Urban farming a growing trend Taking fresh and local to a whole new level

By ANDREA GOODELL Jun 19, 2010

(The Holland Sentinel)-If you want something done right, do it yourself.

Increasingly, people are taking that old adage to heart and raising their own chickens, goats or bees — right in their own backyards.

Matt and Nicki Shipley had six brown chickens at their Zeeland home until the city told them the poultry had to go.

When she went to the neighbors to tell them about the family’s chickens to make sure the brood didn’t get too noisy or smelly, Nicki Shipley didn’t think anything of it.

The family soon learned their new hobby was illegal.

“This is 100 percent our fault ... but we did not hear back from our neighbors on either side, so I thought we were golden,” she said.

Since then, people have called, e-mailed and showed up at the Shipley’s doorstep in support of their backyard chickens. A few have confessed to their own illegal broods.

“I’ve refused to take names because I’m not going to be caught in someone else’s battle,” Nicki Shipley said.

She doesn’t see the size difference between a chicken or a rabbit, which is allowed.

The city is reconsidering its ordinance that bars any animals not considered household pets.

The Zeeland City Council referred the issue to the Planning Commission, which decided to conduct a public hearing at 6:15 p.m. July 8 at Zeeland City Hall, 14 S. Church St. The earliest the law could be changed would be September.

“I figure this is becoming so popular. If this doesn’t happen now, it may happen in the future,” Nicki Shipley said. “With the amount of cities that are dealing with this situation, I think it’s only a matter of time.”

Several Michigan cities such as Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo and East Grand Rapids have recently changed their laws to allow backyard chickens and other small farm animals.

A few letters and phone calls have come in, Zeeland Building Administrator Art Grimes said.

“I’ve been surprised at the number that have spoken out against allowing chickens,” he said, but added the count has been close.

Backyard chickens — and even goats or bees — are becoming increasingly popular say those who raise them, sell supplies or manage agriculture at the state.

“A lot of people are doing it to know what’s going into the chickens. They know what they’re feeding them,” said Mike Pasikowski, manager of Piers Feed and Country Store.

"If you don’t have a rooster, you can pretty much do it without anybody knowing.”

The feed store at A-4384 58th St. in Holland, sets up “chick days” several times a year when it special-orders 15 to 20 varieties of baby chicks for its customers.

Last year, Piers sold about 500, Pasikowski said. This year, it was close to 1,000. “There’s been a huge increase in all livestock, even people raising one or two cows, one or two pigs,” Pasikowski said. “It’s not any cheaper, you’re probably going to pay more for your own meat, but you know what’s going into it.”

Most people keep a handful. Some keep turkeys, geese, ducks or pheasants. The store also sells a lot of goat feed.

“If you’ve got a fairly sizable yard, you’ve got a free mower,” Pasikowski said.

Steve Mahoney, a resource analysts with the Michigan Department of Agriculture, has been inundated with calls about whether people have the right to their chickens under the Right to Farm Act.

The act does not supersede any state or federal laws — including the Zoning Enabling Act that gives local governments the right to zone properties for agriculture, residential, commercial and industrial; municipalities may not try to regulate the number of acres required.

The city of Holland hasn’t had any major issues with backyard chickens, City Attorney Andy Mulder said.

He did recall one case — about 10 or 12 years ago — of someone keeping a rooster.

“Of course that wasn’t too popular with the neighbors — especially early in the morning,” Mulder said.

The Community and Neighborhood Services Department receives about one question a month about backyard chickens, the department’s Assistant Director Cindy Osman said.

For the Shipleys, it’s about being self-sufficient.

“People are starting to realize that you have to take your own life into your own hands,” Nicki Shipley said. “It’s really important to be self-sufficient as much as you can.” The family has a peach tree and cherry tree in their yard and their 12-year-old daughter is growing a garden for a church project.