Paradise Lost: Amanda on ActionNews

[Jumpinjack]

 Here is the website from the Sarasota group that got an ordinance in their county. To do the work to pass an ordinance takes smarts and persistence and willingness to meet with opponents and politicians.

It took 18 months of work in Sarasota. Read their case study and tips.  I truly believe it could happen in Jacksonville but only if there is more organization, some leadership and a plan to work it.


http://sarasotacluck.blogspot.com/  Read the case study and tips.

[hypnotoad]

It all boils down to this:

One yolk looks healthy and nutritious, the other pale and soupy.  One is from Amanda's backyard.  One is from Food Lion.

If all things were equal, it would be about the fun of having pet chickens in the backyard.  This is about a greater issue -- the right to control what you eat.  You can't get a fresh egg like this from some corporate farm a thousand miles away.

I couldn't agree with you more!  There's a huge quality difference in the eggs produced by happy chickens being fed a natural diet as opposed to the corporate farming model.  I would like to one day have a couple of pygmy goats and a couple of hens in my back yard.  That and a garden and you are pretty set!  I'm not sure if smell is an issue with those goats or not though since I've only been around the full-sized models (lol).  But 2 chickens are harmless!

[Debbie Thompson]

Captain Z, even if what you said was true, most lots in Springfield are only 35' wide, so you couldn't have a coop 50' from the property line.  In fact, I can't think of too many places where that could be true.  At the Beach, most lots are 50' wide.  In many subdivisions, they are 80 x 100.   Even if that were the ordinance, it would exclude most of the urban and suburban areas of the city.

[avs]

Full sized goats weigh about 120-160 lbs.   We had two and there was little odor.  Our mastiff is bigger and her poop is definatley stinkier - plus its not composable, which the goat dingles (like rabbit poop) are!  So its like free black cow.  The chicken poop is compostable too and the small scale being allowed in other cities is easily mangaged without a stench.  Urban ag is all about scale.

There is a very organized movement here in Jax concerning urban ag - we have met with several city council people who have been supportive - that is why code enforcements continued harrassement while this is being worked on is just really sad and petty.

[hypnotoad]

Full sized goats weigh about 120-160 lbs.   We had two and there was little odor.  Our mastiff is bigger and her poop is definatley stinkier - plus its not composable, which the goat dingles (like rabbit poop) are!  So its like free black cow.  The chicken poop is compostable too and the small scale being allowed in other cities is easily mangaged without a stench.  Urban ag is all about scale.

There is a very organized movement here in Jax concerning urban ag - we have met with several city council people who have been supportive - that is why code enforcements continued harrassement while this is being worked on is just really sad and petty.

Awesome info!  Thanks!   Yeah I'm not sure what the issue is with people being opposed to urban ag -- what's the argument against?  Because the only thing I can think of is noise and smell and with hens and goats that doesn't sound like an issue.

I think people realize that something is endemically wrong with the food supply and are getting more interested in taking back control over what they put in their bodies... I know I am.