At this point in the locavore narrative, urban chicken-keeping has vocal advocates and an adamant opposition. Some cities welcome backyard poultry with open arms, while others are more skeptical. As the practice grows, the two sides seem prepared for a long, drawn out war on the value and propriety of chicken-keeping within city limits.
Urban farmers generally view a backyard coop as a natural extension of their garden and a convenient, eco-friendly source of protein – though no academic study has examined the environmental impact of the practice. Some even see their charges as pets with benefits.
On this side, we have Martha Stewart, that doyenne of domestic perfection, and Susan Orlean, the sensitive, bestselling New Yorker writer played by Meryl Streep in Adaptation.
Their neighbors take a more jaundiced view. Protest groups in cities across the country have helped devise bills to ban or restrict the practice. These opponents argue that chickens are smelly and noisy and a potential health risk; that the coops are eyesores that potentially bring down property values; and that they attract rodents and predators, like coyotes, endangering chickens as well as children.
And then, of course, there is the potential slaughterhouse next door. "Botched slaughter is all too common," writes Ian Elwood, of Neighbors Opposed to Backyard Slaughter, an anti-urban animal outfit in Oakland. "But even slaughter that is performed 'correctly' is still no treat to witness or hear."
Due in part to such concerns, Boston, Detroit, D.C., and Toronto prohibit the keeping of livestock within city limits. Chicago, like New York City, views chickens as pets and has no limits on ownership, though slaughter is forbidden. But suburban Naperville and Northbrook are considering bans, while Evanston has set a limit of six hens per household.
Many cities in the West are going in the other direction. In 2010, Seattle raised its hen limit from three to eight per household. Some animal-friendly residents of Portland, where residents can keep up to three hens without a permit, have been running a tour of local chicken coops since 2003.
In Vancouver, Mayor Gregor Robertson sees chickens in every lot as part of the city's destiny as the world's greenest city -- and launched Operation Chicken to make it happen. In 2009, the Vancouver city council voted unanimously to allow backyard chickens. A year later, the city released detailed guidelines for keeping backyard hens, including what kinds of properties, proximity to property line, and type and number of chickens (four hens).
Perhaps no city is as divided over the chicken question as Oakland. City officials are considering allowing residents to raise and slaughter not just chickens, but goats, rabbits, ducks and other animals, in their backyards. Backers argue that it would help alleviate food deserts.
Oakland's anti-slaughter group sees the practice as a socio-economic problem. NOBS argues that the city's approval of the slaughter of chickens “would serve the needs of a small group of people interested in creating artisan animal products instead of serving the low-income communities.” They've posted flyers around the city, playing up fears of stray chickens wandering the city and children witnessing grisly scenes of animal killing.
Despite this opposition, some degree of urban chicken keeping is most likely here to stay, and compromise is probably inevitable in many municipalities. Attacks like that of NOBS appear more likely merely to inflame the process.
2012年2月14日星期二
2012年1月11日星期三
No crying fowl over proposed chicken rules
Fraser Campbell wants to raise chickens in his backyard.
But his 1189 Roslyn Rd. home and backyard are too small to get a chicken permit under Oak Bay’s existing Animal Control Bylaw, which governs chicken coops and the number of birds a homeowner can keep in their yard.
That may soon change.
Oak Bay’s new mayor and council last week asked planners to look at ways to make it easier for people such as Campbell to get a poultry-keeping permit needed to raise chickens in the municipality.
“There’s no reason why on a small lot you cannot have five chickens,” said Campbell, a web developer who works from home. He estimated it takes about 16 square feet per chicken to keep hens.
He said urban food production is important on Vancouver Island, which grows less than 10 per cent of its own food and would be in dire straits if an earthquake or other natural disaster shut down the ferries for a longer period of time.
Council is looking to make a bylaw amendment, but needs more information before changing existing regulations.
