Monday February 1st, the Columbia City Council joined a growing number of cities including Kansas City, St. Louis and Berkley, CA in allowing people to keep a small number of backyard hens. There are many benefits for raising urban hens including a healthy source of eggs, education for kids, food security for families, and a good tool for turning compost into fertilizer for gardens. These types of ordinances focusing on growing your own food are an important tool and can strengthen the local food community in small towns and large cities alike. For more information about the Columbia Urban Hen Ordinance or to learn more about the urban hen ordinances in other cities check out the links below:http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/02/01/city-council-passes-urban-hen-ordinance/
http://columbiaurbanhens.wordpress.com/
http://urbanchickens.org/
