Dehydrating Herbs

I am having great fun with my Excalibur brand food dehydrator.

Have you ever grown something that looks and tastes so good, you want to preserve that goodness for the long term? My mint grows beautifully in the spring, for example, but I know it will look cruddy when the summer heat hits, or after it flowers. But right now it's gorgeous.

I took a great class on dehydrating taught by my friend Lanette Lepper through the Virginia Urban Homesteaders' League. Until then I had always thought of dehydrating most foods as a last resort. But her class, especially tasting the samples she brought, opened up a whole new world for me. I discovered that dehydrating is one of the oldest, safest, most economical, and most nutritious methods of food preservation known to humankind, and that many foods actually taste better after dehydration.

I had tried dehydrating a few years ago using a cheap dehydrator and discovered I didn't have the patience for it. What I learned in Lanette's class is that an Excalibur will save the time and trouble of swapping out trays to keep the drying even, it has a thermostat that you can set, and that certain models are big enough that you can use them to make yogurt or proof homemade bread in. I was hooked.

So far I have successfully dehydrated bananas, lots of stawberries, some strawberry and mulberry fruit rolls, vegetables like kale and arugula from my CSA from Farm Chicks Produce, and lots of fresh herbs. The herbs taste amazing and are 20 times better than anything you can buy in the store. Here are some pictures from my efforts at drying herbs, including sage, marjoram, oregano, thyme, mint, dill, and lemon balm, today.

Preserve your mint when it looks most inviting!

Lemon balm ready to dry on a tray of the dehydrator

The 9-tray Excalibur has so much room, you can even make yogurt in it!

The Excalibur comes with a great manual and a starter recipe book. But not everything is best dehydrated. Basil, for example, loses a lot of its flavor when dried. Some foods rehydrate better than others. But I am finding this process useful enough that I plan to keep it up. I can't wait to enjoy my own mint in the smoothies I make this summer and in the mint herb teas (tisanes) I will enjoy all winter long.

Berry-Picking: Backyard Fun, Life Lessons, or Both?

Picking Berries is Best in the Morning Shade

The wealth required by nature is limited and is easy to procure; but the wealth required by vain ideals extends to infinity.  --Epicurus

Today I went berry-picking, right in my own back yard! In the summer I like to make smoothies from Stonyfield Farm non-fat organic yogurt, frozen berries, a little juice or almond milk, and various flavorings, especially mint from my garden.

Due to the antioxidant or flavonoid properties of the berries, and perhaps due to rising fuel prices, the price of the frozen berries I like has gotten high. I have therefore started planting blackberries, fig trees, huckleberries, paw paws, and other "easy" fruits and berries for my region. I am a teacher, so I will use some of my time in the summer to pick and preserve these backyard treasures. In the meantime I may find time to go to pick-your-own places at local farms, which is a terrific way to save money and support local farmers at the same time. I also get some local berries and fruits as part of my family's weekly farm share from Farm Chicks Produce.

But my most rewarding source of fresh berries comes from trees that have been growing on our property for years. We ignored them, almost as though they were a nuisance, until I finally realized the berries they produced were not only edible but truly delicious. The trees are, in fact, black mulberries, Morus nigra, as far as I can tell. Now that I realize how easy it is to pick and freeze these, I pick all I can during the few weeks of the year when the berries are available. Best of all, the purple-black berries are nutritious and a source of those sought-after antioxidants that make the price of blueberries, for example, so ridiculous these days. Besides smoothies, I also like them in muffins, plain, or mixed in yogurt. Their flavor is a little tart, but pleasantly so.

Berry picking is not just a way of saving money. It's a time for reflection and for communing with nature. I love the sound of the birds singing and of my backyard hens softly clucking to each other, or the sight of a native bee among the leaves, seeking pollen from the mulberry flowers. Today I was reflecting about the myriad life lessons I have gathered along with the mulberry fruit:

• Be gentle. Bruise the fruit or break a tree limb, and you wll regret your haste.
• Be persistent. Berries that aren't ripe yet need a revisit in a couple of days, or sometimes even a few hours. Frequent sessions will fill your freezers, but neglect the job, and you will find your potential harvest lying all over the ground.
• Plan ahead.  It is easy to make cuttings or grow more trees from cuttings, and then you can share them with your neighbors.
• The grass isn't always greener elsewhere. Why pay the supermarket for something like berries, when fresher ones are growing on your own property?
• Be thankful for what you have.
• Use the right tools for the job. The right ladder can make a trip to the backyard even more productive, and the right pail (see picture below) can keep you from spilling your berries all over the ground. I learned this the hard way.
• Things go better when your foundation is firm. Plant your ladder securely before you start climbing.
• Don't overextend yourself. One needs to keep a certain balance in life.
• Look at things from different angles and perspectives. It's amazing how shifting your position a few inches in any direction--up, down, or sideways--can cause you to see opportunities you couldn't see before.
• Waste not, want not. Backyard chickens are great for this. If too many berries have fallen to the ground, we can fence our laying hens with them for an afternoon. They will gobble them up, fertilize the trees a little with their manure, and gobble up any ticks or other bugs they can find in the understory. Then they turn all they found into nutritious eggs, all while having a grand time! It's a win-win.
• There are pluses and minuses to everything. Besides getting a little dirty and sweaty, there are greenbriers, poison ivy, and occasional ticks to watch out for. Overall, though, the experience is more than worth it. 
• Setting a little time aside to pick berries is really setting aside time for yourself.
• The best things in life really ARE free!

