Shaun Haney: When "Urban Farms" Cross the Line.

[joedales]

When "Urban Farms" Cross the Line

There is increased press and interest in the concept of "urban farms." The preached benefits are community support, less fossil fuel use and the ever popular "its safer food."Where I think we have crossed the line of common sense is that some cities in Ontario allow back yard chicken coops for urban egg production. People have we lost our minds? What would ever possess you to start an egg farm in your backyard? It surely is not food safety or trying to make your neighbours happy. Have you never heard of the grocery store? In the linked story an Owen Sound city councillor justifies this nonsense by stating,

“It speaks to food safety. It speaks to food security. It speaks to so many
things.”

I would say that it speaks to human kinds apparent lack intelligence. For those of us that are reasonable, it is fairly well understood that urban farms are not going to improve food security and safety in a country, city, town, or village anytime in the future.

For the sake of interest I called the City of Lethbridge Regulatory office and asked if I would be able to start a chicken farm in my back yard. The lady laughed and said no!! I told her who I was and asked her if this was a common request. She replied that they do get some requests every year from Lethbridge residents to have chickens, goats, sheep and ponies in their backyards. Do some of the urban residents of North America not trust the food system or are they thinking this will save them a dollar. Why not support the experts and buy from farmers and the grocery store. What is next, we don't trust doctors and so we allow people to give each others surgeries.

Farming is a serious occupation that some discredit by thinking they can just do it themselves in a safer fashion. Lets not discredit the hard working people of rural areas by calling some lady that has 10 chickens in her back yard a farmer. This is no different than someone who has a 10 foot by 10 foot corn crop in their back yard is not a farmer....they are a gardener. Lets let some common sense prevail and quit this nonsense of cities like Guelph, Brampton and some US cities.

Support the REAL farmers!!

Posted by Shaun Haney

[per]

Not necessarily a good idea to mix the foul with the folks but I understand the motivation. Have some eggs that are still warm out of the hen and compare them with the ones that are however old from the store. The difference is startling. Maybe I won't be moving to town soon.

[Hopperbin]

Shaun I think you let your own opinion cloud you on this one. What is wrong with a family in town having 3 laying hens in their back yard if they so chose?
And yes it would be better eggs than what we get from these mega barn these days. You know when you purchase a year old laying hen which is worthless to the huteritttes here and take it home it will still produce eggs for several years. That chicken cannot walk and does not know it can walk. This is serious shit here I am serious. When you get an egg in the store it is from a chicken that does not know that it can actually walk. Example person in my home town bought 5 chicken for 5 bucks from hutterite colony X true story. He uncaged the chickens at home at they stood in one spot for 3 days until they realized they could actually move around in a yard with no fence nothing. They would have dam near starve to death before they realized they could walk. Now how good are them god dam eggs to us? I don't eat that shit by the way.

[daretodiffer]

" Farming is a serious occupation that some discredit by thinking they can just do it themselves in a safer fashion." Shaun do you clearly understand the meaning of your words? Just who is a farmer anyway, I challenge you that you have no definition that will get past more than two people. And is this same "serious occupation" that has fought health and safety codes of practice for employers that every other occupation works under and has fought change and compliance with food safety and environmental codes of practice, tooth and nail?
What a red herring about getting all excited about a few chickens in the back yard being called a farm. Of course it is not a farm any more than I have a MacDonald's hamburger stand on my patio. I know why the Lethbridge municipal staffer was laughing. It was at your silly inquiry/editorial point.