In addition to reducing chicken permit lot sizes, council wants planners to look how Saanich and the City of Vancouver deal with the issue of limiting the number of chickens and chicken coops.
One councillor, Kevin Murdoch, said Oak Bay has “eight official chicken coops” inside its boundaries and at least another 25 unofficial coops and small flocks.
Last September the previous council told planners to prepare a bylaw amendment to reduce the lot size required for keeping poultry.
Roy Thomassen, director of building and planning, recommended the lot size be reduced to 557 square metres – large enough for three chickens and down from the previous 745 sq. m minimum which allowed for a coop and five chickens. The existing bylaw allows for up to 10 chickens on lots larger than 4,047 sq. m.
Murdoch, noting there have been no complaints to the municipality about clucking chickens, called the existing rules “bizarre” and restrictive to people who want to produce their own eggs.
Doug Clarke has a coop and five chickens in his backyard at 1199 Hampshire Rd.
The modest flock lays three to five eggs daily.
“I haven’t bought eggs in three years,” Clarke said.
He knows another dozen Oak Bay residents who also want to raise egg-laying chickens. It’s all part of a growing movement towards food security, which involves growing some of the food you eat – something he said the new council “is gung ho about.”
Clarke, who built his own chicken coop to comply with Oak Bay’s standards, spent about $300 on recycled and salvaged wood, compared to the $800 to $1,200 most others pay for a pre-built coop.
The henhouses are inspected by Oak Bay before a permit allowing chickens is issued.
Clarke said it takes “commitment” to raise chickens. He’s proud to show his two children, aged three and five, where food comes from.
“I want my kids to know food does not just come from the market.”
But his 1189 Roslyn Rd. home and backyard are too small to get a chicken permit under Oak Bay’s existing Animal Control Bylaw, which governs chicken coops and the number of birds a homeowner can keep in their yard.
That may soon change.
Oak Bay’s new mayor and council last week asked planners to look at ways to make it easier for people such as Campbell to get a poultry-keeping permit needed to raise chickens in the municipality.
“There’s no reason why on a small lot you cannot have five chickens,” said Campbell, a web developer who works from home. He estimated it takes about 16 square feet per chicken to keep hens.
He said urban food production is important on Vancouver Island, which grows less than 10 per cent of its own food and would be in dire straits if an earthquake or other natural disaster shut down the ferries for a longer period of time.
Council is looking to make a bylaw amendment, but needs more information before changing existing regulations.
In addition to reducing chicken permit lot sizes, council wants planners to look how Saanich and the City of Vancouver deal with the issue of limiting the number of chickens and chicken coops.
One councillor, Kevin Murdoch, said Oak Bay has “eight official chicken coops” inside its boundaries and at least another 25 unofficial coops and small flocks.
Last September the previous council told planners to prepare a bylaw amendment to reduce the lot size required for keeping poultry.
Roy Thomassen, director of building and planning, recommended the lot size be reduced to 557 square metres – large enough for three chickens and down from the previous 745 sq. m minimum which allowed for a coop and five chickens. The existing bylaw allows for up to 10 chickens on lots larger than 4,047 sq. m.
Murdoch, noting there have been no complaints to the municipality about clucking chickens, called the existing rules “bizarre” and restrictive to people who want to produce their own eggs.
Doug Clarke has a coop and five chickens in his backyard at 1199 Hampshire Rd.
The modest flock lays three to five eggs daily.
“I haven’t bought eggs in three years,” Clarke said.
He knows another dozen Oak Bay residents who also want to raise egg-laying chickens. It’s all part of a growing movement towards food security, which involves growing some of the food you eat – something he said the new council “is gung ho about.”
Clarke, who built his own chicken coop to comply with Oak Bay’s standards, spent about $300 on recycled and salvaged wood, compared to the $800 to $1,200 most others pay for a pre-built coop.
The henhouses are inspected by Oak Bay before a permit allowing chickens is issued.
Clarke said it takes “commitment” to raise chickens. He’s proud to show his two children, aged three and five, where food comes from.
