and want to know do you have any training," questioned Vanderlaan.
Bob Nernix said, "It seems to me like some of your questions are relevant, and some of these questions are questions you should only be asking if you are his banker. You are not putting up the money, you are not his banker, and it is not your business about how much management training he has. He has the same right to make a go of his business as anyone, and just like the rest of us, if he can't manage his business he will lose it."
Opponents of the operation stood in line to speak out against the project.
Elaine Brett said the operation was not compatible for the area and that it should be located somewhere else. Mobley Cooper said that she had found a professor in Switzerland that could take a formula and figure out the monetary cost to property values when an operation like this was next door. "As a real estate broker, anytime someone says they live near a coal mine or a chicken coop, there is an immediate stigma to the area," said Cooper.
Concerns about access, water quality, and Delta County's ability to monitor and enforce any development agreement were called in to question as well.
Ken Nordstrom who is the department head for the County Health Department said, "This kind of operation can easily operate without any problems. The only issues I see as being a potential problem is the flies and odor. With good management this will not be a problem."
Nordstrom said that in years past there were a couple of complaints about other commercial chicken operations, but that the issues were resolved.
2011年7月25日星期一
Chicken owner petitions city to amend ordinance
In the middle of historic homes in one of Spartanburg's most prized neighborhoods, stands a chicken coop.
Dr. Brian Rothemich's Coop D'ville is empty with a sign that reads, “Gone for the summer. See you in September.” It's the retired doctor's hope that when he and his wife return to Spartanburg from their North Carolina lake house that his five hens will accompany them.
At Rothemich's request, Spartanburg City Council will consider amending its animal ordinance to allow hens. Council passed an ordinance in 2009 prohibiting chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pheasants and other domesticated fowl.
Rothemich's son gave his father five chickens, which he and his wife refer to as “the girls,” last year for Father's Day. Rothemich said he was aware then that the city prohibited the chickens, but he tried to sneak them in any way for the fresh eggs they produce.
He didn't try to hide the hens and gave away most of the eggs to neighbors in Converse Heights that he said were supportive.
One of those neighbors, Mayor Junie White, said he supports Rothemich's request as long as the city regulates the number of chickens and prohibits bringing roosters into the city limits.
“I've done the research, and most cities allow chickens,” White said. “Brian takes care of his and has done a good job keeping them. I agree that we need restrictions, but allowing them is worth a shot.”
Animal control officers ticketed Rothemich last winter after an anonymous caller tipped them off. His trial date is set for Sept. 14, and he says he will protest the $234 fine.
Dr. Brian Rothemich's Coop D'ville is empty with a sign that reads, “Gone for the summer. See you in September.” It's the retired doctor's hope that when he and his wife return to Spartanburg from their North Carolina lake house that his five hens will accompany them.
At Rothemich's request, Spartanburg City Council will consider amending its animal ordinance to allow hens. Council passed an ordinance in 2009 prohibiting chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pheasants and other domesticated fowl.
Rothemich's son gave his father five chickens, which he and his wife refer to as “the girls,” last year for Father's Day. Rothemich said he was aware then that the city prohibited the chickens, but he tried to sneak them in any way for the fresh eggs they produce.
He didn't try to hide the hens and gave away most of the eggs to neighbors in Converse Heights that he said were supportive.
One of those neighbors, Mayor Junie White, said he supports Rothemich's request as long as the city regulates the number of chickens and prohibits bringing roosters into the city limits.
“I've done the research, and most cities allow chickens,” White said. “Brian takes care of his and has done a good job keeping them. I agree that we need restrictions, but allowing them is worth a shot.”
Animal control officers ticketed Rothemich last winter after an anonymous caller tipped them off. His trial date is set for Sept. 14, and he says he will protest the $234 fine.
2011年7月20日星期三
Study examines Pie Ranch poultry pasture
A red chicken coop at Pie Ranch in Pescadero is attached to an old artichoke trailer - sort of like a Winnebago for about 120 feathery travelers - so that it can be easily wheeled around the farm.
Every few days, Pie Ranch co-founder Nancy Vail moves the mobile coop to a different strip of fallow farmland for the chicken to use as pasture.
That gives the chickens plenty of ground to scratch, peck and use as a toilet. And that's a good thing, Vail said, because chicken manure is a strong fertilizer, giving the soil a boost of nutrients so it can later grow more produce.
Unlike other ways to fertilize soil, the benefits of having chickens pasture on fallow farmland has been based more on gut feeling than science.
Last week, Kathleen Hilimire, an environmental studies graduate student from the University of California, Santa Cruz, gave a short lecture at Pie Ranch to deliver her findings from the first study of chicken pasturing.
"It's been well-known that chicken manure is an effective plant fertilizer," Hilimire said. "Instead of the farmer applying manure, you have all these animals just running around applying it."
Researching the practice for her doctoral dissertation, Hilimire has been studying the soil quality and food-safety issues associated with chicken fertilizers.
Chicken compost, she notes, contains a tremendous amount of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and often calcium. Like any other manure, the droppings also can contain pathogens, so Hilimire strongly recommended the farmers wait about 120 days between applying manure and harvesting crops.
Her study led her to locate about 40 farmers in California who practice free-range chicken pasturing, including Pie Ranch. The Pescadero farm has been rotating chickens on and off different swaths of farmland since it first started in 2005.