I wish more people would unplug from their computers, video-games, and television for a while and go berry-picking, even in their own back yards. They would discover the beauty of the natural world around them and be healthier physically, mentally, and spiritually for it. I know I am.

A good ladders is helpful, but it's a long way down!

Mattawoman Creek Farms CSA

Don and I already belong to the Coastal Farms online food co-op and have been very happy with it. It's a type of community-supported agriculture, or CSA, program. We pick up or orders every Thursday from our favorite local restaurant, the Cutting Edge Cafe. The food there is fresh and wholesome, and the owners, Matt and Melanie, are active in the local foods movement.

So when Melanie informed me that their restaurant was going to be a new drop-off station for Mattawoman Creek Farms, a USDA-certified organic farm on Virginia's Eastern Shore, I had to bite--pun intended! Unlike the online co-op, Mattawoman's program is a true farm share. We pay for our share of a season's produce in advance, and each week we pick up a huge bag full of vegetables, whatever is fresh and seasonal that week. We do get a day or so's notice about what is coming, along with pictures, storage, and recipe tips.

This type of CSA is for adventurous eaters like Don and me. It's not for the reticent or picky. The food is fresh and delicious, but we need to be willing to cook and eat whatever comes along. Luckily for us, I have a lot of cookbooks, including Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. 

I'll  leave you with some pictures of today's order as well as what I've cooked with it so far. I still have kale, lettuce, arugula, a few carrots, and bunching onions to cook up later in the week.

This week's share next to a gallon bottle of vinegar to judge the size

We've been getting lots of kale and other cabbage-family plants. This kale is fresh and SWEET!

We were pleased to get some carrots this week

A few bunching onions will add flavor to salads and other dishes

A baby cabbage is the perfect size for a batch of coleslaw

We received two beautiful heads of lettuce and will be eating healthy salads for lunch!

Purple Osaka (mustard) was new to us

Purple Osaka mustard leaf. It's so spicy when raw, it made my eyes water!

Some of the kale and Osaka mustard made a nice salad along with some quinoa

The cabbage and some of the carrots and onions combined with a black radish I had on hand to make a spicy slaw

A salad spinner is great for washing, drying, and even storing greens like this salad, which features lettuce and arugula

There's almost no waste in our home. Our chickens will eat these trimmings. We also vermicompost

The smallest share at Mattawoman is meant for a family of four. Don and I are two people, so eating this many vegetables is a commitment on our part. It's a commitment that pleases the palate, though. We'd had a neighbor who was thinking of buying half our share, but it didn't work out. I wish it had!

Maybe we should invite her over to dinner.

FRESH Food at a Local Restaurant: the Cutting Edge Cafe

Medi-Veggie Sandwich and Side: MMMMM!!!

One of my favorite restaurants in Chesapeake, VA, is the Cutting Edge Cafe. It is located near Walmart off of Route 64 and Battlefield Blvd, in a plaza right behind a car wash. Melanie and her husband, Matt, own the restaurant and run it. They are active in Hampton Roads' "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" movement. Their food reflects their passion for fresh, local food. I'm a vegetarian, so I haven't tried everything on their menu, but their "Medi-Veggie" sandwich, made with fresh cheeses, fresh bread, and grilled vegetables, is to die for! I like their sweet potato fries, their hummus side-order, their sesame noodles, their salads and salad dressings, their rich and flavorful soups...

Basically, everything I've tried there has been superior to anything else I've had in town. Did I mention that Melanie bakes the bread they use? It's so good, I'm planning to buy my bread from her instead of the store. Their restaurant is not a bakery, but their bread is just as good.

Matt and Melanie's passion for local food is how I found this gem of an eatery. It's close to where I live. So when it became a pick-up point for the Coastal Farms Online Food Co-op, I arranged to pick up my weekly orders there. Until that point, I'd never really noticed the place, even though I'd driven by there dozens of times. Originally, I stopped just for the convenient location to pick up my local food orders, but once I tried one of their entrees, I was hooked! I order there at least once a week now.

I also recently found out that the Cutting Edge will soon become a pick-up point for CSA orders from Mattawoman Creek Farms, an organic farm in this area. CSA stands for  "Community Supported Agriculture." A good explanation of how this works can be found at LocalHarvest.org. The basic idea is that residents can pay a local farmer in advance for a share of the season's crops, delivered each week. The food is fresher than what residents can find in grocery stores, and the farmer makes a fair living for his (or her) hard work. This system helps to keep smaller farmers in business! Don and I are adventurous cooks and eaters, so we're looking forward to whatever comes our way in our farm share order each week.

Our first farm share order should arrive in a week or two, depending on the weather. We can't wait! Thanks, Matt and Melanie, for making these opportunities available to us, and for running a fantastic restaurant!

Oh: one caveat: their hours are a little different. They started as a lunch place (open until 4:00) but have extended into some evening hours on Wednesday through Fridays. They're closed Saturday. Keep in mind their schedule before heading over.

Asparagus in December?

 We just started new asparagus beds this year. We haven't harvested any, because everything we've read has said to let the plants develop and the crowns grow before harvesting. In the second year, we can harvest for two weeks, and then for four to six weeks in subsequent years. The bed should last for fifteen years or more.

Now I have a dilemma. Our Purple Passion asparagus is coming up in December! So is that the end of last season, even though I've taken all the dying, yellow vegetation and thrown it in my compost piles this fall, or is it the beginning of the spring harvest, and therefore a good thing to harvest? Or will the frost kill it off so quickly, it won't matter?