“I want my kids to know food does not just come from the market.”
2011年12月14日星期三
Chickens not allowed to cross road into Prairie du Sac backyards
The Mack family in Prairie du Sac wanted chickens for several reasons: as a source of fresh eggs, to further the family's commitment to local food and to complement their backyard garden.
"Our neighbors in Madison had chickens," said Jennifer Mack. "That could've been what planted the idea."
Allowing backyard chickens "is something a lot of metro areas do," she said, but a couple of months after the family began raising five hens in a coop on their property on Fifth Street, an officer knocked at their door telling them the chickens needed to be gone within two weeks.
In the village of Prairie du Sac, as well as in Sauk City, chickens are not allowed within village limits.
Prairie du Sac Village Administrator Alan Wildman said someone in Mack's neighborhood called the village about the family's chickens and he forwarded the complaint to the police department.
"That ordinance was recently redone in June of 2009," Wildman said. "They looked at not just chickens, but all livestock and different animals being raised."
Mack has contacted the village board about taking a new look at the ordinance, but Wildman said it will be up to the board whether it does so. Wildman said this is the first time a complaint related to raising chickens has come across his desk.
Mack, her husband and two young children have lived in Prairie du Sac for almost 18 months, and she said when they decided to get the chickens their friends told them the animals were allowed in the village.
"We kind of just went by word of mouth," Mack said. "Everyone said they're allowed in Prairie but not in Sauk."
Sam Mack, Jennifer's husband, said that from driving around and talking to people, he knows there are residents in both villages who also are raising chickens.
Sauk Prairie Police Chief Jerry Strunz said such complaints are "sporadic," and the police deal with such residential-property issues on a by-complaint basis.
Across the country, raising backyard chickens is a growing trend, especially during a recession when people are looking for ways to cut food costs and be more self-sufficient. A quick Google search reveals a plethora of resources for people interested in raising backyard chickens, and numerous national publications that have published articles about their increasing popularity.
Chickens also are allowed in nearby communities such as Baraboo and Middleton.
"We've allowed them for several years," Middleton Assistant Planning Director Mark Opitz. He added, "There's quite a bit of interest in it. I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a dozen people raising chickens in Middleton."
Middleton's village ordinance allows residents to raise hens as long as they don't become a nuisance. Opitz said the only complaint he recalls is from a resident who thought his neighbor was keeping a rooster, which is not allowed.
The city of Baraboo has allowed chickens for nearly two years, and according to the city's finance director and city clerk Cheryl Giese, the ordinance hasn't caused any problems or complaints.
Under Baraboo's ordinance, a resident may have six hens. Residents must submit plans for a chicken coop for municipal review and pay $25 for a permit with a $10 annual renewal.
The village of Prairie du Sac does allow residents to have up to four rabbits, which the Macks also raise in their backyard in structures similar to their chicken coops.
Jennifer said she hopes the village reconsiders allowing chickens, in part because her children like having them, and she said she worries about integrating them into a nearby farm where they'll be at the bottom of the pecking order.
She said she planned to attend the village board meeting that took place last night after the Eagle's deadline.
"We've been here not quite 1 years, and I already feel like we're causing trouble," she said.
Sam said he'll take the chickens to a nearby farm this weekend, and if the village changes its ordinance, he said he can always get them back.
"We're not here to ruffle any feathers," he said.
"Our neighbors in Madison had chickens," said Jennifer Mack. "That could've been what planted the idea."
Allowing backyard chickens "is something a lot of metro areas do," she said, but a couple of months after the family began raising five hens in a coop on their property on Fifth Street, an officer knocked at their door telling them the chickens needed to be gone within two weeks.
In the village of Prairie du Sac, as well as in Sauk City, chickens are not allowed within village limits.
Prairie du Sac Village Administrator Alan Wildman said someone in Mack's neighborhood called the village about the family's chickens and he forwarded the complaint to the police department.