During her study at Pie Ranch, Hilimire compared two farm sections growing strawberries, one that had been used for chicken pasturing and another that hadn't. Surprisingly, the chicken pasture didn't do as well, but Vail said that was really because they didn't know how to fine-tune the pasturing into their crop rotation.
"We're still trying to figure this out," she said. "It takes a long time to really get this down ... It's incredible now that there's firm research."
Every few days, Pie Ranch co-founder Nancy Vail moves the mobile coop to a different strip of fallow farmland for the chicken to use as pasture.
That gives the chickens plenty of ground to scratch, peck and use as a toilet. And that's a good thing, Vail said, because chicken manure is a strong fertilizer, giving the soil a boost of nutrients so it can later grow more produce.
Unlike other ways to fertilize soil, the benefits of having chickens pasture on fallow farmland has been based more on gut feeling than science.
Last week, Kathleen Hilimire, an environmental studies graduate student from the University of California, Santa Cruz, gave a short lecture at Pie Ranch to deliver her findings from the first study of chicken pasturing.
"It's been well-known that chicken manure is an effective plant fertilizer," Hilimire said. "Instead of the farmer applying manure, you have all these animals just running around applying it."
Researching the practice for her doctoral dissertation, Hilimire has been studying the soil quality and food-safety issues associated with chicken fertilizers.
Chicken compost, she notes, contains a tremendous amount of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and often calcium. Like any other manure, the droppings also can contain pathogens, so Hilimire strongly recommended the farmers wait about 120 days between applying manure and harvesting crops.
Her study led her to locate about 40 farmers in California who practice free-range chicken pasturing, including Pie Ranch. The Pescadero farm has been rotating chickens on and off different swaths of farmland since it first started in 2005.
During her study at Pie Ranch, Hilimire compared two farm sections growing strawberries, one that had been used for chicken pasturing and another that hadn't. Surprisingly, the chicken pasture didn't do as well, but Vail said that was really because they didn't know how to fine-tune the pasturing into their crop rotation.
"We're still trying to figure this out," she said. "It takes a long time to really get this down ... It's incredible now that there's firm research."
2011年7月17日星期日
Urban chicken coop roosts in Westmount
Each morning, Marci Babineau steps out the backdoor of her Westmount townhouse to fetch a half-dozen eggs from the chicken coop in her yard.
"It still amazes me everyday," says Babineau, a yoga teacher who had chickens growing up in suburban California. "I always thank them, because I feel like saying, 'I'm glad it's you, not me (laying eggs)."'
Chickens are permitted in Westmount, though backyard chickens remain an underground movement in most North American cities amid concerns about smell, sanitation and noise.
But that's gradually changing as many urban dwellers seek a closer connection with the food they eat.
A growing number of Canadian cities now allow chickens within their boundaries, while others are considering the possibility.
Vancouver and Niagara Falls now allow chickens within city limits, along with cities south of the border such as Chicago and Seattle.
A recent trial run in New Brunswick was deemed a success, while a group in Toronto is also pressing the issue.
Most city dwellers who raise chickens, like Babineau, do so for their eggs -- not for slaughter. Some are motivated by concern about the antibiotics, chemicals and chicken feed used in industrial farming.
Babineau, a breast cancer survivor who began raising fowl in search of a healthier lifestyle, says the eggs from her chickens tend to include a darker, richer yolk than the ones in the grocery store.
"I like that it makes me feel like I'm doing something toward my diet my family's diet--and our welfare -- that's very tangible," said Babineau.
The city of Montreal outlawed chickens in 1966, part of the era's trend against livestock within municipal boundaries.
While the law is still on the books, advocates are hoping a pilot project launched this summer in one borough could be the beginning of its undoing within the municipality.
"We had a lot of demand from residents, especially because it's now allowed in other cities," says Francois Croteau, mayor of the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie borough.
The project announced last month means the borough will operate a hen house open to the public.
The original proposal was to permit residents to keep a few hens in their backyard if they had a large enough plot, but not everyone was in favour of the plan.
There were concerns backyard chickens would make too much noise and attract pests, such as rats.
"After one year (of considering) the regulations we found the first step would be a project that would focus on education and environment," Croteau said of the project.
Supporters like Babineau say that, without a rooster, neighbours wouldn't even know the chickens are there and a properly maintained coop eliminates concern about smell and cleanliness.
"I quite enjoy having them next door, actually," said neighbour Joyce Pickering. "I like the clucking sound, which don't hear too much of, but occasionally. It makes you feel sort of like you're in the country."
Babineau's hens – Lulu, Daisy, Coco, Kiki and Om – are kept in a closed-in run at the back of the garden, which connects to a winter-warm area beneath the house where they eat, roost and lay eggs.
They subsist mostly on vegetable scraps from her own home and those of nearby friends and businesses.
"I had got really interested in the local food movement so I thought, 'Oh I know, I can have chickens,"' says Babineau.
Babineau has taken it upon herself to gradually spread the word about the benefits of being in closer touch with your food.
"The whole neighbourhood drops by to see the chickens, especially the families with little kids," says Babineau, who adds that her own son is enthusiastic about the project.
"I'm just trying to encourage them to come back to living with more nature and revisit some of the things we gave up a long time ago."
