Cooking Up a Story: Stories
Have you ever attempted to raise chickens yourself? Bread, beer, fruits and vegetables all taste noticeably better when fresh. Well eggs do too! For Patrick and Holly, they were already true believers having raised chickens before. This time they wanted to raise more chickens than ever before—not just for themselves but also to sell to others. Through serendipity and the community coming together, they were able to pull together a team of 14 people to take care of 30 chickens to form their own CSA, Eastside Egg Co-op.
There are so many benefits to raising chickens. They are a great addition to any garden, they clear out whatever area of land defines their boundary, and they also leave their nitrogen rich manure for the next round of plantings. The eggs from these naturally raised chickens are higher in the good omega-3 fatty acids than eggs produced from factory farms, not to mention being fresher. Typically, eggs from the supermarket are at least 2 weeks old before they even reach the shelf.
Eastside Co-op and Volunteers
If you have some tips to share, I’m all ears! This is something I’m considering doing myself.
—Rebecca
7 Comments
14 people to look after 30 chickens? Those are some well looked after chickens!
Happy chickens, happy eggs! And if you’re on the fence whether to get your own chickens or not, it’s a great way to test the waters too.
Thanks, Wendy. Patti Moreno, over at GardenGirlTV, shares a step-by-step video how to make a chicken tractor that fits over your raised bed…In between crop rotation, let the chickens do their part to ‘clean’ it out and leave manure behind! Great idea, I thought.
Bring on more tips…we all learn from each other! =)
Nice story! You asked for tips… There’s a fun website called “The City Chicken” that will help you get started. “Chicken tractors” for even just a couple of hens are feasible for almost anyone. There’s another website, “Henspa” that makes a “stealth” mobile coop that looks like a trash can, if you really want to go rogue.
Rebecca, you can tell by their energy and their expressions it’s a very good deal indeed! Wins in all directions, I agree with you totally. Wow, just loved it!
Thanks, Moni! I’m with you, I love what these folks are doing. And the fact that this idea could be started in many other communities. Very beneficial to many…to the volunteers, to the farmer/grower, and to the CSA.
Rebecca, I absolutely just loved this!
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