The Bigger Picture: Poultry in the Community
ONE OF THE MANY INTERESTING THINGS WE’VE LEARNED on the farm seems paradoxical: The more steps we take toward self-sufficiency and responsible stewardship of our land, the more important it is to be connected with our friends in the community around us. There is this sense that each of us has something to contribute, whether it’s time, money, skills, equipment or connections. Then there are the less tangible things, such as leadership qualities, even enthusiasm and passion. This may seem counter-intuitive to those of us who are accustomed to a system where competition determines who “wins.” Yet this kind of cooperation — dare I suggest, interdependence? — has historically been a major factor of rural life in general, and farming communities in particular. For us, part of the idea of sustainable farming — and living in general — is that by sharing the resources we have with others who share our values and goals, we can all ultimately be successful in our separate endeavors.
In the class we took in 2008, we learned that one of the underlying principles of sustainable agriculture is the social or community aspect. Of course, there are many possible ways to involved in the community. Once again, it starts with planning (see Chapter 6). Do you have kids? Might they be interested in raising a rare heritage-breed chicken as a 4-H project? Maybe your town has a farmers market. Perhaps by selling a few eggs or jars of honey or bunches of kale every weekend (bring the kids to help), you’ll discover new friends, earn extra cash and have the satisfaction of sharing the abundance of your flock or herd or garden.
You may reasonably ask, what about those who don’t live in rural areas? Perhaps you live in a city apartment or a suburban home with a small backyard and neighbors close by. Maybe you have a large playful dog, or small children or two jobs. How can you enjoy the benefits of heritage poultry? You guessed it: By getting involved in your community.
If your town doesn’t allow chickens or, for whatever reason, you don’t think it would work for you, start asking around. Somewhere among your neighbors, friends, co-workers or church group, you will either find or hear about someone who has poultry.
Be creative! Maybe you want to start with a couple of dozen fresh eggs per week. Well, what can you offer in exchange? Of course, you can simply pay cash, but believe me, farmer types also love to barter. And everyone has something of value to share. Even you.
Suppose you don’t even have a backyard. How about getting together with a few friends or neighbors to form a small co-op? Or negotiate with a neighbor to share some garden or coop space. Handy with tools? Why not trade some coop-building or fence-repair labor for a regular supply of fresh eggs?
In recent years, the popularity of keeping backyard chickens has increased so much that many large cities and incorporated areas allow residents to raise chickens. Other cities have changed the existing laws to permit more birds. A few years back, for example, Seattle increased the number of chickens allowed in the city limits from three to eight.
Chickens in the City
Town dwellers love fresh humanely raised chicken and eggs, too. Why not start an Adopt-a-Chicken program? The customer can chip in for the birds’ feed and bedding, and maybe even help out with the chores occasionally. You’ll have to figure out what the eggs or stewing hens or roasters are worth, and negotiate the details with your customers. Trust me, it’s not that much work, and it’s a terrific way to make new friends and establish a presence in your neighborhood. At the same time, you will be educating your customers about heritage poultry and why sustainably produced eggs and meat are better than the mass-produced variety.
Mentors
It’s a good idea, especially if you’re new to raising poultry, to try to connect with someone with more experience. Ask if he or she would be willing to act as your mentor. This can be so helpful when you have a concern or question about your birds’ health, feed, predators or whatever. If you have experience raising poultry, especially the more unusual breeds of chickens, guinea fowl, waterfowl or turkeys, I’d encourage you to look for ways to share what you’ve learned. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time to be a mentor. You will find that you learn in the process, too; it’s definitely a win-win situation for everyone involved, including the birds.
Community Canning Kitchens
I’m very interested in the idea of the community canning kitchen. Some of you may remember these kitchens, if you were growing up during the war years of the early 1940s. A local commercial kitchen, often at a church or perhaps a county grange, opened its doors to everyone needing help putting up their harvested fruits and vegetables and meat. The neighborhood housewives, along with their older children and probably some men too (the ones who weren’t away at war), would get together, bringing their homegrown produce and perhaps a freshly slaughtered chicken or lamb. The kitchen usually had at least one person on hand who was an acknowledged expert in the arts of food preservation. This person was available to answer questions, give instruction in using pressure canners and other kitchen equipment and walk everyone through the process of putting up their food. Once all the meat, vegetables and fruits were in jars, everyone was free to swap their preserved food with others before heading back home at the end of a long day.
The community canning kitchen must have been a godsend for the women, men and children who were obliged to do the best they could to keep their households running under difficult circumstances. Many participants lived on farms or had market gardens and some livestock. It must have been challenging just to find the time to harvest the crops when they were ready, much less process them for long-term storage. And with rationing and other wartime realities that made frugality a true necessity, no one could afford to waste anything. The community canning kitchen was a place to spend the day among friends who were experiencing the same difficulties, to lend a generous hand and receive willing help from others and turn a necessary but stressful task into something much more pleasant and satisfying.
I would love to see a revival of this concept; it would be possible virtually anywhere, in town, the suburbs or the country. Many churches, schools and community centers have kitchens. Maybe a local restaurant would allow the use of its kitchen on a day that it’s closed. Of course, it could also be done on a smaller scale; for instance, it could just be three or four neighbors meeting in one of their homes to can tomatoes when someone has a bumper crop. Or, if you own or have access to a mechanical plucker, you might organize a slaughter-day work party, inviting others you know who raise poultry for meat. Believe me, no matter how many or how few chickens you are slaughtering, having one or two extra pairs of hands to help can make a big difference. It’s more fun, too.
I’m sure you will think of other useful ways to get involved in your community. I could go on (and obviously do) with my own brainstorming and toss a few more ideas out there. But since your situation is unique, I’ll leave you to get your own creative juices flowing and think about what you could use in the way of help or encouragement, and also what you might have to offer. Talk to your spouse or partner, and your kids — even young kids love to be included in this kind of thing. And the whole community will ultimately benefit from your efforts to stimulate such helpful interaction and cooperation.