"It still amazes me everyday," says Babineau, a yoga teacher who had chickens growing up in suburban California. "I always thank them, because I feel like saying, 'I'm glad it's you, not me (laying eggs)."'
Chickens are permitted in Westmount, though backyard chickens remain an underground movement in most North American cities amid concerns about smell, sanitation and noise.
But that's gradually changing as many urban dwellers seek a closer connection with the food they eat.
A growing number of Canadian cities now allow chickens within their boundaries, while others are considering the possibility.
Vancouver and Niagara Falls now allow chickens within city limits, along with cities south of the border such as Chicago and Seattle.
A recent trial run in New Brunswick was deemed a success, while a group in Toronto is also pressing the issue.
Most city dwellers who raise chickens, like Babineau, do so for their eggs -- not for slaughter. Some are motivated by concern about the antibiotics, chemicals and chicken feed used in industrial farming.
Babineau, a breast cancer survivor who began raising fowl in search of a healthier lifestyle, says the eggs from her chickens tend to include a darker, richer yolk than the ones in the grocery store.
"I like that it makes me feel like I'm doing something toward my diet my family's diet--and our welfare -- that's very tangible," said Babineau.
The city of Montreal outlawed chickens in 1966, part of the era's trend against livestock within municipal boundaries.
While the law is still on the books, advocates are hoping a pilot project launched this summer in one borough could be the beginning of its undoing within the municipality.
"We had a lot of demand from residents, especially because it's now allowed in other cities," says Francois Croteau, mayor of the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie borough.
The project announced last month means the borough will operate a hen house open to the public.
The original proposal was to permit residents to keep a few hens in their backyard if they had a large enough plot, but not everyone was in favour of the plan.
There were concerns backyard chickens would make too much noise and attract pests, such as rats.
"After one year (of considering) the regulations we found the first step would be a project that would focus on education and environment," Croteau said of the project.
Supporters like Babineau say that, without a rooster, neighbours wouldn't even know the chickens are there and a properly maintained coop eliminates concern about smell and cleanliness.
"I quite enjoy having them next door, actually," said neighbour Joyce Pickering. "I like the clucking sound, which don't hear too much of, but occasionally. It makes you feel sort of like you're in the country."
Babineau's hens – Lulu, Daisy, Coco, Kiki and Om – are kept in a closed-in run at the back of the garden, which connects to a winter-warm area beneath the house where they eat, roost and lay eggs.
They subsist mostly on vegetable scraps from her own home and those of nearby friends and businesses.
"I had got really interested in the local food movement so I thought, 'Oh I know, I can have chickens,"' says Babineau.
Babineau has taken it upon herself to gradually spread the word about the benefits of being in closer touch with your food.
"The whole neighbourhood drops by to see the chickens, especially the families with little kids," says Babineau, who adds that her own son is enthusiastic about the project.
"I'm just trying to encourage them to come back to living with more nature and revisit some of the things we gave up a long time ago."
2011年7月13日星期三
Food and Beverage Hike Feels Criticism
Local restaurant owners pleaded with City Council Members during Tuesday night's hearing. Stating they currently only net 4 percent of their businesses profits due to already high taxes and fees. Making it difficult to keep prices competitive for consumers.
"It's my responsibility to pay the tax based on revenue, it's not a sales tax, it's a tax on my business, now I can either absorb that and pay it or I can pass it on to my guest that come in." Said Chicken Coop Owner Dean Pegg
It's also a tax that Kearney residents don't want to see at the bottom of their bill every time they go out to eat.
"The prices continue to rise, they come out of my pocket. It's getting very hard for the
average family in this community to make budget ends meat." Said Kearney Resident Bonnie Taylor.
Aside from putting a dent in the wallets of local customers. Restaurant owners feel the burden of this tax would be shouldered by employees who rely on tips to make a living.
"I've got servers that are single mothers trying to make ends meet, I have servers that are
going to community college, trying to better themselves and that tax is paid by them." Said Pegg.
Although the one point three million dollars raised by the tax could help the city with several community betterment projects, restaurant owners feel that this is something they couldn't handle.
"We're struggling as a restaurant to make it." Said Pizza Hut Delivery Manager John Overmiller.
"It's my responsibility to pay the tax based on revenue, it's not a sales tax, it's a tax on my business, now I can either absorb that and pay it or I can pass it on to my guest that come in." Said Chicken Coop Owner Dean Pegg
It's also a tax that Kearney residents don't want to see at the bottom of their bill every time they go out to eat.
"The prices continue to rise, they come out of my pocket. It's getting very hard for the
average family in this community to make budget ends meat." Said Kearney Resident Bonnie Taylor.
Aside from putting a dent in the wallets of local customers. Restaurant owners feel the burden of this tax would be shouldered by employees who rely on tips to make a living.
"I've got servers that are single mothers trying to make ends meet, I have servers that are
going to community college, trying to better themselves and that tax is paid by them." Said Pegg.
Although the one point three million dollars raised by the tax could help the city with several community betterment projects, restaurant owners feel that this is something they couldn't handle.
"We're struggling as a restaurant to make it." Said Pizza Hut Delivery Manager John Overmiller.
