Backyard hens bring joy, food to the table

Brooke Hutton doesn't look like much of an outlaw.

At first glance, the back of her home in northeast London isn't all that different than any backyard in London.

But step past the rabbit that is chewing on grass and the beans starting to grow in the raised garden, and you encounter Hutton's little secret hens.

Backyard chickens are illegal in London. But that hasn't stopped Hutton from keeping several for the last five or six years.

They're clean, easy to take care of and give her high-protein eggs for breakfast.

"They're quite happy. You can just tell they're quite happy in their little life. And it makes (me) happy, when (I) see how other chickens are raised, that these chickens have quite a happy existence, and then they give me eggs," Hutton said.

Residents have input on urban agriculture

Backyard chickens became a touchy subject in London,when looking into the possibility of allowing them was dismissed as a silly idea by former Mayor Joe Fontana.

The city has since began developing an urban agriculture strategy, with input from residents, and the issue has come back onto the public agenda.

Urban agriculture means growing, processing, sharing and distributing food whether berries or beans or chickens within the city.

Hutton said she knows she's breaking current rules, but she believes in the cause.

"Sometimes, it's okay to break rules when it's something to believe in," Hutton said. "I believe in it because it's giving (the chickens) and also me and my family a better lifebecause of the food, but also because of the education of raising your own food and having these relationships with these animals. It's a way of creating a lifestyle in your own backyard."

The city is looking at the possibility of starting a Backyard Hen Pilot Project, which would see a small amount of people allowed the birds.

Urban livestock also includes bees, qual, fish and ducks.

Gardening bears fruit and vegetables

For Pam Reid, a single mom who owns a home in east London, herbackyard is an oasis.

Her gardening hobby bears so much fruit and vegetables and herbs that she'd love to sell some to local farmers markets or in her front yard.

"I'm really good at growing parsley. Every week I could grow parsley and take it to the farmer's market and sell it to someone there, or to a restaurant," Reid said. "I could sell flowers or herbs but it's illegal to earn money off the stuff you sell. It would be nice to make a couple extra dollars in pocket money to pay for my gardening hobby."

That possibility is also on the radar of the urban agriculture strategy development team, lead by Evergreen consultants from Toronto.

They've held several meetings to come up with a draft policy and will likely be taking the final version to council in the fall.

TIMELINE

• The draft strategy finished. Find it on the Urban Agriculture Strategy website
• July 17: The police is presented to the planning and environment committee
• July and August: Strategy available for public comment and community response
• Fall: Final urban ag strategy voted on by city council