Reshaping our food system one “cluck” at a time

July 22, 2011
by Jacqueline O’Brien

What could be better than eggs produced by cage-free, organic, free-range hens?  How about eggs from cage-free, organic, free-range hens that you and your kids picked from nesting boxes early in the morning, after feeding the hens, giving them some up-close TLC, and refilling their water feeder?

Whether these hens are being cared for by one family, or a dozen members of a “Coop Co-op,” such as the Heritage Egg Coop at John Jay Homestead in Katonah, the benefits for the chickens and the children are plentiful.  These days, lots of people care for a small flock of chickens on their property.  The hens eat ticks and other bugs, fertilize the grass and lay nutritious eggs.  Owners move the hens to new grazing ground periodically, and can have valuable chicken manure (the same type farmers buy in bulk) nourishing their yards, effortlessly!

Farm to Fork

This past week, campers from the Mt. Kisco Boys & Girls Club traveled to the John Jay Homestead Heritage Chicken Coop, and visited with the hens.  They were introduced to the concept of food systems.

I challenged them to tell me about the food system that produced their breakfast food that morning.  We discussed the energy resources required for harvesting the eggs they may have had at home that morning:  once laid, the eggs were likely transported to a processing plant; equipment and materials were required to clean and package the eggs, refrigerate them for storage or transport them to a local or distant distribution center; and then on to a supermarket; and eventually off the refrigerated display shelf and into their refrigerator at home.  Kids can easily add up the energy resources used in this food system.

The kids also recognized that the egg laid a few moments ago would pack more nutrition than the one that has sat, perhaps for three weeks, in a distribution warehouse under high refrigeration.  Today’s youth are eager to reduce, reuse and recycle. When we give them evidence of Farm to Fork practices that are feeding families, and show them these alternatives are operational,  then they truly must feel encouraged to participate in making a difference.  Is there any better way to give evidence that change is possible than by holding an egg laid moments ago by a hen you are caring for?

InterGenerate, working to create environmental and social sustainability

The John Jay Homestead Heritage Egg Co-op is an experimental initiative supported by InterGenerate.  As stated on their website, InterGenerate is a volunteer organization “working to create environmental and social sustainability around shared concerns for food security.  InterGenerate reaches across traditional social boundaries to bring people together to grow our food locally, sharing the work while deepening ties to each other.”

We choose our food systems, knowingly or unknowingly, each time we reach for food.  Farm to Fork can be a ten-step or two-step process.

“Green My Town” stamp of approval

Many Westchester towns have been awarded the “Green My Town” stamp of approval, which acknowledges a town’s efforts towards sustainable community choices and eco-friendly municipality practices.  New Castle received this award, and so have many other towns in the area.  Recently, the United States Department of Education announced the “Green Ribbon Schools” award program, which will recognize schools that teach students how to create a sustainable future.  Teaching students about sustainable food systems is a necessary component for a sustainable future.  An understanding of “Farm to Fork” agriculture is critical if future consumers are going to know the food system footprint difference between organic lettuce flown in from California and organic produce delivered from a farm in Columbia County. 

So what does all this have to do with chickens?  Caring for your own hens nourishes you, your family, your land and the larger environment, by putting a low-carbon footprint food on your table.  If you own land, this could be a viable option for you.  If you live in Pleasantville, you need three acres of land to legally own a chicken coop.  New Castle requires ten acres to house chickens.  Many towns have no requirements for acreage.

Given the growing prevalence of families who want to raise their own hens and eat more local food, perhaps it’s time for towns to reconsider acreage requirements and support the efforts of their residents who want to make their own contributions to “Green My Town” efforts.

For more information about InterGenerate, visit their website at http://intergenerate.community.officelive.com/aboutus.aspx

Jacqueline O’Brien is a Chappaqua parent, InterGenerate member and Eco-Footprint Program Coordinator for the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF), who loves her farm-fresh eggs.