2011年7月11日星期一
The Castleton Festival comes to Manassas
Just west of D.C., Lorin Maazel and his wife, German actress Dietlinde Turban Maazel, have developed a musical mecca on their estate. For the past three summers, they have presented operas and concerts in their 140-seat auditorium that had its beginning as a chicken coop. Buoyed by their success, they also have forged a relationship with George Mason University.
The partnership between the Castleton Festival and GMU's Hylton Center was started when Merchant Hall was still under construction. William F. Reeder, dean of GMU's College of Visual and Performing Arts, was once a professional operatic tenor and eager to fill the new facility with the finest artistry available. He sought out the Maazels and invited them to view the facility, which accommodates 1,100.
The Maazels were impressed by its design, typical of a traditional European opera house, and its acoustics equaling those of Carnegie Hall. It was the ideal space for three programs they wished to present to larger audiences.
Just west of D.C., Lorin Maazel and his wife, German actress Dietlinde Turban Maazel, have developed a musical mecca on their estate. For the past three summers, they have presented operas and concerts in their 140-seat auditorium that had its beginning as a chicken coop. Buoyed by their success, they also have forged a relationship with George Mason University.
The partnership between the Castleton Festival and GMU's Hylton Center was started when Merchant Hall was still under construction. William F. Reeder, dean of GMU's College of Visual and Performing Arts, was once a professional operatic tenor and eager to fill the new facility with the finest artistry available. He sought out the Maazels and invited them to view the facility, which accommodates 1,100.
The Maazels were impressed by its design, typical of a traditional European opera house, and its acoustics equaling those of Carnegie Hall. It was the ideal space for three programs they wished to present to larger audiences.
The partnership between the Castleton Festival and GMU's Hylton Center was started when Merchant Hall was still under construction. William F. Reeder, dean of GMU's College of Visual and Performing Arts, was once a professional operatic tenor and eager to fill the new facility with the finest artistry available. He sought out the Maazels and invited them to view the facility, which accommodates 1,100.
The Maazels were impressed by its design, typical of a traditional European opera house, and its acoustics equaling those of Carnegie Hall. It was the ideal space for three programs they wished to present to larger audiences.
Just west of D.C., Lorin Maazel and his wife, German actress Dietlinde Turban Maazel, have developed a musical mecca on their estate. For the past three summers, they have presented operas and concerts in their 140-seat auditorium that had its beginning as a chicken coop. Buoyed by their success, they also have forged a relationship with George Mason University.
The partnership between the Castleton Festival and GMU's Hylton Center was started when Merchant Hall was still under construction. William F. Reeder, dean of GMU's College of Visual and Performing Arts, was once a professional operatic tenor and eager to fill the new facility with the finest artistry available. He sought out the Maazels and invited them to view the facility, which accommodates 1,100.
The Maazels were impressed by its design, typical of a traditional European opera house, and its acoustics equaling those of Carnegie Hall. It was the ideal space for three programs they wished to present to larger audiences.
2011年7月6日星期三
Big pet expo, horse hoedown and a dog cruise
Summer is here and so are some hot pet events. This month, there's a fashion show and pie-eating contest at Poochapalooza, a huge gathering of adoptable animals plus pet products at America's Family Pet Expo, and a chance to see chickens, goats and sheep on Seattle Tilth's Chicken Coop and Urban Farm Tour. If you like to dance, do-si-do over to the Two Stepping for Hope event benefiting horses.
America's Family Pet Expo: 10 a.m.-6p.m., Friday, July 8, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday, July 9, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, July 10, Puyallup Fair and Events Center. Billed as the world's largest pet and pet-product show, this event showcases cats, birds, dogs and "creepy crawlers." The three-day expo includes adoptable pets, stage shows, dock-diving dogs and the chance to interact with a wide range of animals. $12/general, $10/seniors and $6/children 6-12. Younger kids get in free. Active military with ID also get in free. There's a $2 discount off general-admission tickets purchased online. Leave your pet at home.
Poochapalooza: 10 a.m.-3:30p.m., Saturday, July 9, Strawberry Fields Athletic Complex, Marysville. This year's event includes a pie-eating contest for dogs and Fashions & Rescues Runway Show featuring adoptable dogs modeling designer outfits from Amore Grace, Dmarie's Doggie Boutique and others. There also will be dog-sport demonstrations, dancing dogs, a kissing booth, pet contests, vendors and food. $5 suggested donation gets a goodie bag for the first 400 visitors. This event is a fundraiser for M-Dog (Marysville Dog Owners Group), the volunteer organization that maintains Strawberry Fields for Rover Off-Leash Park.
Two Stepping for Hope: Saturday, July 9, Carnation. Slip on your dancing boots for a Texas-style hoedown featuring a live band and food. The event is a fundraiser for Hope for Horses, an organization dedicated to the responsible care and training of equines. Space is limited. $50.
Seattle Tilth's Chicken Coop and Urban Farm Tour: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, July 9. A self-guided tour of 50 unique sites featuring mini dairy goats, ducks, honey bees, sheep and a cow. There's also a chicken coop expo at one site. $12. Ticket and tour details on the event website.
Mill Creek Festival: 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, July 16, and Sunday, July 17, Mill Creek Town Center. This free community festival includes a pet plaza with canine sports, working-dog demonstrations, booths and contests for you and your pooch.