"That ordinance was recently redone in June of 2009," Wildman said. "They looked at not just chickens, but all livestock and different animals being raised."
Mack has contacted the village board about taking a new look at the ordinance, but Wildman said it will be up to the board whether it does so. Wildman said this is the first time a complaint related to raising chickens has come across his desk.
Mack, her husband and two young children have lived in Prairie du Sac for almost 18 months, and she said when they decided to get the chickens their friends told them the animals were allowed in the village.
"We kind of just went by word of mouth," Mack said. "Everyone said they're allowed in Prairie but not in Sauk."
Sam Mack, Jennifer's husband, said that from driving around and talking to people, he knows there are residents in both villages who also are raising chickens.
Sauk Prairie Police Chief Jerry Strunz said such complaints are "sporadic," and the police deal with such residential-property issues on a by-complaint basis.
Across the country, raising backyard chickens is a growing trend, especially during a recession when people are looking for ways to cut food costs and be more self-sufficient. A quick Google search reveals a plethora of resources for people interested in raising backyard chickens, and numerous national publications that have published articles about their increasing popularity.
Chickens also are allowed in nearby communities such as Baraboo and Middleton.
"We've allowed them for several years," Middleton Assistant Planning Director Mark Opitz. He added, "There's quite a bit of interest in it. I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a dozen people raising chickens in Middleton."
Middleton's village ordinance allows residents to raise hens as long as they don't become a nuisance. Opitz said the only complaint he recalls is from a resident who thought his neighbor was keeping a rooster, which is not allowed.
The city of Baraboo has allowed chickens for nearly two years, and according to the city's finance director and city clerk Cheryl Giese, the ordinance hasn't caused any problems or complaints.
Under Baraboo's ordinance, a resident may have six hens. Residents must submit plans for a chicken coop for municipal review and pay $25 for a permit with a $10 annual renewal.
The village of Prairie du Sac does allow residents to have up to four rabbits, which the Macks also raise in their backyard in structures similar to their chicken coops.
Jennifer said she hopes the village reconsiders allowing chickens, in part because her children like having them, and she said she worries about integrating them into a nearby farm where they'll be at the bottom of the pecking order.
She said she planned to attend the village board meeting that took place last night after the Eagle's deadline.
"We've been here not quite 1 years, and I already feel like we're causing trouble," she said.
Sam said he'll take the chickens to a nearby farm this weekend, and if the village changes its ordinance, he said he can always get them back.
"We're not here to ruffle any feathers," he said.
2011年11月21日星期一
Backyard Hens Are ‘Part Of The Family’
Sam and Dorothy Abram are members of a select group. The Bowden Street residents are among the seven families in Barrington where chickens are not relegated to the roaster pan or barbecue spit.
The Abrams took advantage of the town council’s decision earlier this year that allows residents to keep up to six hens in their backyards.
Actually, Mr. Abram was one of the key advocates for the new law. He worked hard to compile a packet for the council showing the benefits of backyard hens, built a tally of the cities and towns that had already passed laws allowing chickens, and recruited dozens of residents to sign a petition supporting the initiative.
Mr. and Mrs. Abram, whose children are now in college, have been celebrating the council’s pro-chicken vote for months. Mr. Abram built a green and white-trimmed hen house in the backyard that’s surrounded by a tall fence. Their “girls” live inside the enclosure.
“They’re really hilarious,” Mrs. Abram said. “The girls all get along.”
The Rhode Island Reds vary slightly — one has a lighter shade of auburn feathers, while another has longer tail feathers — but appear to mix comfortably with each other and the rest of the Abram family. They’re not intimidated by the two dogs, Beau and Bella, or the cats, Shiri and Ella.
“They are part of the family,” said Mr. Abram. “You would become very sorry if you lose one.”
Mr. Abram, who hails originally from Greece, said one of the hens escaped from the coop earlier this year. He said he mistakenly tried to catch the chicken, but realized quickly that there are few things more difficult that tracking down a loose chicken.
