Perhaps "foodie" culture can be cited as the catalyst, or all the neat little eco-contraptions that have made the Farmers Market a hot Sunday destination, but farming is waaaaaay "in", and apparently here to stay! What is the latest evolution of the organic food movement? The urban backyard farmer, and San Francisco has been kicking this off in full splendor!
Urban farming has been growing in popularity, with contingent supporters spanning from just outside the city limits to residents of row housing in Bernal Heights and the likes of the city's many high-density areas. Many of these yards are little more than the size of a shoe box! Organizations such as Urban Alliance for Sustainability promote the Bay Area farmers and offer supportive workshops on urban chicken farming and other helpful information. Backyard farms, although once thought of as a simple raised bed garden of beefsteak tomatoes, has grown to include small animals as well. Chickens are raised primarily for eggs and sometimes meat, while bees produce honey and soap. Artisans thrive on making their own organic soaps free from chemicals and perfumed additives. Goats and rabbits are not only cute, but create fertilizer and eat garbage waste.
How legal is farming in the San Francisco area? The laws are less stringent than you might think, limiting the number of pets to four, with three of any one type permissible. The health code states that donkeys, mules, cows, and goats require a permit, while pot-bellied pigs and pygmy goats fall under the heading of pets. Although many believe otherwise, roosters are completely legal save for those causing extreme noise disturbances.
Many city dwellers feel that a chicken clucking in the middle of the urban sprawl is a breath of fresh air, and that the joy goes far beyond the freshest eggs one can possibly find. Chickens eat weeds, bugs, and other assorted matter and maintain a hearty lifestyle. For those who like the idea of the urban farm, but have yet to take the ultimate plunge into daily toil, San Francisco business, MyFarm will plant and care for organic vegetable gardens in residents' yards, sharing the harvest among the group of homeowners it maintains. San Francisco is spreading the message loud and clear: live off the land, no matter how small your piece is!