Wiener Dog Rally: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday, July 21, Fisher Plaza, Seattle. Got a fast dachshund? Enter that hot dog in the qualifying heats for Star 101.5's Wiener Dog Races. Dachshunds must be registered by 11:30 a.m. Thursday to compete for a spot in the big race on Saturday, July 23, at Emerald Downs.
Sandsations' Sand Flea Pet Parade: Saturday, July 23, Long Beach. OK, Sandsations is really a sand-sculpture event for people. However, if you and your pooch are on the beach on Saturday, check out the Sand Flea Pet Parade. This very informal pet event organized by South Pacific County Humane Society is free but donations are welcome. Pets must be on leash.
America's Family Pet Expo: 10 a.m.-6p.m., Friday, July 8, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday, July 9, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, July 10, Puyallup Fair and Events Center. Billed as the world's largest pet and pet-product show, this event showcases cats, birds, dogs and "creepy crawlers." The three-day expo includes adoptable pets, stage shows, dock-diving dogs and the chance to interact with a wide range of animals. $12/general, $10/seniors and $6/children 6-12. Younger kids get in free. Active military with ID also get in free. There's a $2 discount off general-admission tickets purchased online. Leave your pet at home.
Poochapalooza: 10 a.m.-3:30p.m., Saturday, July 9, Strawberry Fields Athletic Complex, Marysville. This year's event includes a pie-eating contest for dogs and Fashions & Rescues Runway Show featuring adoptable dogs modeling designer outfits from Amore Grace, Dmarie's Doggie Boutique and others. There also will be dog-sport demonstrations, dancing dogs, a kissing booth, pet contests, vendors and food. $5 suggested donation gets a goodie bag for the first 400 visitors. This event is a fundraiser for M-Dog (Marysville Dog Owners Group), the volunteer organization that maintains Strawberry Fields for Rover Off-Leash Park.
Two Stepping for Hope: Saturday, July 9, Carnation. Slip on your dancing boots for a Texas-style hoedown featuring a live band and food. The event is a fundraiser for Hope for Horses, an organization dedicated to the responsible care and training of equines. Space is limited. $50.
Seattle Tilth's Chicken Coop and Urban Farm Tour: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, July 9. A self-guided tour of 50 unique sites featuring mini dairy goats, ducks, honey bees, sheep and a cow. There's also a chicken coop expo at one site. $12. Ticket and tour details on the event website.
Mill Creek Festival: 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, July 16, and Sunday, July 17, Mill Creek Town Center. This free community festival includes a pet plaza with canine sports, working-dog demonstrations, booths and contests for you and your pooch.
Wiener Dog Rally: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday, July 21, Fisher Plaza, Seattle. Got a fast dachshund? Enter that hot dog in the qualifying heats for Star 101.5's Wiener Dog Races. Dachshunds must be registered by 11:30 a.m. Thursday to compete for a spot in the big race on Saturday, July 23, at Emerald Downs.
Sandsations' Sand Flea Pet Parade: Saturday, July 23, Long Beach. OK, Sandsations is really a sand-sculpture event for people. However, if you and your pooch are on the beach on Saturday, check out the Sand Flea Pet Parade. This very informal pet event organized by South Pacific County Humane Society is free but donations are welcome. Pets must be on leash.
2011年7月4日星期一
Greensburg shares lessons of rebuilding
They have been trekking from the east to a small town in central Kansas in search of guidance. In search of wisdom.
Representatives from several cities hammered by twisters during the deadliest tornado season in decades have been coming to Greensburg in recent weeks to learn how it rebuilt after being all but wiped from the map by a massive tornado on May 4, 2007.
A delegation from Tuscaloosa, Ala., came in early June for a tour and a series of meetings. Last week, representatives from the Joplin area and cities in northeast Mississippi and rural Alabama converged on Greensburg as well.
Tuscaloosa, Joplin and Smithfield, Miss., have all been hit by EF-5 tornadoes this spring, and numerous EF-4s struck cities in Mississippi and Alabama.
"When I see what went on in Alabama, northeast Mississippi and then Joplin, your heart just drops because you know what they're going through," Greensburg Mayor Bob Dixson said.
Greensburg officials have the same basic message for each group that has come to town:
Don't be Greensburg. Be you.
"That's the most important thing in life," Dixson said in summing up his message last week to a gathering of the Wichita chapter of the American Meteorological Society. "Don't try to be somebody else. Be true to your values, be true to your priorities, be true to your principles."
An effective recovery from a disaster isn't about how quickly houses and buildings can be rebuilt, Dixson said. It's about the process.
Learning how to work with state and federal agencies has been "a real educational process," Dixson said.
Identifying your values and then using them to shape your priorities helps clarify planning and establish a road map for the future, Dixson said.
"What are our values? Who are we?" he asked. "You can't set priorities unless you know who you are."
Being stewards
When the concept of "going green" in Greensburg first surfaced, Dixson cringed.
He pictured bell bottoms, tie-dyed shirts, "hair down to here," hugging a tree and folks who use mind-altering chemicals, he said.
"That ain't going to work for us," Dixson said he thought. "We ain't going green. This is stupid."
But over time, he said, he learned going green meant sustainability —"about being good stewards of the resources we've been blessed with, in whatever microclimate you're at."
In Greensburg, that includes using the sun and wind to generate electricity.
In Tuscaloosa and Joplin and Smithfield, it could well mean something else.
