It’s time to bring the farm to the city

The City of Gatineau just announced it would allow people to have egg-producing hens in their backyards. I say cock-a-doodle-doo, can we do it too?

We are overdue for micro-farming, and I don’t just mean peas and carrots. It’s time to have real animals in our midst. It is one of the best ways we have to make city life less artificial, allow children to grow up close to nature, enjoy fresh, local foodstuffs and decrease our environmental footprint. For the price of ... not much.

But allowing bee hives and chickens in the backyard? Yes! I’d go even further, and plop down goats on public lands such as highway exits or Hydro right-of-ways so they can munch the grass instead of us having to pay people to mow it with diesel tractors.

I’ve seen enough of the U.K., Ireland, France and a tiny bit of Amsterdam to know what a great idea it is to have ruminants take care of such landscaping for humans. In many places cows are allowed, too, not far at all from the road. Yes, there are fences, no doubt to reassure drivers since cows aren’t especially noted for being suicidal. They stay very nicely where the juicy grass is.

Perhaps you’re not ready for this. But micro-farming? Heck, yes. It’s a great way to increase the supply of inexpensive healthy food, especially in economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods. You know how some were complaining last week that the new Canada food guide was unaffordable for too many people? Hello, solution.

Community gardens have other benefits, too. Academics who’ve studied these things say it improves social cohesion and community ties, can increase property values and even reduce crime. Me, I especially like the fact that bringing dirt, bugs, small animals and real food to the city creates a genuine connection to nature for many people who grow up without it. Eggs don’t come from Walmart. They come from the rear end of a chicken. You’re welcome and bon appétit.

Gatineau’s example is one Ottawa should follow. Of course there are conditions: you need to have a big enough backyard and not keep more than a handful of chickens. Your egg or honey production must be for personal consumption, not resale.

You also can’t keep roosters, which kind of ruins my opening paragraph. But on the plus side, nobody need worry about an unduly early start to their day. I’d just add one more condition: “And please don’t be a jerk.” That means clean up so your coop doesn’t stink and don’t let your animals wander all over your neighbour’s yard. It drives her dog bonkers.

True, some people may abuse the privilege. Like the guy who doesn’t pick up after his dog in your flower bed. There are always a few bozos trying to ruin good things for the rest of us. We shouldn’t let them.

Think recycling. We’ve had bins of various colours in this town since the late 1980s (paper recycling goes back much further than that). We’re used to this, right? Plastic in the blue, paper in the black, food in the green, trash in the bag; it’s not that hard.

And yet. According to Waste Watch Ottawa, one-quarter of us don’t bother doing it. At all.

I think they live in my building, too. Which is very nice, by the way. You’d think people here would care enough about their surroundings not to dump improperly bagged cat litter in the blue bin, but you’d think wrong. People routinely throw recyclables in the trash and vice-versa. It’s mind-boggling. Smelly, too.

There are signs everywhere, complete with detailed instructions in two languages accompanied by clear colourful graphics reminding us how to do it. Also decades of experience. Some people still dump everything, unsorted, in the wrong place.

We don’t give up on recycling because of them. So yes, if we allow people to have hens in their yard, some fool somewhere will make a mess of it. We should still do it.