March 14th: Support Eugene Urban Goats

Note: This was sent to us by one of our local Eugene Chapter members, Julia Serra.

Please support Eugene Urban Goats:

We are a group of folks who want to legally have goats on average-sized city
lots in Eugene — just like we could if we lived in Seattle or Portland. We
request that the city of Eugene change, or freeze enforcement of, the ordinance
that requires 20,000 square feet of space to own a goat.

We need you to support us at the Eugene City Council meeting on March 14th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a link to the City of Eugene’s “Food Security Resource Plan”: http://tinyurl.com/4pf9ksv

Mary Wood – Professor of Law at U of O (land rights use) and advocate for micro farming in the city has wrote what is called “The White Papers” it begins on page 29.  I encourage anyone interested in Micro Farming in the city to read it.  The City is already perking up their ears in anticipation of possibly allowing this to become the standard….. but a few yrs from now. We are trying to rally support, petitions, etc. to get them to declare a moratorium/freeze enforcement on the current policy/ban until they fully develop and implement their Food Security Plan, which will make it all legal in practice and on paper in a FEW YEARS when the budget allows for cost of changing the existing laws.  Instead of having to wait a until then we are seeking a moratorium on the existing law much like they recently did with hens in the city.

This is an awesome opportunity for those of us in the city who want to produce our own raw milk, pastured food, etc. Whether you personally want to micro farm or not if you live in the greater Eugene area and think it would be great for those of us who want to be allowed to we would love to have your support at the planning meetings, at City Council meetings, or by writing your District Rep.  A letter writing campaign would be awesome! Let them know you think it is a great idea and would have no problems with your neighbors being allowed to have mini goats, basically letters encouraging them to vote in our favor.  Letters from people who do not personally want goats but don’t care will be especially helpful!

Here is a link so you can contact the Rep. of your district/ward:
http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt?space=CommunityPage&control=SetCommunity&CommunityID=267&PageID=0

If you can’t attend meetings but want to help Eugene Urban Goats we can email you a petition to print and you can collect signatures for us from your neighbors, friends, family.

Email Eugene Urban Goats : eugeneurbangoats@gmail.com

Also check us out on Facebook. “Like” us and share the page with your Facebook friends to help spread the word and gain support for self sufficiency in the city:

Eugene Urban Goats
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002061859722&sk=wall

Thank you for your time!
Julia Serra, on behalf of Eugene Urban Goats

2 comments to March 14th: Support Eugene Urban Goats

  • Julia

    Eugene City Council meeting was a success. I do not see any reason after mondays meeting this not going through. We already had 1 board member on board prior tot his meeting as people from his district, the ones who started organizing this thing already had him on board. By the time we left we
    had at least 5 members openly say they were on board, they will be holding a
    work session and will one way or another come to some conclusion about how to let city of Eugene residents get possibly 2-3 goats.

    Mary Woods who wrote the White Paper that outlines micro farming/urban
    homesteading in the City of Eugene’s Food Security plan spoke again. Also
    Cheryl Smith author of Raising Goats For Dummies and a second book on health care for goats was there as well.

    We had 20 of us in all, with 3 minutes each to talk, trying to persuade them to
    allow it. I think they were already persuaded really. I had not gone to a City Council meeting before, much less spoke at one. It was actually pretty neat to be there and see it in action. I do believe before this birthing season ends we will see the ban frozen and Eugenians will be able to keep backyard goats.

    I spent Monday prior to meeting canvasing my neighborhood knocking on doors, getting signatures for the petitions. Talking to pretty much all of my neighbors on my own street and the one behind me, telling them what we were up to. Almost everyone was not only supportive but enthusiastic about it. It was pretty encouraging.

    Many people had no idea that it would even be illegal to begin with, others
    thought ‘wow i can bring my goats home’ as they are boarding them out of the city, some said they would never want one but felt they did not have the right to tell those of us who do “NO” when it is our property. It was a great experience i
    fully enjoyed being part of making a change like this, paving the path for us to
    have food freedoms in the city limits :).

    Anyhow just wanted to share!
    Julia