"As we shared with Tuscaloosa's people, look at what your ancestors did when they built buildings — how they survived, how they oriented their houses to take advantage of the natural resources," Dixson said.
Many people wondered whether Greensburg would even rebuild after virtually every building in the town of nearly 1,500 was damaged or destroyed. In retrospect, Dixson said, Greensburg was "very blessed" to essentially be wiped from the map.
"We didn't have your haves and have-nots," he said. "It mattered not your socio-economic status. In a matter of minutes, we lost everything.
"The one sustainable resource we had was each other."
Learning experience
Nancy Graves, an administrative liaison for the task force overseeing rebuilding efforts in Tuscaloosa, said her contingent's visit to Greensburg was valuable. They learned they were doing a lot of the right things without even realizing it.
"That was reassuring," she said.
Tuscaloosa officials were particularly interested in learning how the tornado affected Greensburg's economy and how it set about retaining and attracting businesses.
"We learned so many different things it was crazy," Graves said.
Yet Tuscaloosa's approach to recovery has to be different than Greensburg's, she said, because the tornado damaged only a portion of the city of 90,000, not practically the whole city, like Greensburg.
While some residents and businesses are focusing on recovery and rebuilding, she said, the rest of Tuscaloosa can't be ignored.
"We have to continue to push everything forward," Graves said. "That doesn't mean you're going to do it perfectly."
Graves said she liked how designers used cypress from trees flattened by Hurricane Katrina in the construction of Greensburg's new school.
So many of the buildings and homes in Greensburg look normal, she said, not like something strange.
Open to new ideas
When he saw the business incubator building open in Greensburg in 2009, Dixson said, it reminded him of his grandfather's chicken coop in northwest Kansas.
The multi-level roof has banks of sloping tiers featuring small windows so more natural light can stream inside.
Farmers learned that chickens lay more eggs and cows produce more milk if they're housed in buildings that allow in plenty of natural light, Dixson said. So they built barns and coops with slanted roofs and installed windows.
Dixson and his wife lost their "dream home" in the tornado, which killed two of their neighbors across the street and 11 people in all on that first Friday in May 2007.
"We did not have a scrape, scratch or bruise on us," he said. "If we had been over in the southwest corner of the basement, like we were always taught as kids, we would have been covered with debris and I probably wouldn't be here to talk about it."
Dixson's new house features plenty of windows, too — facing east and west to allow views of the prairie's powerful sunrises and sunsets.
The north side of the house has just one window, and it's small.
Those features are a nod to what winters are like in southern Kansas, Dixson said.
The house features long porches on the front and back, to provide shade and reduce utility bills.
It also gives the Dixsons a place to relax in the evening and chat with neighbors as they stroll by — much like neighbors did decades ago before the advent of air conditioning, TV and personal computers.
"Whatever you do, make sure you cultivate those relationships that are important to you," he said. "That is the only true sustainable thing in life — the only thing that will survive the test of disaster, whether it's in your personal life, whether it's in your corporate life or your community."
Community spirit
It's easy to believe Greensburg's residents were brought closer together by their shared experience of surviving a monstrous tornado.
But Dixson said what truly forged bonds among residents was the large tent FEMA set up on the edge of town after the tornado went through.
That was where residents gathered in those first months, because there was no place else left.
"We did everything in this tent," Dixson said. "We ate together, we cried together, we hugged together, we laughed together."
That sprouted and nurtured a community spirit that has served Greensburg well as the town began to rebuild.
"In my opinion, that's why — four years later — we have made the progress we have."
Greensburg is only a little more than half as big as it was the night tornado hit, but officials remain optimistic about the city's future.
"We're not done," Kiowa County Emergency Management director Ray Stegman said. "We have a lot to go yet."
The business incubator is doing just what it is designed to do, he said: Give small businesses a place to sprout, then find their own home as they continue to grow.
Greensburg can't presume to lure a business that employs 200 people, Dixson said, but it can create an environment appealing for small businesses.
That can give Greensburg's young people reason to stay — or return home — to raise their families.
"It's not about us," Dixson said. "It's about future generations. It's about that legacy we're going to leave for future generations."
Representatives from several cities hammered by twisters during the deadliest tornado season in decades have been coming to Greensburg in recent weeks to learn how it rebuilt after being all but wiped from the map by a massive tornado on May 4, 2007.
A delegation from Tuscaloosa, Ala., came in early June for a tour and a series of meetings. Last week, representatives from the Joplin area and cities in northeast Mississippi and rural Alabama converged on Greensburg as well.
Tuscaloosa, Joplin and Smithfield, Miss., have all been hit by EF-5 tornadoes this spring, and numerous EF-4s struck cities in Mississippi and Alabama.
"When I see what went on in Alabama, northeast Mississippi and then Joplin, your heart just drops because you know what they're going through," Greensburg Mayor Bob Dixson said.
Greensburg officials have the same basic message for each group that has come to town:
Don't be Greensburg. Be you.
"That's the most important thing in life," Dixson said in summing up his message last week to a gathering of the Wichita chapter of the American Meteorological Society. "Don't try to be somebody else. Be true to your values, be true to your priorities, be true to your principles."
An effective recovery from a disaster isn't about how quickly houses and buildings can be rebuilt, Dixson said. It's about the process.