He stopped chasing the hen and watched in surprise as she returned to the coop all by herself. He said she wanted to be with the other hens.
The Abrams said there are numerous benefits to keeping backyard chickens — that was a message he preached time and again while petitioning the council to pass an ordinance allowing the hens. He said the home-grown eggs are more nutritious than store-bought eggs (see associated story), they taste better and, best of all, they are free.
He said the hens are also the world’s greatest composters. They eat all sorts of food scraps and produce a potent fertilizer for the Abrams’ garden.
Mrs. Abram said her yard has actually become a self-sustaining experiment. She said the hens churn out fertilizer that helps the Abrams’ garden yield a healthy crop of vegetables each year. Meanwhile, some of the vegetable scraps are eventually fed to the chickens, who then continue to create more fertilizer.
“They eat everything,” she said. “It makes a circle. It all ties in.”
Mr. Abram said the chickens have also led him to a popular standing among the neighbors. He said the hens lay so many eggs that he has more than enough to share with the folks next door and across the street.
“You give eggs to the boss and you’ll get a promotion,” said Mr. Abram with a smile.
The Abrams said they have not experienced any problems with predators in the area; despite having seen a fox in their backyard and heard stories of coyotes nearby, the Abrams “girls” have remained undisturbed during their days in Barrington. Mr. Abram also credits a well-constructed enclosure that sports a mesh net roof.
“They’re well-protected,” he said.
Mr. and Mrs. Abram said there was not consensus support for the new ordinance, but praised the hard work of Barrington Town Council member Kate Weymouth.
“She was great,” said Mrs. Abram. “Very helpful.”
The Abrams took advantage of the town council’s decision earlier this year that allows residents to keep up to six hens in their backyards.
Actually, Mr. Abram was one of the key advocates for the new law. He worked hard to compile a packet for the council showing the benefits of backyard hens, built a tally of the cities and towns that had already passed laws allowing chickens, and recruited dozens of residents to sign a petition supporting the initiative.
Mr. and Mrs. Abram, whose children are now in college, have been celebrating the council’s pro-chicken vote for months. Mr. Abram built a green and white-trimmed hen house in the backyard that’s surrounded by a tall fence. Their “girls” live inside the enclosure.
“They’re really hilarious,” Mrs. Abram said. “The girls all get along.”
The Rhode Island Reds vary slightly — one has a lighter shade of auburn feathers, while another has longer tail feathers — but appear to mix comfortably with each other and the rest of the Abram family. They’re not intimidated by the two dogs, Beau and Bella, or the cats, Shiri and Ella.
“They are part of the family,” said Mr. Abram. “You would become very sorry if you lose one.”
Mr. Abram, who hails originally from Greece, said one of the hens escaped from the coop earlier this year. He said he mistakenly tried to catch the chicken, but realized quickly that there are few things more difficult that tracking down a loose chicken.
He stopped chasing the hen and watched in surprise as she returned to the coop all by herself. He said she wanted to be with the other hens.
The Abrams said there are numerous benefits to keeping backyard chickens — that was a message he preached time and again while petitioning the council to pass an ordinance allowing the hens. He said the home-grown eggs are more nutritious than store-bought eggs (see associated story), they taste better and, best of all, they are free.
He said the hens are also the world’s greatest composters. They eat all sorts of food scraps and produce a potent fertilizer for the Abrams’ garden.
Mrs. Abram said her yard has actually become a self-sustaining experiment. She said the hens churn out fertilizer that helps the Abrams’ garden yield a healthy crop of vegetables each year. Meanwhile, some of the vegetable scraps are eventually fed to the chickens, who then continue to create more fertilizer.
“They eat everything,” she said. “It makes a circle. It all ties in.”
Mr. Abram said the chickens have also led him to a popular standing among the neighbors. He said the hens lay so many eggs that he has more than enough to share with the folks next door and across the street.
