Small scale backyard chicken farming is a growing trend nationwide. Hens grown at home produce super fresh eggs with high nutritional content. They make great pets and they eat ticks, something my yard has way too much of.
If I were to raise a few chickens in my backyard, I’d be breaking the law. That’s because my town is behind the times, our zoning requires 10 acres to have chickens. I’ve been busy on a project to help reduce the barriers to backyard chicken farming in my town and others in my county.
As part of a film class at the Jacob Burns Film Center, I and two other “chicks” are creating a short and sweet (5 minutes or less) movie about the benefits of backyard chicken farming in Westchester county. We are currently “auditioning” people who keep chickens in Westchester, legally or not, to be subjects in our film. Know anyone? Please have them contact me: drsusanrubin@gmail.com
We want to show that keeping chickens is easier than you think and that the benefits are numerous. As the food crisis here and abroad continues to worsen, a chicken in every yard will help with creating a resilient and diverse food supply that is not heavily dependent upon fossil fuels.