Learning how to work with state and federal agencies has been "a real educational process," Dixson said.
Identifying your values and then using them to shape your priorities helps clarify planning and establish a road map for the future, Dixson said.
"What are our values? Who are we?" he asked. "You can't set priorities unless you know who you are."
Being stewards
When the concept of "going green" in Greensburg first surfaced, Dixson cringed.
He pictured bell bottoms, tie-dyed shirts, "hair down to here," hugging a tree and folks who use mind-altering chemicals, he said.
"That ain't going to work for us," Dixson said he thought. "We ain't going green. This is stupid."
But over time, he said, he learned going green meant sustainability —"about being good stewards of the resources we've been blessed with, in whatever microclimate you're at."
In Greensburg, that includes using the sun and wind to generate electricity.
In Tuscaloosa and Joplin and Smithfield, it could well mean something else.
"As we shared with Tuscaloosa's people, look at what your ancestors did when they built buildings — how they survived, how they oriented their houses to take advantage of the natural resources," Dixson said.
Many people wondered whether Greensburg would even rebuild after virtually every building in the town of nearly 1,500 was damaged or destroyed. In retrospect, Dixson said, Greensburg was "very blessed" to essentially be wiped from the map.
"We didn't have your haves and have-nots," he said. "It mattered not your socio-economic status. In a matter of minutes, we lost everything.
"The one sustainable resource we had was each other."
Learning experience
Nancy Graves, an administrative liaison for the task force overseeing rebuilding efforts in Tuscaloosa, said her contingent's visit to Greensburg was valuable. They learned they were doing a lot of the right things without even realizing it.
"That was reassuring," she said.
Tuscaloosa officials were particularly interested in learning how the tornado affected Greensburg's economy and how it set about retaining and attracting businesses.
"We learned so many different things it was crazy," Graves said.
Yet Tuscaloosa's approach to recovery has to be different than Greensburg's, she said, because the tornado damaged only a portion of the city of 90,000, not practically the whole city, like Greensburg.
While some residents and businesses are focusing on recovery and rebuilding, she said, the rest of Tuscaloosa can't be ignored.
"We have to continue to push everything forward," Graves said. "That doesn't mean you're going to do it perfectly."
Graves said she liked how designers used cypress from trees flattened by Hurricane Katrina in the construction of Greensburg's new school.
So many of the buildings and homes in Greensburg look normal, she said, not like something strange.
Open to new ideas
When he saw the business incubator building open in Greensburg in 2009, Dixson said, it reminded him of his grandfather's chicken coop in northwest Kansas.
The multi-level roof has banks of sloping tiers featuring small windows so more natural light can stream inside.
Farmers learned that chickens lay more eggs and cows produce more milk if they're housed in buildings that allow in plenty of natural light, Dixson said. So they built barns and coops with slanted roofs and installed windows.
Dixson and his wife lost their "dream home" in the tornado, which killed two of their neighbors across the street and 11 people in all on that first Friday in May 2007.
"We did not have a scrape, scratch or bruise on us," he said. "If we had been over in the southwest corner of the basement, like we were always taught as kids, we would have been covered with debris and I probably wouldn't be here to talk about it."
Dixson's new house features plenty of windows, too — facing east and west to allow views of the prairie's powerful sunrises and sunsets.
The north side of the house has just one window, and it's small.
Those features are a nod to what winters are like in southern Kansas, Dixson said.
The house features long porches on the front and back, to provide shade and reduce utility bills.
It also gives the Dixsons a place to relax in the evening and chat with neighbors as they stroll by — much like neighbors did decades ago before the advent of air conditioning, TV and personal computers.
"Whatever you do, make sure you cultivate those relationships that are important to you," he said. "That is the only true sustainable thing in life — the only thing that will survive the test of disaster, whether it's in your personal life, whether it's in your corporate life or your community."
Community spirit
It's easy to believe Greensburg's residents were brought closer together by their shared experience of surviving a monstrous tornado.
But Dixson said what truly forged bonds among residents was the large tent FEMA set up on the edge of town after the tornado went through.
That was where residents gathered in those first months, because there was no place else left.
"We did everything in this tent," Dixson said. "We ate together, we cried together, we hugged together, we laughed together."
That sprouted and nurtured a community spirit that has served Greensburg well as the town began to rebuild.
"In my opinion, that's why — four years later — we have made the progress we have."
Greensburg is only a little more than half as big as it was the night tornado hit, but officials remain optimistic about the city's future.
"We're not done," Kiowa County Emergency Management director Ray Stegman said. "We have a lot to go yet."
The business incubator is doing just what it is designed to do, he said: Give small businesses a place to sprout, then find their own home as they continue to grow.
Greensburg can't presume to lure a business that employs 200 people, Dixson said, but it can create an environment appealing for small businesses.
That can give Greensburg's young people reason to stay — or return home — to raise their families.
"It's not about us," Dixson said. "It's about future generations. It's about that legacy we're going to leave for future generations."
Adventures in Backyard Agriculture: Building the Pico-farm
Several months ago, I began a new personal challenge to live more sustainably. I wanted to do something more substantial and larger in scale than the conventional methods of reducing your environmental impacts, which involve changes in habit, not changes in lifestyle. After many discussions, Bluegrass Blue Crab and myself decided it was time to try our hands at backyard agriculture.
