Rhode Island Feeds

ediblerhody: Cast your vote! @EdibleManhattan is an ASME Finalist for Best Cover of 2010 in Most Delicious category http://ow.ly/2y9h2

ediblerhody: You vote w/ your fork 3X a day. You either vote for filth & disease, or for clean animals & good health. http://ow.ly/2y81W @bamco

RIFoodBank: Heading to the @PawSox game tonight? Don't forget some non-perishables for the food drive!

Tomorrow night, Thursday, September 2nd, the Providence City Council will vote on an ordinance to permit residents to keep egg-laying hens in the city. Southside Community Land Trust stands behind this proposal to allow urban chicken-keeping in Providence, believing that access to fresh, locally-raised eggs is beneficial for nutrition, the environment, food safety, and economic self-reliance.

More broadly, SCLT believes that incorporating urban chicken farming into Providence’s local food movement—already strong thanks to thriving community gardens and farmer’s markets and a tradition of culinary arts—would further distinguish the city as both a center for urban food culture and a leader of green initiatives.

Some Providence residents have expressed legitimate concerns about the consequences of allowing their neighbors to raise backyard chickens. SCLT has offered to serve as a community resource on this subject, and we are committed to educating city residents about responsible chicken-rearing. With that in mind, here are some facts about chickens that will hopefully put a few common misconceptions to roost.

Myth: Chickens make noise.

Fact: While it’s true that roosters crow, hens are actually very quiet animals. They do not squawk unless they are afraid, and they go to sleep at night just like other household pets.

Myth: Chickens are dirty and spread disease.

Fact: This fear is understandable given the recent headlines about eggs contaminated with salmonella in the media. However, it is important to remember that those eggs came from an industrial-scale chicken farm. Confined animal feeding operations are much more likely to harbor diseases because they pack a large number of animals into a tight space (one that is often devoid of sunlight or grass). Home-raised eggs, on the other hand, are less likely to contain hazardous bacteria because individual backyard chicken coops with a limited number of hens are more protected from the spread of illness. Backyard chickens do not have to be dosed with antibiotics or synthetic hormones, and their eggs have also been shown to be naturally richer in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E than those from industrial settings.

Myth: Chickens are normally confined to rural areas.

Fact: In reality, more than 65 percent of major U.S. cities, including Portland, New York, Seattle, Denver, Madison, Baltimore, and New Haven have chicken-keeping ordinances on the books.

Myth: Chickens take up a lot of space and consume valuable resources.

Fact: Actually, chickens need surprisingly little room. Poultry associations designate that chickens require only 3 square feet of ranging area per bird. The initial cost of setting up a small coop and pen can be as low as $100, and hens cost very little to feed, especially if their diet is supplemented with weeds, grass clippings, bugs, and kitchen scraps. A single hen can lay about five eggs per week, saving families money on their food budget and providing a high-protein form of energy. The average American meal travels about 1500 miles to get from farm to plate; by raising chickens right here in Providence, citizens will be substantially reducing their carbon footprint.

Myth: Chicken waste is bad for the soil.

Fact: On the contrary! Chicken droppings are extremely high in nitrogen, an important nutrient for plant growth. They can even be added to compost, reducing the need to purchase chemical fertilizers for the lawn and garden.

Myth: Chickens attract pests and predators.

Fact: In point of fact, chickens are an excellent form of pest control. They will dine on cockroaches, tomato horn worms, aphids, grubs, and other unwanted insects. They will even eat small mice. And the presence of chickens does not attract predators any more than does the presence of other domestic animals such as rabbits and cats.

We hope this information is helpful in making up your mind on this issue. The City Council meeting begins at 7 p.m. tomorrow evening in the Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall (located at 25 Dorrance Street). To identify your ward representative and express your opinion, visit www.providenceri.com/CityCouncil/council-find.php. If you have questions about the ordinance or about urban chicken-keeping, you can contact Leo Pollock, education director for SCLT, at education@southsideclt.org or (401) 273-9419 ext. 28.