I'll post some pictures of winter beds, mulched with leaves from our yard, in case you don't believe me. You'll see the garlic, kale, and mustard that you'd *expect* to see growing this time of year, but you'll see the asparagus as well. I'm also growing Russian Comfrey as a high-protein supplement for our future laying hens. Don is working on our coop every chance he gets.

Purple Passion Asparagus with Russian Comfrey in the Background

Birdbath with ice in it; taken the same day

Garlic and kale

Winter garden bed with kale, mustard, garlic, and sage

Norfolk's Local-Foods Activist Extrordinaire

In an earlier post I mentioned how I would like to do something personally to bring fresh, healthy, local foods to residents of food deserts in Chesapeake and the surrounding areas. I'm also looking for ways to share my love of gardening. Recently, I've started donating fresh, local produce to the region's food bank through the Coastal Farms online food co-op. But I've been wanting to do more with my own personal time and energies in this direction. But where, and how?

The beginnings of an answer may have come to me today when I met with Bev Sell, the General Manager of the Five Points Community Farm Market in nearby Norfolk. Five Points has its own CSA program, a local-foods market that sells meat, dairy, seafood, and produce, and a lovely little cafe. It houses several small "incubator businesses," as well, all in the same building on the corner of 26th and Church St.

The market is run by a non-profit. It is close enough to the rather upscale "Ghent" area of Norfolk to attract the kinds of loyal customers that keep it profitable, but it's deliberately on the edge of a low-income district and along a bus route. The market was originally started as an attempt at urban renewal in an area of the city where the crime rate was trending upward.

The atmosphere inside the building is upbeat, energetic, friendly, and pleasant. The selection of organic and local foods is fantastic, and all the food I've tasted has been terrific. Bev has invited 4 Chesapeake Hens to participate in a Sustainable Living Fair at the Webb Center on the Campus of Old Dominion University on February 16 and 17, 2013. We will be happy to take advantage of the opportunity to educate the public about backyard laying hens.

When Bev found out I'm a teacher, her eyes lit up. She is working on a summer program for low-income city youth to attend a day camp on a farm to learn more about where food comes from, how it is grown, and the value of fresh food. The youngsters may even get a little taste of what it's like to work on a farm. She is concerned about the decline of small family farms in Virginia, and she sees this program as not only educational for the children, but hopefully as a way to encourage our youth to consider farming as a career.

I told Bev she could count me in as a volunteer during the summer months when I tend to have more time. I'm looking forward to it!

4 Chesapeake Hens: How did we change the law?

 On our Facebook page, I've been getting inquiries about how our group managed to be so successful that we changed local laws regarding laying hens in residential areas, and in less than a year. Here's my short, but not so simple, answer:

It was hard work in the beginning. I started our page, "4 Chesapeake Hens," under another name in late December of 2011. We started with about two or three "likes" and grew, SLOWLY at first, from there. I tried to keep the page positive, upbeat, and informative. Even when we had few fans, I tried to post some news article about chickens with some comments every day. 

It took weeks before anyone among the fans was posting anything themselves. I took the best of those ideas and shared them on our wall. I did everything I could to publicize our page and our efforts, not just on Facebook but on Twitter, YouTube, XtraNormal, Change.org, by email, and through the local media (newspaper and television when opportunity arose). 

When we got some active supporters who made good suggestions, I followed up on the suggestions and let the membership know. I constantly invited members to MEET in person to work together on changing the law. It took months before I actually got the first committed members to join me for a face-to-face meeting. The first meeting was at a local I-Hop. 

Once I had that kind of face-to-face interaction, I invited leadership: those who consistently posted great information on our wall, made good suggestions, and used common sense and courtesy when interacting with others, I made an admin. on our wall. When folks have made suggestions that would help the cause, I've told them to run with it, putting their own energy into it, and supported them all I can.

 I've shown gratitude for everyone's hard work, and it HAS been hard work! I've tried to avoid a culture of excuses and blame; we are all volunteers and contribute what we can, when we can. I've tried to listen very carefully and to compromise and reach a consensus on important matters, even about when and where we'll meet. I've tried to be helpful, giving a ride to events to an interested fan who lacked transportation. I ask for HELP, I work with others, I provide and listen to good information, I discover what others' interests and talents are, and put them to use. 

We became a team involved in a group effort. These were people I didn't know back in December. Many have become my very good friends. "4 Chesapeake Hens" is now a fantastic team with solid leadership. We work together to make great things happen. 

This may sound like a lot of work. You don't know the half of it. But it has been worth it. Soon, my family will be enjoying fresh eggs from Buff Orpington hens cared for right here in my own backyard. We appreciate the help of Robert Ike on our City Council and of Marjon Rostami and others of the Virginian Pilot and Reed Andrews of WVEC TV.

Update 12/2/12: I mentioned data but didn't give any up above. Here are our publications that helped us convince Council:

A Case for Chesapeake Hens

Our rebuttal of the Staff Report  

Lanette Lepper's fantastic report regarding communities with similar density and how hens have had minimal impact there.

Our group's constantly-evolving Chicken Research page.

Update 1/27/14: I forgot to mention one idea that seemed to help: City Council Person of the Week. As a group we would concentrate on one local politician at a time in the weeks leading up to the vote. Our Council Members are elected at large, so this approach seemed to make sense in Chesapeake. Please note that our group developed a reputation for being well-informed and unfailingly polite. This reputation helped us, since that is, unfortunately, NOT what Council Members are used to, and so our approach helped our group stand out.