“You give eggs to the boss and you’ll get a promotion,” said Mr. Abram with a smile.
The Abrams said they have not experienced any problems with predators in the area; despite having seen a fox in their backyard and heard stories of coyotes nearby, the Abrams “girls” have remained undisturbed during their days in Barrington. Mr. Abram also credits a well-constructed enclosure that sports a mesh net roof.
“They’re well-protected,” he said.
Mr. and Mrs. Abram said there was not consensus support for the new ordinance, but praised the hard work of Barrington Town Council member Kate Weymouth.
“She was great,” said Mrs. Abram. “Very helpful.”
2011年7月31日星期日
WE'RE COCK-A-HOOP FOR HEN COOPS
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.”
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6月22日星期三
Utah author teaches backyard chicken-coop basics
Utah native Gretchen Anderson has chronicled the ruffled feathers between city leaders and backyard farmers in her book about urban chicken coops, now she’s teaching free classes this week on the basics of raising backyard chickens.
Anderson’s book The Backyard Chicken Fight, chronicles the new urban chicken-coop movement in cities across the country where urban farmers have clashed with municipalities that consider clucking chickens nuisances. In researching her book Anderson discovered quite a reversal in the role of government and the citizen chicken raiser. She refers to a 1918 poster where the government advertises the need for citizens to keep and raiser their own chickens, as evidence of how far the change has shifted.
“We’ve moved away from all of our farming roots,” Anderson says. “We’ve become metropolitan and cosmopolitan and left our food production to factory farms. As a result nobody has chickens in their backyards and nor do municipalities want to enter in that conversation.” Anderson’s love affair with organic chickens dates back to her youth in Holliday, where her family had their own chickens and she used to ride her bicycle around as a kid selling fresh eggs to her neighbors.
As an adult she gravitated easily to the topic of the urban chicken movement, and set out to write a concise history of the movement’s battles against cities whose ordinances have long since abandoned zoning for urban chickens. Anderson’s book follows the property rights vs. chicken coops battles across the country including a spotlight on the debate here in Utah. “I did chronicle Ogden,” Anderson said. “The fight got pretty ugly there.”
But beyond telling the stories Anderson is also preaching the benefits of home grown eggs, a super food that can be produced at little cost. “I think it is especially [economical] considering the quality of the egg I get out of my backyard coop,” Anderson says.
“It’s unmatched by any organic cage-free egg you can buy in the market.” Anderson will be at hand this week—which is Chicken Week—teaching free classes on building cheap coops, warding off predators and general tips and tricks for raising your chickens from the comfort of your very own backyard.For more on what the Wasatch Gardens are doing for Chicken Week, visit their website here.
Check out Anderson's free chicken coop classes the rest of this week:
Wednesday, June 22, 7:00 p.m. Riverton Library, 12877 S. 1830 West Road Riverton
Thursday, June 23, 7:00 p.m. Magna Library, 2675 S. 8950 West Magna
Friday June 24, 4-6pm, Tyler Library Branch, 8041 S. Wood Street Midvale
Anderson’s book The Backyard Chicken Fight, chronicles the new urban chicken-coop movement in cities across the country where urban farmers have clashed with municipalities that consider clucking chickens nuisances. In researching her book Anderson discovered quite a reversal in the role of government and the citizen chicken raiser. She refers to a 1918 poster where the government advertises the need for citizens to keep and raiser their own chickens, as evidence of how far the change has shifted.
“We’ve moved away from all of our farming roots,” Anderson says. “We’ve become metropolitan and cosmopolitan and left our food production to factory farms. As a result nobody has chickens in their backyards and nor do municipalities want to enter in that conversation.” Anderson’s love affair with organic chickens dates back to her youth in Holliday, where her family had their own chickens and she used to ride her bicycle around as a kid selling fresh eggs to her neighbors.
