No title can do justice of this blog post. :)

Believe it or not, not everyone starts their backyard hen dream through our service, Rent The Chicken. I know, you're astounded! (Please note my sarcasm! :) ) A few days ago, I was defending the right to backyard hens in a suburban area where most properties are more than an acre. Someone rebutted my argument by saying "Your income is based on selling people what others may deem a nuisance. I am merely the unbiased messenger. You are extremely biased and financially interested in selling your chickens to people." WOAH. We are so much more than a chicken rental service. Of course, we want EVERYONE to participate in our rentals! Chickens and eggs have been part of the food chain since the food chain started. Believe it or not, Rent The Chicken wasn't founded until 2013 - well beyond when the food chain started! haha

Honestly, if I never rent a chicken again and everyone has backyard chickens, a garden for fresh vegetables, and knows their farmer, then all will be well in my world. When we help communities to change their ordinances, it's not about us renting more chickens. It's about making progress in the local food movement. We celebrate with anyone who is legally permitted to have chickens after having laws changed. We celebrate when someone harvests their first tomato from their first tomato plant on their porch! We celebrate when the special needs folks find a connection with chickens that is beyond just eggs. When we are at events to showcase our business, people ask about the noise level of chickens, I lean in to the chickens and say "listen to them". Some people don't even realize that we have chickens in the coop with us. The only reason I mention our business in public social media groups is to gain credibility. If I just started spewing chicken facts and no one knows why I am so educated on the subjects, my credibility would be questioned.

"Who in the world is this lady and how does she know so much about chickens, local ordinances / bylaws, and tomato plants?!" I'm sure that's what people would think if I say random things in a chicken related conversation like "With community involvement, an "on the go" family, can share responsibility of chickens and eggs on those tournament weekends. 2-4 hens is not going to make an impact to the water table. Coyotes and raccoons are already there. A good chicken keeper will do everything to keep their chickens safe and to not cause a draw. Predators are attracted by excess food, bird feeders, trash cans, dog waste, outside cat food, and backyard gardens. Hens are less noisy than most children and most dogs. 2-4 hens produce less waste than a German Shepherd." So I simply add "My husband and I are the co-founders of Rent The Chicken. We are very passionate about helping our local communities to have food sources as close to the table as possible - backyard chickens for eggs, garden beds, CSAs, knowing your local farmer, etc."

That brings me to my next thought. Spring is in the air! Well except it snowed 2 more inches last night where we are and I just chatted with Homestead Christine in NH and it snowed 16" just in the last two days! But I'm sticking to it... Spring is in the air! I think that Spring is an even better time to evaluate new life and new lifestyle choices than in the dead of winter with New Years Resolutions. Don't you?

Many can agree that the animals in the big factory farms are not treated well. Many can also agree that an animal raised and harvested for consumption can be done in a way that it is more ethical than how factory farms operate. Many also have no idea how to move away from the processed food that we've grown accustomed to. We are so far removed from our food sources that we have grown complacent and let the big food producers set the standards for what we digest. (Legal limits of arsenic is permitted in the chicken we consume!) I truly believe with Rent The Chicken that we are helping chickens from being dropped off at a cat / dog rescue who are not set up for chickens. We are also helping people to re-evaluate food choices. I'm not talking about non-gmo/organic choices. I just mean... we're coming in to Spring so find a farmer who will grow your produce. Plant some lettuce in a box on your porch. Plant some potatoes in your flower bed. Find a local CSA (google it!) to join. Stop buying your meat from the grocery store. Know the farmer who raises your meat. It's not difficult but it does take some effort. With a quick google search I can help you find a farmer for you to connect with. How can you make better food choices? Homestead Phil and I aren't 100% on target with our food choices but we give it a go! Here's a proud plate photo - potatoes and beans from our garden and steak from a local farmer friend, Brett.

Are you going to choose to plant some lettuce in a planter on your porch? Are you going to buy an AeroGarden and grow some vegetables in your kitchen or den? (That's how Homestead Phil started!) Will you buy a tomato plant to grow on your deck? Is this the summer that you will Rent The Chicken?? Is it time to google CSA? Include your town name or your region when you search for a CSA. A number of our Rent The Chicken Affiliates offer a CSA, meat share, or simply sell meat. Click here to read the About Us on our website and see if a location close to you offers what you are looking for. Or contact me and I'll direct you! It's time make a Spring Resolution! Who's in?