Victory 4 Chesapeake Hens!

Last night, Chesapeake City Council voted 6-3 to allow up to six laying hens, in a pen, on single-family lots in residential areas. This was the result of a lot of hard work and teamwork by a dedicated group of individuals dedicated to individual freedom, property rights, sustainability, and--yes!-- chickens!

There are two caveats: homeowners' association or property owners' association rules still supersede this law. And there was a "sunset clause" built into the legislation, so City Council will be asking for another Staff Report in about a year. The law could be undone if chickens at that point are causing major problems in the city.

But our research predicts this won't happen. We are happily resting up, making gardening plans, studying coop designs, and picking out chicken breeds.

Thanks to all those who supported 4 Chesapeake Hens in this historic effort. Click here if you'd like to watch my speech requesting the change.Click here if you want to watch the historic vote. Specific City Council Members' input will be posted as soon as available on YouTube. In the meantime, it is available on the City Council webpage under the November 20th agenda.

**Update: After seeing some posts on our Facebook page, let me add some further clarifications: the new law allows laying hens. Killing or processing one's chickens for meat is prohibited in residential areas. There are also setbacks for the coop from the property line. The text of the new law is available here, including the 1-year sunset clause on the changes.

When and Why Were Chickens Banned in Chesapeake? An Answer at Last!

4 Chesapeake Hens is a grass-roots organization that is trying to get micro-flocks of laying hens legalized in all residential areas of Chesapeake, VA. Currently the law only allows chickens on land zoned agricultural and on RE-1 "residential estates" of three acres or more. There, up to four hens (no roosters) may be kept in a pen. Up until yesterday, I have been unable to get factual information from the City regarding exactly when and why chickens were banned (see this previous post).

A member of City Council, Debbie Ritter, finally suggested I contact Dolores A. Moore, our City Clerk, with a request for more research on this topic. Yesterday I received an email that contained copies of minutes from both the Planning Commission and from the City Council where chickens were mentioned. These minutes date back to April 12, 1966, which is even before zoning was legally adopted in Chesapeake. Even then, there is a suggestion that the City preserve tracts of "two or three acres of land" for residents who desire to keep "ponies and chickens."

However, chickens and other poultry were allowed in the residential areas of Chesapeake up until June 17, 1975, when Council voted to allow "livestock, poultry, and other animals not commonly kept as pets" only in the A-1, RE-1, and (now defunct) C-1 Districts. The ordinance went into effect thirty days after its adoption. But even then the minutes make clear that it was the intention of the City to continue to allow residents who already had livestock to continue to do so under a "non-conforming use" unless the residents had stopped for one year, at which point they would not be allowed to begin again.

The only record of any objection to the new law was made by a Mr. Joseph T. Hall of 1385 Elbow Road at the Planning Commission meeting on May 19, 1975, which recommended the adoption of this ordinance. Mr. Hall owned a property zoned R-15s in the South Norfolk borough of Chesapeake, and he had tenants there who kept chickens. When informed that the ordinance "would prohibit the future keeping of animals not commonly classed as household pets on the property," Hall objected to the ordinance.

This ordinance must have generated some confusion or potential confusion about what constituted livestock, because on February 15, 2005, City Council Member Ritter made a motion to approve TA-Z-04-09, an ordinance "to clarify that rabbits, fish, and other animals can be kept as pets under certain circumstances." Council Members Burkhimer, Hayes, Krasnoff, de Triquet, Edge, Newman, Parker, Ritter, and Willis unanimously voted for the measure. Up to ten rabbits were allowed as pets under the ordinance, but domestic fowl were still prohibited.

These minutes answer the questions of when hens were prohibited, but not the question of why. Was the problem increased urban density, as Zoning Administrator John King once told me? Was it due to the mythical problems that chickens presumably cause? Or was there any evidence back in 1975 for the types of potential problems outlined in the Staff Report that 4 Chesapeake Hens has thoroughly rebutted?

To answer that question, I searched through old microfilms of newspapers from June of 1975. A few hours' search turned up an article from the Ledger-Star, dated Thursday, June 19, 1975.  I will quote from this article, "New Law Prohibits Farm Animals in City," below:

"The new regulation is based on a request by the council in January and generated from a claim for the city to pay the value of ducks killed in a residential zone.

"The claim was based on state law requiring cities and counties to reimburse residents when their livestock is fatally wounded by wild dogs.

"In the past several months, as more and more residents have asked for reimbursement from the city, the council has grown increasingly skeptical of their requests.

"When a Martin Avenue man asked for $93 to compensate for 19 ducks killed by stray dogs, Councilman J. Bennie Jennings Jr. noted the man lived in a district zoned for single-family homes on small lots. The Martin Avenue man received $53.30 for the loss of his ducks but the council voted to refer the question of proper zoning for livestock and poultry breeding to the Planning Commission. The city's planners recommended that farm animals be limited to three zoning districts. 

"Planning Department Director Milton Perry told the council the new ordinance would not apply to bonafide farms in areas subsequently zoned for residential use. 

"Also, the law would not affect persons in resmdential (sic) zones who currently maintain limited numbers of farm animals for their own use. Such situations would be classified as non-conforming uses and so long as such residents did not discontinue keeping farm animals for as much as two years they could keep their poultry and livestock."

