UCP EPISODE 056: Winning the Chicken Legal Fight (a Conversation with Kathy Shea Mormino)

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Jen Pitino

Kathy Shea Mormino (The Chicken-Chick) – photo courtesy of K. Mormino

In 2013, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) studied urban chicken keeping in four major cities (Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City) and discovered that less than 1% of households had backyard chickens. The study however further revealed that though only 1% had chickens another 4% of the study’s respondents reported that they planned to get backyard chickens in the next five years. Interestingly, slightly more than half of the study’s respondents said that they thought keeping chickens in urban areas would lead to more illnesses in humans and yet 2/3 of the respondents in Los Angeles, Miami and New York (and 3/4 of the respondents in Denver) also said that they believed that eggs raised in small flocks in backyards were more nutritious than their store bought counterparts. What do these study results mean?

Americans are divided on backyard chickens.

This nearly even split on the issue of urban chickens is evident in the on-going great chicken debate that is being argued in every corner of this nation. The competing interests between autonomy over one’s own backyard to raise chickens and live as one chooses is at odds with the beliefs that chickens are strictly a livestock animal that has no place in an urban/suburban landscape. When these diametrically opposed views on chickens happen to live next door to one another, sparks fly.

Kathy Shea Mormino, more commonly known as the Chicken-Chick, comes onto the Urban Chicken Podcast to discuss her long fought legal battle over her backyard flock. The bitter, year long fight over her chickens was not only emotionally and financially draining, but threatened to cost Mormino her livelihood. Continue reading →

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UCP Episode 049: Michigan’s Right to Farm Act – No Longer Progressive Protection for Urban Chickens & Farms

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Jen Pitino

Backyard Chickens in Danger in Michigan

Are backyard chickens, beehives, gardens a “farm” is the owner sells part or all of the bounty of the eggs, honey and vegetables from his/her yard? Until recently in Michigan, the answer was “Yes” urban, suburban and other micro-farming set-ups were considered “farms” under the guidelines governing certain state agricultural laws.

As a result of liberally protecting both non-traditional and conventional farms by law, agriculture has flourished under these state protections in Michigan. Michigan enjoys being the third largest agriculture producing states in America and is only second to California on diversity of its agriculture.

However, recent changes to the progressive farming laws in Michigan have had HUGE ramification on the future agriculture and more particularly urban chicken-keeping. Continue reading →

photo by: mazaletel

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UCP Episode 044: Pending Arizona “Chicken Bill” (Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Chickens!)

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Jen Pitino

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and fights for chicken rights!

Currently, there is an important property rights bill being considered in Arizona, Senate Bill 1151, also known as the Homegrown Freedom Act. This piece of legislation, which some glibly call the “Chicken Bill,” will have significant ramifications for the chicken (and other fowl-keeping) community, if passed. The “Chicken Bill” protects the rights of individuals to keep backyard chickens (and other fowl) – regardless of municipal bans on the practice. That is huge! Continue reading →