What would the neighbors say, part 2

OR  Logic, reason and open-mindedness meet fear, ignorance and prejudice ( also known as a Home Owner's Association.)

Westerville being Westerville I knew that the push to make hens legal would be an uphill struggle. I never realized how steep that incline would be! I recently sent the following email message to the HOA in my neighborhood. I wanted to extend an olive branch, be reasonable and start a discussion:

By now I am sure you have seen the newspaper articles about a group that wants to make keeping chickens legal in Westerville, and that one of the group’s founders lives in McDot Farms!  Chickens in a suburban neighborhood like ours seems like an odd, a down right crazy to those unfamiliar with the practice of keeping backyard hens.  But many, many keepers of small flocks are proving everyday that hens can be good neighbors. 

None of these people would argue that a full scale chicken farm is a good fit in a neighborhood like McDot Farms. Ordinances prohibit that sort of thing for good reason, and rightly so.  But what those small flock owners would make clear is that a few pet hens (no roosters!) take up less space than a pool table, make less noise than most dogs or lawn care equipment, and a lot less mess than a dog too.

Press coverage of the insect and odor problems at large scale commercial poultry operations have made a strong impression on the general public, who are now convinced that chickens are always a loud,  smelly annoyance.  Nothing could be further from the truth-when talking about small groups of hens in a backyard setting.

I’m writing to you to let the officers and membership of the McDot Farms home owner’s association know that I want to answer any questions and address their concerns. There is no point in  getting City Council to  change the current ordinances if the local HOA would oppose the action.  I repeat in this message to you  what I express in the letter I have sent to City Council: If I thought that keeping 3 hens in my backyard would cause any odor, any noise, any form of annoyance at all, I would not do it. My family and I use our backyard, we spend a lot of time there and I would never introduce an unattractive nuisance into my own backyard, and am not expecting my neighbors to put up with one either. Pet chickens in my backyard would be quiet, odor-free and unobtrusive. I know this for a certain fact because literally thousands of backyard flocks are being kept in neighborhoods just like ours with no problems and no complaints.

I am including with this email the text of a letter I have sent to City Council, along with an information sheet that answers many questions and reservations about backyard chickens, as well as the proposed ordinance we’d like to see Council adopt. 

Let me close by repeating my willingness to talk with any HOA officer or member and speak to their concerns and questions.

Best Regards,

Your Neighbor

Mark Passerrello

Imagine my astonishment when I get this in the mail two days later:

An invitation to discussion? NO! A request for more information? NO! Just the usual dodge for very scared small minds: Hit people who are different than you with rules!

Great video

This is borrowed from the website of a great business, the Urban Farm Store, in Portland Oregon.
Check them out online and look for theis excellant book "A Chicken in Every Yard".
http://www.katu.com/news/59315722.html

Second Meeting

The first meeting went so well, we wanted to have another!
Come on out on Thursday, May 12 to the Tim Horton's on South State. We will start at 7:00 pm.
Bring a friend, a family member or neighbor and let's keep the momentum going!

WHY?

Can you imagine that many people have no idea why someone would want to have  chickens in their backyrd?  Lots of people have not even heard of this great idea!
There are many great reasons:

Benefits of Urban Chickens

There are a variety of reasons to keep chickens in urban environments, and its not a new fad. People have been keeping chickens in cities for centuries, and here are some of the benefits when you add chickens into your urban lifestyle:

Local source of protein

If you live in an urban environment you can grow your own fresh fruits and vegetables in your backyard. When it comes to supplying your own source of protein however, it's impossible to get your dog to lay breakfast each morning or fit a cow in your backyard. That's why chickens are so wonderful! They are small, easy to care for, and won't take up your entire yard. Chickens provide protein rich eggs, and if you choose to you can also raise them for meat (if slaughtering is legal where you live).

Better Quality

Fresh foods simply taste better! Also, when you raise your own eggs and meat, you know what the animal ate, its living conditions, and how it was treated. No need to worry about food safety, antibiotics, or hormones.

Source of fertilizer

Chicken poop is high in nitrogen and great for your compost pile. Supply your backyard garden with compost made from chicken poop and watch your plants flourish!

Natural pest control

Got cockroaches, tomato horn worms, aphids, grubs, or any other pest you don't want in your yard or garden? Chickens are great at conrolling these pests naturally- no need to put nasty chemicals in your yard. And yes- chickens will even eat mice!

It's fun!

Chickens can provide a breath of fresh air in our busy urban lifestyles (as long as you don't step in their poop!). Just like cats and dogs, chickens have personalities and can be great companions. If you can't keep indoor pets, chickens are a wonderful alternative with the added benefit of providing food. Also, your neighbors and friends will come flocking over to your house to take part in all the excitement.

You can be a part of the local food movement!

The local food movement is taking off, and by keeping chickens you can take pride in being a producer and not just a consumer. Help feed your own existence!

First Meeting

I want to thank everyone who was able to make it to the first meeting of W.A.C.K.S. tonight, and keep everyone who was not able to be there up to date. Prior to the meeting I was interviewed by Channel 28, I just saw a promo for  the story and am not happy about the way they are plugging it "...local group wants to ruffle feathers..." We'll see how the story goes.

Bu tthe meeting was very productive, I think we are off to a good start. We had some good conversation and tossed around a few ideas.

It was decided to meet again next Thursday at 7:00 at Tim Horton's. Please bring a friend, family member coworker or other interested/supportive person to help support the cause-"many hands make light work".  The time until the next meeting will also be  great time reach out to neighbors and see how they feel about chickens-if they are willing to write letters to the editor, or speak at a City Council meeting, they will be great allies!

Everyone, if you are a member of Facebook, locate the Westerville Area Chickens Keepers Society and "like" it, and also sign up as follower of this blog as well. 

And of course, forward this email to everyone you think would be interested!!

Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest and support in this group.Let's work together and make it happen!

Spreading the word

I firmly believe that if our group hopes to accomplish our goal-to get city council to seriously consider backyard chicken and make them legal-we have to send two messages:

• There are sufficient numbers of Westerville citizens to make this worth considering, and that we are reasonable, responsible people who will take good care of our birds and never allow them to become a nuisance or danger.
• There are also a number of Westerville citizens who don't want birds of their own, have no objection to hens in their neighborhoods.  This is the kind of support that will make or break or break our efforts!

Now is the time for everyone who wants to see legal hens in Westerville to help push our education efforts.  You can help do this by writing 4 letters: one to city council, and one each to the Columbus Dispatch, Westerville News & Public Opinion and Westerville This Week.  A letter on paper would be best to send to city council, email is fine fo rletters to the editor at a newspaper.

What to say?

• Briefly tell why you want chickens, or why you are agreeable to them.
• If you have had practical, hands on expereince with chickens, or have been around them in any way, talk about it in the most positive (but honest) way you can!
• Stay positive, polite and  courteous-let the opposition came across as hot headed, nuts or kooks.
• Letters of moderate length that make a few points in a vivid, effective way are much better that a long, hard to read letter that tries to say everything.
• If you state facts, try to back them up with a source.

Accomplishing a goal is easier when a group works together. The more people we can get writing these letters of support, the closer we get to that goal. Speak to your neighbors, friends and family members!

Meeting getting closer!

Save the date-Thursday, May 5th at 7:30pm is the first and hopefully not last meeting of the Wesetrville Area Chickens Keepers Society. The meeting will be heald at the Tim Horton's on South State Street.
If you want chickens, or are cool with it in your community, please come out and lend your support-we will need both groups to make City Council, and most of our neighbors understand that well cared for hens make good additions to the backyard!