With subsequent changes that have been made in state and local laws, the potential for residents with poultry to run the City's coffers dry with spurious livestock claims has been prevented, as explained in 4 Chesapeake Hens' "Further Information" document, pp. 9-11. And it is clear that the original intent of the law was to limit "poultry breeding," not the keeping of a few chickens for household use. Therefore there is no reason that the current Council cannot undo the unnecessary restrictions that have been imposed upon Chesapeake's residents over the years as an unintended consequence of this law. Flocks of up to six laying hens, kept in pens, should be allowed in all single-family residences, for all the reasons explained on this website and elsewhere.

If you  agree with us, be sure to arrive at the City Council meeting this Tuesday, November 20, at 6:30 PM at City Hall on Cedar Rd. Come dressed in red and sit with us. If you desire to speak, you must sign up to speak BEFORE the meeting begins, however. Remarks are limited to five minutes and may be cut to three depending on the number of people speaking. Let City Council know you support TA-Z-12-07 with changes to allow the keeping of up to six hens and the removal of the privacy fencing requirement.

**Update: On November 20, 2012, Councilman Robert Ike made a motion to allow up to six hens, in a pen, on residential properties on single-family lots. The motion carried, 6-3.

Fresh, Local Foods for Residents in Need

I have written before about a local online food co-op here in Virginia, Coastal Farms. How the co-op works is that every six months, members pay a $75.00 administrative fee. Then, every week, there is a window open when members can order fresh produce directly from regional farmers. The ordering window is usually from 6 PM Friday night until 10 PM Monday night.

The selections are fantastic: pasture-raised meats, local seafood, local dairy products, prepared heat-and-eat meals made with local foods for busy families, honey, hand-made soaps, local free-range eggs, and nuts and produce. The order is paid for in advance through PayPal. There are drop-off points all over the region. You select the point that is most convenient for you. Then you pick up your order every Thursday at your drop-off point between 4 and 6 PM.

The newest drop-off point is the one closest to me: the Cutting Edge Cafe.Don and I hadn't even realized this fantastic little restaurant existed until it became our drop-off point. We've tried it since then, and the food is reasonably priced and delicious. We will definitely be going back.

Recently I ordered dried figs, hydroponically-grown lettuce and arugula, two different varieties of Virginia-grown apples from the western part of the state, dark-chocolate-covered peanut butter truffles for my birthday (made with goat's milk, believe it or not!), and two different pies for Thanksgiving: apple and sweet-potato. The latter has a pecan topping that looks really good.

I also ordered fresh produce for the region's needy through a new program: Pounds of Plenty. The way it works is this: co-op members can order additional produce from local farmers to be delivered directly to the Food Bank in Norfolk on Thursdays. So far I've ordered fresh kale, a salad mix, collards, and radishes.

It feels goodto supply a variety of fresh, local, vitamin-rich produce to residents who need it the most, and to help our region's small farmers at the same time.

Sweet Potatoes

The region of the South where we live is known for growing terrific sweet potatoes. Last summer I had purchased some sweet potatoes from a local on-line food co-op, Coastal Farms. These sweet potatoes started sprouting on my kitchen counter, so I snapped off the sprouts, rooted them, and planted them in my garden, just to see what would happen. Here are some pictures of the pretty flowers I eventually got from these plants, and some of the sweet potatoes I harvested when I dug them up. These pictures were taken in early October, although I harvested the last sweet potato this weekend.

Sweet potatoes' flowers look like morning glories

Here are my first sweet potatoes ever, a pleasant surprise!

 Sometimes I think I'm not methodical enough in my approach to gardening, but sometimes a little impulsiveness is a good thing. Raising these sweet potatoes was very easy, and I intend to expand my plantings next year.

4 Chesapeake Hens at the Planning Commission

Last night was a roller-coaster ride for 4 Chesapeake Hens, the grass-roots community group that is trying to get backyard laying hens legalized in Chesapeake, VA. Our group's ideals and rationale are laid out in a well-researched document, "A Case for Chesapeake Hens." (This document is now available in a revised edition). The current ordinance is that all chickens are livestock and allowed only on land zoned agricultural, with one exception: RE-1 "residential estates" of three acres or more are allowed four hens, no roosters, on the property. Then, and only then, are hens pets.  Here's a recap of what has happened in recent months:

1. After public appearances on separate occasions by our members, City Council voted to send the "hen issue" to the Planning Commission for a review and a recommendation. 
2. The Planning Department drafted an ordinance that it publicized would allow hens in the City. Once we actually had the chance to read the ordinance, however, our group came to the conclusion that it was "passively-aggressively" against chickens. If passed, it would have allowed four hens, no roosters, on all single-family residential lots. But it would have made changes that classified *all* hens as livestock, even the ones that under current ordinance are considered pets. Owners would only be allowed to keep four hens, not the six our group has been requesting so that residents could legally purchase chicks. Worst of all, the ordinance would have required owners of these hens, who are already required to keep them in a sturdy pen in the backyard, to privacy-fence their entire back lot in order to keep the hens, an unnecessary and prohibitive expense. 
3. The Planning Department came out with a recommendation to the Planning Commission to deny even this restrictive ordinance. It used as its justification the City's Staff Report,  a compilation of reports from various City departments that would potentially be affected by the ordinance. Most of the departments were against chickens in the City, but for reasons that we could--and mostly did-- refute. Many statements in the reports were based on fear and conjecture rather than data. Animal Control stated that stray birds could be difficult to round up, for example. This statement totally ignores the fact that chickens are totally night-blind and can easily be rounded up and handled after dark. There was no hard data from other municipalities to support the supposition that stray hens are a concern anywhere else in the country where micro-flocks are allowed. The Health Department's well-researched recommendations seemed most amenable to the idea of pet hens. It contradicted Animal Control's and other departments' concerns about the spread of disease by the hens, for example. Its report acknowledges that hens, like other pets, can potentially spread certain diseases to humans. But it states that "such diseases are uncommon enough that they should not discourage bird-keeping." The Health Department also recommends common-sense precautions, such as supervising children and hand-washing, to minimize the risk of  salmonella transmission. 
4. We invited an author, scientist, and hen expert, Patricia Foreman, to speak at the Chesapeake Central Library on Tuesday, October 9. Her talk was inspiring and informative. We had invited all the City Council and Planning Commission members to attend. The spouse of one City Council member came, but no officials.
5. Last night, October 10, was the Planning Commission meeting itself. About twenty supporters, all dressed in red shirts, attended the meeting. Nine of us spoke. All speakers were in favor of the draft law with changes to allow for six hens and the removal of the privacy fence requirement. There were no speakers opposed. A brief account of the meeting by a reporter, Marjon Rostami, is available here, and the entire Planning Commission Meeting was videotaped and can be watched at this link. Our group appears at about 1:35.
6. After our well-researched, well-documented, and heartfelt presentations, three of the seven Planning Commissioners present at the meeting, namely Adam Perry, Greg Bell and William Small, proposed and voted for an ordinance we could live with: to allow up to six backyard hens on single-family residential lots, to be kept in pens, with no fencing requirement for the lot. Nobody spoke against the proposal: not anyone from the community, not anyone from the Commission, nobody. There was no debate. Nobody asked any of us any questions. The one Commissioner who spoke on the matter, Bell, was positive. He said he'd done his own research on the facts our group had presented in "A Case for Chesapeake Hens," and he could find no documentation to refute any of the facts we'd presented. So for a few heart-stopping seconds, we thought we might get a positive recommendation. 
7.  Unfortunately, four Councilors voted against the motion for reasons that may never be publicly explained. These same four Councilors voted to deny even the restrictive proposal with the privacy fence, so this will be  the official recommendation from the Commission when the matter goes back to Council.

As far as how members of our group feel about secretive way the Commissioners went about their decision-making and voting on this matter, and what our plans are from here, that's fodder for other posts!

**Update on 10/18/12: Lanetter Lepper recently published the research she presented to the Planning Commission. Her report details the minimal impact of permitting chickens in other cities. Her document may be read on Google Docs.

**Update on 11/15/12: Chicken Activist Saad Ringa has started a YouTube Channel with videos of our activist efforts. Watch the Planning Commission speeches and then the Commissioners' vote. If you're a Chesapeake resident, you'll be ashamed of how the Commissioners acted. And you can't see on camera the Commissioner who actually walked out of the meeting when most of our speakers were presenting, and then walked in to vote against the hens, with no explanation! He could have at least had the courtesy to listen.

Update: On November 20, Chesapeake City Council voted 6-3 to allow hens with certain restriction in residential areas.

Time to Fight for the Right to Have Hens!

Patricia Foreman, the author of  City Chicks, wrote some rousing words about an upcoming public hearing in Lexington. It is so appropriate to our situation here in Chesapeake that she gave me permission to tweak it and re-post it here.

Chesapeake Chickens - Public Hearing Announcement

ALERT!! Chicken Public Hearing, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 7 pm City Hall

Please WEAR SOMETHING RED to the hearing to show you are a local foods supporter.

The proposed code is at this link. 

It has restrictions that passively-agressively prevent most families from keeping chickens. 

This public hearing is not just about chickens—it's about so much more that affects us all—and our lifestyles.

• It's about having access to local, HEALTHY foods. 

• It's about employing chickens' skill sets in gardening, (as herbiciders, pesticiders and fertilizer creators).

• It about reducing carbon footprints with food that doesn't have to travel 1,200 miles through feedlots and factory farms. 

• It's about biomass recycling of food and yard "waste" and creating topsoil.

• It's about reducing the solid waste management stream that saves taxpayer dollars.

• It's about living green and walking your talk.

• It's about humane treatment of animals.

• It's about teaching kids where food comes from, including gardening.

• It's about the right to grow food on land you own.

• It's about emergency preparedness.

• It's even about national security. The Department of Defense has repeatedly stated that our weakest links in National Security is America's food and water supply. 

Keeping a family flocks, and supporting local agriculture are the most important things communities can do to help navigate these challenging times. For more information on why, and details about the Chicken Training Series, see www.ChickensAndYOU.com. Or hear Pat Foreman herself give an evening talk on Tuesday, October 9, at 5 PM at the Chesapeake Central Library. Tickets must be purchased here in advance-- proceeds benefit the Gossamer Foundation.

Even if you don't want chickens, please support those who do. 

Pass this message along to others who might be able to come and show City Council that the chicken movement—and locavore foods is happening all across America. This is a serious matter, and not just a personal frivolity of a few. 

Update: On November 20, Chesapeake City Council voted 6-3 to allow hens with certain restriction in residential areas.

A Case for Chesapeake Hens

Danielle Rawls just finished "A Case for Chesapeake Hens." I cannot wait to send it to the Planning Commission. I know I am biased, but I can't see how the Commission can NOT make a positive recommendation for us once they've read this beautiful and well-written document. Danielle, thank you for all the hard work you've put in on this project. Let's hope the pen conquers the nay-sayers!