As an adult she gravitated easily to the topic of the urban chicken movement, and set out to write a concise history of the movement’s battles against cities whose ordinances have long since abandoned zoning for urban chickens. Anderson’s book follows the property rights vs. chicken coops battles across the country including a spotlight on the debate here in Utah. “I did chronicle Ogden,” Anderson said. “The fight got pretty ugly there.”
But beyond telling the stories Anderson is also preaching the benefits of home grown eggs, a super food that can be produced at little cost. “I think it is especially [economical] considering the quality of the egg I get out of my backyard coop,” Anderson says.
“It’s unmatched by any organic cage-free egg you can buy in the market.” Anderson will be at hand this week—which is Chicken Week—teaching free classes on building cheap coops, warding off predators and general tips and tricks for raising your chickens from the comfort of your very own backyard.For more on what the Wasatch Gardens are doing for Chicken Week, visit their website here.
Check out Anderson's free chicken coop classes the rest of this week:
Wednesday, June 22, 7:00 p.m. Riverton Library, 12877 S. 1830 West Road Riverton
Thursday, June 23, 7:00 p.m. Magna Library, 2675 S. 8950 West Magna
Friday June 24, 4-6pm, Tyler Library Branch, 8041 S. Wood Street Midvale
2011年6月12日星期日
Santa Fe soldier set to receive Medal of Honor
The soldiers who served with the Army sergeant set to receive the Medal of Honor next month because of his actions in Afghanistan say he's a hero who's maintained his sharp wit and plans to "keep rangering."'
After he had been shot in both legs, Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry didn't just lose his hand while throwing an enemy grenade away from himself and two fellow Army Rangers. As they continued to fight a small armed group, Petry kept calling out orders and helping his unit fulfill its mission and get the injured men the medical help they needed.
"Everybody would like to think they'd do the same thing," said Sgt. 1st Class Jarod Christopher Staidle, one of Petry's fellow soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment who spoke to the media Thursday. But no one could possibly know what they would do unless faced with the same situation, he said.
Petry made a conscious decision to go in and help his fellow Rangers who had been wounded, and to move them to a safer location near a chicken coop. If he hadn't done so, he wouldn't have been there to grab the grenade and toss it away, saving two men but becoming seriously wounded himself.
One U.S. soldier was killed in that fight in the eastern Afghan province of Paktia in May 2008, as was the entire enemy unit.
On July 12, Petry will be the second living, active-duty service member to receive the nation's highest military decoration for actions in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars. Last year,
President Barack Obama awarded a Medal of Honor to Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta, also for actions in Afghanistan.
"He did not consider the long-term repercussions," said Master Sgt. Reese Wayne Teakell, another highly decorated member of Petry's unit.
He could have saved himself by moving his body instead of grabbing the grenade, but his fellow soldiers would likely have died or been severely injured if he made that choice, Teakell added.
Petry probably knew the moment he reached for that grenade what danger he faced. "There is some voice in all of our heads that says 'I probably won't survive this,'" Teakell said.
His fellow soldiers immediately recognized the heroic nature of Petry's actions and knew he had done something special that day.
"I'm very proud of him," said Master Sgt. Steven L. Walter.
Petry has declined to talk to the media until after the president gives him his medal. Both of the men he saved - Pfc. Lucas Robinson and Sgt. Daniel Higgins - have left the Army and are attending college.
Staidle said Petry is extremely humbled by the honor. Despite being eligible for a medical discharge, he has chosen to stay on active duty and is working near his unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle, helping injured soldiers adjust to life after battle.
Petry and his wife Ashley have four children, Brittany, Austin, Reagan and Landon.
The 31-year-old native of Santa Fe has served six tours in Afghanistan and two in Iraq, according to the Army. He enlisted in September 1999. When he re-enlisted in 2010, Petry said he loves the work he does helping wounded soldiers.
"If I can't go to the fight, I can help the men who are wounded, injured or ill," he said in a statement from the Army.
