April 30, 2012

Urban Agriculture and Backyard Hens in Arlington?

“Local food” could soon take on a new meaning.

The Arlington County Board has tasked a group of residents to make recommendations to expand urban agriculture and increase access to local, healthful food.  The group will report back to the Board in 2013.

Among other ideas, the Arlington Urban Agriculture Task Force will consider modifications to county ordinances so that Arlington neighborhood residents can keep small numbers of backyard hens.

Proponents point out that backyard hens can provide nutritious food, reduce dependence of environmentally harmful industrial farming, and help kids learn where food comes from.

Hundreds of urban communities including Charlottesville, Baltimore, Seattle, Madison, Minneapolis, New York, and Portland have embraced backyard hens.  The Arlington Egg Project, a local advocacy group, says it’s time for Arlington to join their ranks and promote urban agriculture.

More than 1,000 Arlington residents have signed a petition to the County Board calling for the legalization of small-scale, sustainable backyard hen-keeping while prohibiting roosters and ensuring secure, humane, and proper housing for hens.

For more information click here.

Ed Fendley

Arlington Egg Project

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April 30, 2012

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Comments (3)

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Backyard hens

Chickens smell like shit. No chickens in arlington man. The nosie sounds like a hen getting raped. Fuck the system!

Ramiro Pena 328 days ago

Backyard hens

While having non-factory eggs sounds great, I feel like the space does not exist in Arlington too have it. I personally believe that we should have a series of chicken coots in a concentrated area of Arlington. People who own the hens would put them there and be responsible for taking care of them. I would be sort of like the community gardens we have. I'm fine with having hens in Arlington back I don't want them in a backyard. Both the noise and the smell would get too me.

Evan Waffle 328 days ago

Backyard Hens

One issue with hens in Arlington might be their noise. If they do not annoy next-door neighbors, I think it would be wonderful to have some eggs laid by non-factory farm hens. If people raised the hens themselves, they could be certain that their eggs were produced in a cage-free environment and that the hens were organic (i.e. given no strange chemicals or antibiotics). I, for one, am willing to listen to any opposing viewpoints.

Kit more than 1 years ago

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