So I did some reading, talked to a few people online, and decided that my ideal option, in terms of amount of maintenance, potential impact, potential for outreach, and amount of enjoyment, was to raise a small flock of chickens in conjunction with a produce garden. There was a problem though. I rent my house, so permanent changes to the yard or house were out of the question. Anything I built had to be removable and visually appealing.
My first order of business was to design a structure that would eventually become the Pico-farm*. The Pico-farm is a 16 sq. foot chicken coop with a 32 sq. foot run suitable to house a maximum of four chickens. There is a 16 sq. foot green roof on top which produces lettuce, tomatoes, several herbs, and peppers. A rain barrel on the back collects runoff from the roof and stores it for watering. When properly established, is semi-self-sufficient. The chickens need additional food, but can survive off collected rainwater and their food is supplemented with scraps from the roof garden. Chicken waste is collected and added to a compost pile, which then goes back into the garden. The landlord was happy when I added that once the pico-farm was removed, the land under the chicken run would be exceptionally fertile for a future garden.
There are several good reasons to raise chickens, but the most compelling is a ready supply of farm-fresh eggs, free of antibiotics and hormones. From an animal welfare perspective, backyard chickens aren’t subjected to the unpleasant and unsettling conditions of a factory farm (although you can rescue battery chickens, they’re usually killed after the first year and some factory farms will let you take some, since the meat can’t be sold). A pico-farm is about as local as you can get. Compost made from chicken waste is excellent fertilizer. Finally, chickens are fun. Depending on the breed you get, they can be very personable, they’re entertaining to watch, and they’re a great educational tool for teaching children about biology and getting people to think about where their food comes from. If you’re thinking about sustainable pets, chickens are near the top of the list.
Thanks to the magic of Google SketchUp, I can share the original designs for the Pico-farm with anyone who’s interested in building it themselves. To the right is the basic frame, built with 2X4′s. The base is pressure treated to resist rotting, but the rest was built almost entirely of reclaimed material from a near-by construction yard (always ask permission before raiding a construction dumpster).
To the left is the Pico-farm with the hen house added. The plywood was mostly recovered material. The tin for the roof was purchased new, but I could have probably found tin somewhere if I spent more time looking. One of the panels is hinged so the the entire wall opens up to access the hen house, clean up, and collect eggs.
And finally, below is the finished project, with green roof and hardware cloth installed. The green roof is made from pressure treated 1X6′s with a layer of heavy plastic underneath to prevent leaking into the run. I originally installed chicken wire, but discovered that foxes and raccoons can shred chicken wire like string cheese, so pulled it all out and replaced it with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. The hardware cloth was the biggest expense of the entire project.
So I did some reading, talked to a few people online, and decided that my ideal option, in terms of amount of maintenance, potential impact, potential for outreach, and amount of enjoyment, was to raise a small flock of chickens in conjunction with a produce garden. There was a problem though. I rent my house, so permanent changes to the yard or house were out of the question. Anything I built had to be removable and visually appealing.
My first order of business was to design a structure that would eventually become the Pico-farm*. The Pico-farm is a 16 sq. foot chicken coop with a 32 sq. foot run suitable to house a maximum of four chickens. There is a 16 sq. foot green roof on top which produces lettuce, tomatoes, several herbs, and peppers. A rain barrel on the back collects runoff from the roof and stores it for watering. When properly established, is semi-self-sufficient. The chickens need additional food, but can survive off collected rainwater and their food is supplemented with scraps from the roof garden. Chicken waste is collected and added to a compost pile, which then goes back into the garden. The landlord was happy when I added that once the pico-farm was removed, the land under the chicken run would be exceptionally fertile for a future garden.
There are several good reasons to raise chickens, but the most compelling is a ready supply of farm-fresh eggs, free of antibiotics and hormones. From an animal welfare perspective, backyard chickens aren’t subjected to the unpleasant and unsettling conditions of a factory farm (although you can rescue battery chickens, they’re usually killed after the first year and some factory farms will let you take some, since the meat can’t be sold). A pico-farm is about as local as you can get. Compost made from chicken waste is excellent fertilizer. Finally, chickens are fun. Depending on the breed you get, they can be very personable, they’re entertaining to watch, and they’re a great educational tool for teaching children about biology and getting people to think about where their food comes from. If you’re thinking about sustainable pets, chickens are near the top of the list.
Thanks to the magic of Google SketchUp, I can share the original designs for the Pico-farm with anyone who’s interested in building it themselves. To the right is the basic frame, built with 2X4′s. The base is pressure treated to resist rotting, but the rest was built almost entirely of reclaimed material from a near-by construction yard (always ask permission before raiding a construction dumpster).
To the left is the Pico-farm with the hen house added. The plywood was mostly recovered material. The tin for the roof was purchased new, but I could have probably found tin somewhere if I spent more time looking. One of the panels is hinged so the the entire wall opens up to access the hen house, clean up, and collect eggs.
And finally, below is the finished project, with green roof and hardware cloth installed. The green roof is made from pressure treated 1X6′s with a layer of heavy plastic underneath to prevent leaking into the run. I originally installed chicken wire, but discovered that foxes and raccoons can shred chicken wire like string cheese, so pulled it all out and replaced it with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. The hardware cloth was the biggest expense of the entire project.
订阅：
博文 (Atom)