Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Urban Farmer

OBSESSIVES: Urban Farmer - on CHOW.com from CHOW.com on Vimeo.

Not too long ago, I read a book entitled, "Farm City - The Education of an Urban Farmer", by Novella Carpenter. Today, I came across a very interesting video of Novella discussing her urban farming adventures in Oakland, California, as well as scenes from her urban homestead. What I liked about her memoir was that it painted a very realistic picture of just how difficult it is to raise farm animals in the city (let alone in a suburb). I guess that's why we're seeing more and more chickens end up at the local SPCA these days.

It seems interesting to me that 100 years ago, urban farm animals were very much commonplace. Hopefully, more urbanites today will become inspired to grow food on their small plots. A chicken or two would be a welcomed sight too.

10 comments:

  1. I wish I could hear the sound on that but I seem to have lost the sound on my computer :<. I'll have to figure it out.

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  2. I know that when my grandmother grew up in Boston a lot of the street level spaces were horse stalls; I think people often kept other animals in there as well. Really enjoying your blog :)

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  3. I had trouble with this video and could not view it. However, I will say that we as a society have become very much removed from the process of providing food, shelter, and heat for oursleves. I am certain that this is not a good thing on many levels.

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  4. My next door neighbor bought three laying hens one year, but didn't provide them with pen or shelter or laying boxes. It took less than two months for all three to either be killed by cats or cars. It wasn't until the following spring, when I was cleaning up the narrow flower garden at the side of the house, that I found several large, brown chicken eggs. At least one hen had been finding her way to my house. Too bad I didn't know it until too late.

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  5. Thanks for sharing that..I loved it! We are considering raising banty hens this year...hmmm maybe a few goats as well. lol

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  6. Gran, I'm sure your neighbor eventually realized that sububan free range hens were probably not the best idea. That's pretty sad what happened to those hens.

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  7. Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Neat video, thanks for posting it. Emily in So. TX

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  9. I read her book on thanksgiving. It was nice to get some visuals to go along with my mental pictures. I had been thinking about getting chickens before I read the book but it totally inspired to actually take some steps to get them. Our new neighborhood organic Farm Supply Store (man I love Portland) has goats and this video totally made me want them.. one step at a time I guess.
    Thanks for posting it.

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  10. Very interesting video, Thomas...thanks for sharing it! (I had to go to her site to be able to see it.) It's amazing what she was able to accomplish in a neighborhood many consider a wasteland. I did cringe big time at the pictures of animals being killed and butchered. The method they were using for the rabbits and turkeys looked inhumane to put it mildly. But i certainly agree with what she said up front...if most people had to kill their own meat, they'd become vegetarians!

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