Dear editor:

On Monday, April 4 Nelson city council will be voting whether to dedicate more staff time to the issue of urban poultry in Nelson. As the owner and operator of an urban farm and as someone concerned about this community’s long-term food security, I strongly feel that the city must give this issue some very serious consideration.

Backyard chickening is an increasingly widespread moment in North America. I believe its main driving force is people’s desire to have a meaningful connection with their food; to know that the food they consume is produced responsibly, ethically and ecologically, and without having to travel a great distance. For many, there is also nothing more rewarding than growing one’s own food.

I grow food for myself and for this community because I strongly believe the West Kootenay needs to strengthen its local food economy. Nelson and its surroundings still have a long way to go in developing a sustainable local food supply and time is running short. Rising energy costs that show no signs of abatement and the looming threat of climate change due to fossil fuel emissions are but two of the reasons we must rethink our dependence on a long-distance transportation network for our food. We need to relocalize production to develop a resilient food supply, and this is what progressive communities worldwide are embracing.

A significant way that municipalities are helping to relocalize production is by endorsing urban poultry. Not only do chickens produce a valuable source of nutrition in the form of eggs – a food with a nutritional profile unmatched by any garden produce – but also a byproduct that has another invaluable use in food production: manure.

In my experience of growing vegetables and fruit in various Nelson backyards I have found that the one factor affecting my yields above all else is not the amount of sunshine or rainfall, but the health and vitality of the soil, and nothing enhances soil better than the addition of composted manure. It is incredible the amount of food one can grow in a small Nelson backyard garden when the soil is amended with manure. Just ask any of Nelson’s expert Italian gardeners, and witness the results.

Gardeners with access to their own source of manure can have more productive gardens, support holistic no-waste gardening practices and foster healthier backyard soils. Allowing backyard chickens will only add to Nelson’s charm by enriching its gardens as well as its reputation as a city that promotes sustainability and post-carbon preparedness.

The backyard chicken movement gains ground day by day; effective systems of support have been put in place in cities as large as Vancouver, Victoria, Portland, Seattle and Spokane – to name but a few. Closer to home, Kaslo allows backyard chickens, except for roosters (a common provision seen in other municipalities). These communities have developed appropriate guidelines that ensure that chickens pose no disturbance to neighbours. Let’s find out what set of rules works for us.

Let’s empower our community to feed itself in the future by allowing chickens within city limits.

Paul Hoepfner-Homme, Nelson

Paul Hoepfner-Homme is the farm manager of Nelson Urban Acres.