You can also learn more about backyard chicken farming by attending “Raising Urban Chickens,” a free workshop offered as part of the “Plant Providence: Growing Food in the City” series. The workshop will be held on Saturday, November 13th at 1 p.m. at City Farm, SCLT’s three-quarter-acre urban farm at W. Clifford and Dudley Streets. SCLT will also be offering another “Raising Urban Chickens” workshop and a hands-on “Build an Inexpensive Chicken Coop” workshop in 2011.

RIFoodBank: Food Bank drivers ready to kick off Hunger Action Month this morning http://twitpic.com/2k97hb

RIFoodBank: @jimlangevin Thank you for attending yesterday

RIFoodBank: RT @EastsideMarket: The numbers are in... we officially raised over $3400 with our Grill to Give series! At only $4 a meal that's a... h ...

RIFoodBank: Hunger between summer, school http://bit.ly/at5s67 via @projo

ediblerhody: New Rhody Food Watch Blog Post is UP!! http://www.ediblecommunities.com/rhody/rhody-food-watch/tomato-daze.htm http://fb.me/vqqM5GpR

ediblerhody: Nate Downey's new book on rain water could do for backyard what “Joy of Cooking” did for the kitchen @EdibleRadio... http://fb.me/FIHDbJW2

ediblerhody: FoodHub is fast becoming the "Facebook of local food" w/ @edibleportland Deb Kane http://ow.ly/2xtSW @lesliecole1

RIFoodBank: Hunger Action Month begins tomorrow - You can use Nothing to help. Find out how http://bit.ly/8XgIuU

ediblerhody: @jane_black SmartFood podcast @EdibleRadio: The Coke Machine: The Dirty Truth about the World's Favorite Soft Drink http://ow.ly/2xngk

RIFoodBank: One in 7 now gets food stamps in RI http://bit.ly/9QjHmn

RIFoodBank: Interested in weekend volunteer op? Call Kelly Nichols 942-6325 and ask about the Irish Fest op. in Newport this Sat. & Sun

Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday to enjoy sunshine, garden visits, and good food at the second annual Open Garden Day and Harvest Potluck! Over 100 people attended the event, which was put together by the Providence Community Gardens Network and Southside Community Land Trust and featured six local gardens spread out across the south side of the city.

The event was a chance to celebrate the harvest of Providence’s community gardens and get a peek inside several of them. The six gardens ranged from recently excavated lawns to gorgeous  green spaces that have been growing strong for 30 years! The tour was come-as-you-please, and several garden coordinators and members were on hand to answer questions about their work. Most people walked from garden to garden, but several came on wheels: new this year was the addition of a riding tour led by Recycle-a-Bike, a local non-profit.

Across the street from the garden at the corner of Peace and Plenty streets, the What Cheer? Brigade and AS220 Youth Studio’s ZuCrewe entertained members of the community from 3-5 p.m. with their brass band and free ice cream. The band eventually moved into the garden and continued the performance there! We are grateful to Community Works Rhode Island and the City of Providence Neighborhood Performing Arts series for sharing their summer celebration with us.

At 5 p.m., people gathered in Potters Avenue Park to eat homemade dishes, sip ginger beer and lemonade, and listen to Liberian songs and the tror sao (a traditional Cambodian instrument) under the shade of the trees. It was a great end to the day. Thanks again to everyone who participated and helped to make the event a success!

ediblerhody: Insult to injury > RT @NaomiStarkman Egg industry resorts to blaming victim in recall, critics say @USAToday http://bit.ly/bmYrCJ

ediblerhody: RT @jane_black: Excellent reporting @atlanticfood on literal & figurative stench from Wright County Iowa http://ow.ly/2wS6C

ediblerhody: RT @tomphilpott: Great CNN article on a Minn. farmer's quest to stop contributing to the Gulf dead zone http://bit.ly/9R7KqC

ediblerhody: @michaelpollan to receive "The Lennon Ono Grant for Peace" for his books on interaction of nature & society http://ow.ly/2wP9v