Thank you so much Scott Wilson!

The video will be on all month long.  Catch us on the web at these times/dates:

12/1/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/3/2009 at 8:00 AM
12/3/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/5/2009 at 9:00 AM
12/5/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/8/2009 at 8:00 AM
12/8/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/10/2009 at 8:00 AM
12/10/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/12/2009 at 9:00 AM
12/12/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/15/2009 at 8:00 AM
12/15/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/17/2009 at 8:00 AM
12/17/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/19/2009 at 9:00 AM
12/19/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/22/2009 at 8:00 AM
12/22/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/24/2009 at 8:00 AM
12/24/2009 at 10:00 PM
12/26/2009 at 9:00 AM
12/26/2009 at 10:00 PM

Scott Wilson from Wilson Street/CAT tv presents a video on the Columbia, MO Urban Hen Initiative broken up into 5 segments for YouTube:

Introduction

Misconceptions

Education

Eggs

Containment

Great things are happening!

First off, great thanks to Daniel K. for collecting over 100 signatures at Clovers!

Secondly, urban hens made it before city council!

Third, Jason is not staunchly opposed to urban hens anymore!

And lastly, new KOMU articles came out this morning and afternoon.  See our page; Media Response.

It’s only a matter of weeks now before the urban hen initiative goes before city council (we hope)!  In preparation we need to make sure our voice is heard by the council people.  Make no mistake, there will be dissenters, too many people don’t understand what urban hens are all about for there not to be.  Most people think of the smell and unsightlynes of a factory (battery) chicken farm when they think of chickens at all.  So the dissenters will be few but LOUD.  We need to override that with quantity.  We need to show that there is widespread support in the city for an urban hen law.

Email your friends/collegues/neighbors/etc with a quick list of things they can say (see below) and a link to the council persons email here (go here if you are uncertain who yours is):

  1. Ward 1 Paul Sturtz, paulsturtz1@gmail.com
  2. Ward 2 Jason Thornhill, ward2@GoColumbiaMo.com
  3. Ward 3 Karl Skala, ward3@GoColumbiaMo.com
  4. Ward 4 Jerry Wade, ward4@GoColumbiaMo.com
  5. Ward 5 Laura Nauser, ward5@GoColumbiaMo.com
  6. Ward 6 barbara Hoppe, ward6@GoColumbiaMo.com

Simple statements for people to make to their council person:

  • I support an urban hen ordinance for Columbia, MO.
  • I want to be able to raise hens inside the city limits.
  • I believe allowing city chickens would benefit Columbia.
  • Please vote for urban hens.
  • Urban hens are a good step forward for family/community food independence in uncertain economic times.
  • I think it would be great to have truly fresh eggs on hand by allowing urban hens in Columbia.
  • I want to collect my own eggs from animals I care for.

Scott Wilson (videographer for CAT tv) has finished cutting the video he shot of Columbia urban hens and the initiative and delivered it to me!  Now we need to watch it and approve it, then he’ll add music.  

We’ll have our very own Columbia Urban Hen Initiative video

A shorter (3-5 min) video will go up on YouTube and then sometime in the indeterminate future it will (hopefully) make it into the CAT tv schedule.

The chicken ordinance is on the agenda for discussion at the next pre-council dinner meeting, October 19

It is open to the public, but there is no public comment period.  We hope to get an idea from the discussion, if any, how the land lies.  The mayor intends to request an ordinance be prepared for consideration by the council.

YAY!

Please encourage people to sign the petition!  Both online and print versions available!  We have about 350 signatures, I’d like about 100 more to take to council.

Working in conjuntion with Paul Sturtz and Tarazod Films, we’ve brought Mad City Chickens to Ragtag for ONE SHOW ONLY!

This coming Monday, September

28th at 5:45.

Bring your friends and family.  Bring people who are unsure about the viability of urban hens.  Bring people who want to laugh.  Bring everyone you can!

See you there!

Nathan Voris moved from the vice chair (in the Board of Health) to the chair’s position when David Sohl’s term was not renewed in August.  This seems to have affected the BOH’s ability to come to a consensus on the urban hen proposal. 

So it looks like it won’t be long now before we go before the city council.  Maybe as soon as November!  On that note, please continue to promote a dialogue in the city and with your council person!!!!  We need to educate people on the viability and positive outcomes of urban hens in Columbia.

This is a great little news blurb out of a huge city in CA (lots bigger than Columbia)!

This is a neat article on urban farming.

Eglu’s are VERY expensive.  Chicken coops can be made with found materials for $0.  Columbia has an abundance of free wooden pallets that make great walls for compost bins, chicken coops, and green houses to name a few.

Next Page »