**Update for Wednesday, October 10, 2012: The Planning Commission voted against changes to the law regarding laying hens? Why? We may never know! It was a split decision, but the Commissioners who voted against it will not give us specifics regarding their reasons. Click here for more details regarding this effort. There's even a link to watch a video of the meeting.

This matter comes back to City Council on November 20. Our group plans to be there!

**Update for Saturday, October 20: Our group has revised "A Case..." in response to input from the Staff Report and the Planning Department. Our newly-revised document is available publicly, and the old link no longer works.

 Update: On November 20, Chesapeake City Council voted 6-3 to allow hens with certain restriction in residential areas.

The Chicken Activist's Letter to Dr. Ella Ward

Our group, 4 Chesapeake Hens, is working to change zoning laws in Chesapeake, VA, to allow more residents to own pet laying hens. The current law only allows hens on land zoned agricultural or on residential estates of three acres or more. We have made some progress: City Council voted to send the issue to the Planning Commission, which will probably review it on October 10. On October 9, Patricia "Pat" Foreman, the author of City Chicks, will give a book-signing, reception, and lecture at the Chesapeake Central Library. If readers are interested in attending, please keep in mind that books and tickets must be purchased in advance of this event.

In the meantime, we are continuing with our program of "City Council Member of the Week." This week's council member has been Dr. Ella Ward. Here is my most recent letter, addressed to her:

Dear Dr. Ella Ward:

On behalf of "4 Chesapeake Hens," let me thank you for your vote to send the "hen issue" to the Planning Commission for a recommendation. Our group is confident that the Commission's diligent research will produce recommendations in favor of the hens.

We hope that you or a representative of yours will be able to make it to Patricia Foreman's talk about the benefits of chickens at the Central Library on Tuesday, October 9. Pat has degrees in city planning, animal science, genetics, and nutrition, so she knows whereof she speaks.

In the meantime, if you have any concerns or questions for us, feel free to let us know. We will make our best efforts to address them.

Sincerely,

Mary Lou Burke

 Update: On November 20, Chesapeake City Council voted 6-3 to allow hens with certain restriction in residential areas.

Fall Squashes as a Centerpiece

I belong to an online local food co-op called Coastal Farms. While I mostly buy produce for our meals, I recently bought some fall squashes and miniature pumpkins that were too pretty to eat, so I arranged them into a centerpiece for our kitchen table. They were inexpensive and will last quite a while. Three of them:  the "Turks Turban," and the two acorn squashes, are edible. The two miniature pumpkins were advertised as decorative squashes. (The "Turks Turban" squash is also called a "Mexican Hat").

It feels good to support our local farmers when purchasing fall decorations. I could have spent three times the money on some cheap plastic frippery imported from China and not been half as happy with the results. Here are some pictures:

Fall Centerpiece of Local Squashes

Acorn Squash and Miniature Pumpkins as a Centerpiece

Another View of a "Turk's Turban" Squash (on left)

Update on 1/28/13. I cannot believe how long these squash have lasted! One got moldy back in November and went straight to the compost pile. But the rest have been fine. I have recently started cutting them up, scooping out the strings and seeds, and feeding them to my laying hens. Chickens love squash and pumpkins seeds, which are very nutritious.

Then I baked the squash and fed it to them. The girls liked that, too. I'll gradually cut up, scoop out, and feed the rest to the hens over the next few weeks, especially as a warm treat when the days get cold!

FoodCorps, and a Great Thai Restaurant, Close to Home!

Jade and Matthew relaxing after dinner

I am excited to learn that Jade Salzman, a young neighbor of ours, plans to devote a year of her life to FoodCorps. Don and I invited her and her family to dinner at a great local Thai restaurant, "Jasmine Thai Cuisine," to hear more. Jade, like me, is vegetarian, so we shared a delicious "Pad Thai Tofu" while we swapped stories. The venue was perfect for a good meal at fair prices within walking distance of our homes. And the atmosphere was cozy and quiet enough that we could hear each other talk.

Her mission, according to the organization's website, will be to:

 Teach kids about what healthy food is and where it comes from

Build and tend school gardens

Bring high-quality local food into public school cafeterias

This guy loves to cook. Service with a smile!

For good food and fair prices, eat here

How wonderful! She gets to take the roll-up-your-sleeves, can-do public service attitude I wrote about in my "growing gardening" post and take it to a whole new level. She'll be fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity and related diseases at the same time. Although she'll be working in a tough, urban environment, I know she's up to the job. Her young energy and enthusiasm are contagious!

I donated a digital camera to her efforts, in the hope that she can use it to promote the organization's work and to help get the kids engaged in their new gardening and nutrition lessons.

Go, Jade!

Low Sodium Blueberry and Summer Squash Muffins

I made my family fantastic muffins last night with summer squash from my garden and blueberries from our online food co-op. Zucchini would also work. I chopped up two small summer squash with a food processor we really like, the Cuisinart Deluxe 11-Cup Food Processor DLC-8S - Cuisinart Pro.  You may use other flours, but I am particularly fond of King Arthur. If sodium and cholesterol are not issues for your family, you can substitute one tablespoon regular baking powder for the Featherweight, and two large eggs for the egg whites. Here is the recipe:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 12 muffin tins.

