Building Community Against the Odds

My neighbor, Jo, who just turned 8, met our hens yesterday and informed me that he would come the next day to see the eggs (the hens have been laying their eggs between 8 and 9am consistently). Sure enough, Jo appeared this morning, apologizing for being early. There were no eggs at first so he helped me water my garden, check the temperature of my compost (110 degrees), and take apart our coop prototype. He was amazed at how hot the first egg was and I told him he should take it home, break it onto a plate along with a store bought egg and compare the color of yolks, then eat them, of course. Jo is very inquisitive, helpful and caring and I am glad to have him around.

It has been a pleasure to get to know our neighbors since we moved here 2yrs ago. Whenever I am out in the yard gardening, neighbors passing by stop and talk to me and sometimes come into the yard. I give them flowers or produce from my yard and they usually return the favor. I can spend more than an hour each day conversing with neighbors, which means I get less work done. It is a slower, rewarding pace of life. My plants, dishes and laundry...etc., will forgive me if I don't get to them right away. That is how you build community - exchanging kindnesses, food, advice, a smile and a wave, time sacrifice, and "would you like to see my chickens?". The nay-sayers against the Urban Hen movement argue that chickens in the city will threaten our community, pitting neighbor against neighbor. Well, you know what I have to say about that.