Petry is determined to "keep rangering" as much as possible, Staidle said.
"He's always upbeat," Staidle said. "He hasn't let any of this go to his head."
But he has let it feed his mischievous sense of humor, his comrades agreed.
They share, with smiles, that Petry's one regret is that he used his right hand to lob the grenade, since that's the hand he used to write, golf and shoot a gun.
He spends a lot of time demonstrating his high-tech prosthetic arm, which means the battery runs down all the time, his fellow Rangers noted.
That doesn't seem to be a problem for Petry, however, as he can then carry the arm around and use it as a prop in his comedy routine. They say most people don't notice the arm, because of the man who is wearing it, except of course when he has taken it off and is shaking someone's hand with the fake arm he's holding with his left hand.
After he had been shot in both legs, Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry didn't just lose his hand while throwing an enemy grenade away from himself and two fellow Army Rangers. As they continued to fight a small armed group, Petry kept calling out orders and helping his unit fulfill its mission and get the injured men the medical help they needed.
"Everybody would like to think they'd do the same thing," said Sgt. 1st Class Jarod Christopher Staidle, one of Petry's fellow soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment who spoke to the media Thursday. But no one could possibly know what they would do unless faced with the same situation, he said.
Petry made a conscious decision to go in and help his fellow Rangers who had been wounded, and to move them to a safer location near a chicken coop. If he hadn't done so, he wouldn't have been there to grab the grenade and toss it away, saving two men but becoming seriously wounded himself.
One U.S. soldier was killed in that fight in the eastern Afghan province of Paktia in May 2008, as was the entire enemy unit.
On July 12, Petry will be the second living, active-duty service member to receive the nation's highest military decoration for actions in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars. Last year,
President Barack Obama awarded a Medal of Honor to Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta, also for actions in Afghanistan.
"He did not consider the long-term repercussions," said Master Sgt. Reese Wayne Teakell, another highly decorated member of Petry's unit.
He could have saved himself by moving his body instead of grabbing the grenade, but his fellow soldiers would likely have died or been severely injured if he made that choice, Teakell added.
Petry probably knew the moment he reached for that grenade what danger he faced. "There is some voice in all of our heads that says 'I probably won't survive this,'" Teakell said.
His fellow soldiers immediately recognized the heroic nature of Petry's actions and knew he had done something special that day.
"I'm very proud of him," said Master Sgt. Steven L. Walter.
Petry has declined to talk to the media until after the president gives him his medal. Both of the men he saved - Pfc. Lucas Robinson and Sgt. Daniel Higgins - have left the Army and are attending college.
Staidle said Petry is extremely humbled by the honor. Despite being eligible for a medical discharge, he has chosen to stay on active duty and is working near his unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle, helping injured soldiers adjust to life after battle.
Petry and his wife Ashley have four children, Brittany, Austin, Reagan and Landon.
The 31-year-old native of Santa Fe has served six tours in Afghanistan and two in Iraq, according to the Army. He enlisted in September 1999. When he re-enlisted in 2010, Petry said he loves the work he does helping wounded soldiers.
"If I can't go to the fight, I can help the men who are wounded, injured or ill," he said in a statement from the Army.
Petry is determined to "keep rangering" as much as possible, Staidle said.
"He's always upbeat," Staidle said. "He hasn't let any of this go to his head."
But he has let it feed his mischievous sense of humor, his comrades agreed.
They share, with smiles, that Petry's one regret is that he used his right hand to lob the grenade, since that's the hand he used to write, golf and shoot a gun.
He spends a lot of time demonstrating his high-tech prosthetic arm, which means the battery runs down all the time, his fellow Rangers noted.
That doesn't seem to be a problem for Petry, however, as he can then carry the arm around and use it as a prop in his comedy routine. They say most people don't notice the arm, because of the man who is wearing it, except of course when he has taken it off and is shaking someone's hand with the fake arm he's holding with his left hand.
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