Urban Livestock

Winter lingers here on Lake Superior's north shore. The sun is brilliant but a cold west wind still dominates. Yesterday was a good day, milder but still the wind held ice. . . The air was sweet. The wind off the Lake, a gentle breeze, and the temperature a balmy -10C. . . A good day for walking, so even a trip to the supermarket for eggs, is enjoyable.

The following article was originally published at the Suite in 1991. It has been updated and revised. There are a number of issues that I am exploring and with the appearance of avian flu in British Columbia, I wanted to revisit the idea of keeping livestock, organically and on a small scale within the urban environment. This is the first in an ongoing series.

I'd rather be able to step out my backdoor, take a few steps and be at my own backyard chicken coop where I could gather my own eggs. They may not be free range, but, they would be organic and small scale.

As a second chocie I'd love to be able to go to a farmer's market more than once a week. The Thunder Bay Country Market is located on the grounds of the Canadian Lakehead Exhibtion. You get to talk with the people who produce your food. Buy excellent cheese, bread, fruits, veggies. In fact, it is a great place to shop. I just want it to be open at least one more day.

There is an effort underway to create a permanent farmers' market here but it has a long way to go and even so I'd still prefer to raise my own livestock within the city limits.

On a global scale, small scale urban farms, which include a variety of livestock are increasing in number and enabling people to improve their control over their own food supply.

Bees provide honey and help pollinate the crops. I've always wanted to keep bees but am looking for a larger backyard before I make the attempt. I'm not sure how well guests and I will relax with an active hive within ten feet of our activities. More on this another day.

If the city permitted it, I'd give some serious consideration to buying a pair of goats for their milk and to make cheese. We could always sell the surplus or better yet trade it with our neighbours. To date, there are a number of rules and regulations that need to be thought about so goats are out for now. (Update, Thunder Bay bylaws, allow goats and chickens, if the land is zoned for personal farming or for agriculture.

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