  Dry Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground cloves
• Dash of lemon peel, optional
• 2 tablespoons Featherweight Baking Powder

Add-ins:

• 1 cup finely diced yellow summer squash
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

  
Wet Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites from large eggs, beaten well
• 1/4 cup milk or soy milk (I used vanilla)
• 1/4 cup oil
• Heaping 1/4 cup packed brown sugar; more to taste

 Stir together the dry ingredients. Stir in the add-ins. Beat together the wet ingredients, fold them into the dry ingredients, and mix just until the batter is completely wet. If the batter seems too dry, add a little more milk or soy milk. Immediately ladle batter into muffin tins. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until done.

Responses to "City Chicks Revisited"

I am getting responses on "City Chicks Revisited" by email and from other groups. With permission, I will post a selection of these reactions and responses here. Some are too good not to share. And, if you haven't already, please sign our online petition.

My favorite, so far, is from Kelly McGuire:

In response, I can only say that council can be loud, produce large amounts of waste resulting in obnoxious odors too. Their containment is sometimes difficult as well. I really have a hard time believing the sublime attitudes.

Here is one from  ~: Beth California Sierra foothills:~ via a Yahoo Group called "Breaking New Ground:"

A backyard flock of chickens need NOT be noisy, messy or anything negative. A clean coop/area will not attract flies, rodents. And chickens are actually great at eating ticks and other bugs which means less pesticides being used. Noisy? Bantam breeds are less noisy and many cities simply allow hens but no roosters. Roosters are the one who make the noise. Feed kept in a metal container wont attract rodents etc. Heck dog/cat/bird feeder food outside can attract rodents etc. Is the city/town going to ban those? Heck raccoons are more attracted to garbage cans than anything else. Are they banning garbage cans/pick up? The late actor Jimmy Stewart and his wife Gloria are the ones who got us back having chickens in the early 80's, when he shared how they had chickens in their Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills home back yard. And if I do say so I think chickens make us better people. And yes you can quote me on that!

From Karen Anne Kirkpatrick  of the Facebook Group, "Backyard Chickens for Chesapeake:"

Can be loud, especially when playing.
Can produce large amounts of waste, resulting in obnoxious odors.
Waste in diapers fill our landfills.
Containment can sometimes be difficult.
Can be targeted as nuisances by other people, such as old people on the front lawn and college students texting on iphones....

  

Time to ban kids.

Another great response from Jack Newfield through the "Breaking New Ground" Yahoo Group:

>Can be loud
Hens are not loud and egg laying hens make no more noise than many automobiles. If egg-laying ducks are allowed, both sexes are very quiet.

>large amount of waste
No, there is far less odor from my 10 chickens than from my 3 dogs.

>Waste can attract rodents
So can an oak tree but that is allowed.

>Containment can be difficult
Containment is extremely simple. I don't contain mine at all and they do not range out of sight of their coop.

>Can be target of dogs
So can children and cats but they are allowed. It's the dog owner's fault if they are out of control. Cats do not attack hens.

So it's obvious they simply do not want to keep *low-status* animals in their neighborhoods. You'll find this with vegetable gardens too. Where flower gardens are permitted, vegetables are often prohibited because food is *low status* compared to flowers. Simple really.

The best way is the camel's-nose- in-the-tent approach, I believe. Get them to permit some eco thing that let's chickens in through the back door or get them to approve expensive show chickens and then buy ordinary hens and claim they are the same animal. It's all about status.

Urban Chicken Activists, Unite!

There have been some exciting developments in Chesapeake regarding urban chickens. As I explained in an earlier post, a group of residents has been organizing to get the zoning laws changed in Chesapeake, Virginia, for reasons I outlined in other posts. Our online petition now has more than 330 signatures. We also have petitions in local feed stores and other places. Our petition at Southern States on Military Highway has 24 signatures on it as of the morning of June 9.

Member Andrea Ball Margrave has been organizing our political strategy for City Council. Last night she and many members of the Facebook fan page, 4 Chesapeake Hens, and the group, Backyard Chickens for Chesapeake, met at an informal local political event called a "Town Meeting." Unfortunately, I had another commitment and could not attend. Here is what Andrea had to report, in her own words:

"Very excited tonight! Got a wonderful reception at the Town Meeting, which was packed because of some other issues going on, so I had a larger than usual audience, plus the entire council was present, including the mayor and the interim city manager, plus at least one of the new upcoming council members that I could see, Robert Ike. 

"I was able to put copies of the flyer in the hands of all but two of them as they entered, and handed out over 30 more to attendees. I met at least 4 or 5 members of this group there, but now I see there were more that I didn't meet that were in attendance! WOW! Sorry to miss some of y'all. I of course didn't get to say all that I wanted to say, forgot some of it, but one other gentleman came with his daughter, a Mr. Tims? and spoke up in support of chickens, very funny guy! Thankfully I was able to speak first, because of all the controversy over the other issues there, but I kept it positive and respectful, and I feel they were pretty receptive. 

"As the meeting adjourned my daughter and I stood outside the doors asking for people to sign the petitions, and we got 10 signatures and had some great conversations. A bunch of folks promised to sign online after they got home, using the link on the flyer. Some of the members were in a hurry to leave after the rough questioning of the evening, so I didn't get to speak individually to them all, but those I did speak with had nice things to say about our efforts. One even asked to learn more about it, and I told him I would come to his office to answer whatever questions they had. Overall a successful evening, and a great opening salvo in our quest to secure the changes we seek."

Thanks, Andrea! Great things are happening. All because a group of people got together and decided to give a cluck. ;0)