I am on the list serv for “Chickens in the City.” Yesterday a post came through about a new urban farm store opening up called Egg/Plant Urban Farm Store. The grand opening was yesterday and since it was close to my house and I am all about supporting local food I loaded the kids in the car and popped right over. If you are a novice or experienced, “urban homsteader” there are plenty of supplies for you from organic seeds and growings supplies, to

organic chicken food and

cheese making supplies.

Peat Willcutt, the father of the urban chicken movement in the Twin Cities (in my humble opinion) shared with me how when his family was living in Europe during World War II, “they were basically on a starvation diet.  Rationing was so strict.” He shared that to supplement, “everyone had a backyard orchard or garden, or the goose they were saving for Christmas.”

A couple years ago when the economy fell apart I had hopes that this would happen again, people would, “own their food choices,” as chef Oliver would say and take responsibilty for growing their own food. However the cities don’t always make it easy. Even our little consumer haven, “Egg/Plant” had problems with zoning, now luckily resolved. At least for the most part you can garden, tap your own maple trees, have a few fruit trees and bushes and luckily in my city have a few chickens.

Here’s one of ours enjoying a dust bath.