Are you a Locovore?

By Mickey Zeldes  March 11, 2010

Becoming a locovore is an up and coming trend where one tries to eat foods locally raised and grown. President and Mrs. Obama have encouraged this trend by opening a garden at the White House to raise some food items. For many, it goes beyond fruits and vegetables though, and includes housing a few chickens or even a goat or sheep or two. Rules on owning livestock vary from city to city based on zoning ordinances. You certainly wouldn’t want a cow living in a mobile home park!

It’s an idealized vision, walking out to your garden to pick some fresh basil, berries and oranges, then gathering a few fresh eggs and whipping up a sumptuous breakfast. What could be easier, healthier, fresher, cheaper and more rewarding than being this close to your food source? If you’re a typical city/suburban raised person, you have no idea what goes on behind the scenes to raise food crops. It is indeed a romantic vision we are being sold.

What you don’t see is the expense that goes into fertilizers, composting, weed control, and soil enhancements, not to mention water. No one fully explains the amount of time spent preparing the soil, tending to the weeds, harvesting your crop, etc.

This is even more so when you throw livestock into the formula. What about waste disposals or predator control? Chickens draw raccoons, owls, badgers, coyotes and other predators - which means they need a secure area (from underneath and above as well as sides) and have to be locked inside at night. They carry lice and mites, attract flies, and although they don’t fly, they can flutter out of yards. They can also be noisy and poop everywhere.

Imagine if everyone in your neighborhood decided to start keeping a chicken or two. Few people realize the lifespan of a well-kept chicken can be as much as 12 years - which is quite a commitment.

Any animal that suddenly gets popular also quickly gets unpopular as reality sets in and the romantic vision starts to fade. This is when animal shelters become flooded with last season’s “must haves.” Whether it’s Chihuahuas (the current overdone fad), designer breeds (what is a shmaltzipoo anyway besides a mixed breed?), or chickens (the coming trend) it is sure to impact animal control and shelters everywhere. And this is a real concern we have.

Right now chickens are not permitted in Rohnert Park and very few reside in the city limits of Cotati. If that changes, we will have to change to cope. The shelter does not currently have a barn or livestock facilities. The occasional chicken that crossed our door (usually just one or two a year) sit in a large cat cage until the legal holding time is up and they can go to a farm rescue. Better facilities would certainly be needed if we started having chickens as regular guests.

This concern is coming up now as there is talk of allowing some livestock in the new Sonoma Mountain Village Planned Development. We would ask our City Council to consider the impact such a decision would have on City Services at a time when there is less money in the budget to enhance our program. We love the idea of being locovores, but let’s stick to the fruits and veggies, at least for now.

Events: Meet the Bunny, Saturday, March 13, 1-5:30 p.m. Meet our adoptable rabbits and have your rabbit care questions answered by our knowledgeable volunteers. Bring your bunny for a free nail trim and shop in our Bunny Boutique (hay, toys, wood and cardboard boxes and more) and support our small animal program.