Note: This information was sent to us by local member, Julia Serra.
Last year the Eugene Chapter WAPF worked with a farmer in Creswell to raise soy free pastured poultry for some local members. Each person committed to buying a certain amount of broilers. We figured out each persons cost of feed and also paid the farmer a fee per bird for raising and butchering. We are interested in doing this again. I am inquiring with a couple of people who have acreage about setting up some tractors and using their land. We would need to pay for their time, the feed, and cost of each bird again. This will make it at least $9. extra per bird outside of feed costs. I also would like to use a non hybridized breed or at least not Cornish X because they gain so rapidly, etc. I would prefer to not raise birds that may be suffering. I am looking into Freedom Rangers, a hybrid, but they don’t appear to suffer like the Cornish X and also the usual heritage meat birds. This would be the most costly route as we would need to pay for the feed, the processing and raising.
The other option would be to raise some birds in our own backyards, everyone feeds them as they want to, and we rent equipment – scalder, plucker, cone set up, etc. and share the rental cost = processing party. If there are people in the group who are willing and have knowledge to do the processing please speak up because there are many of us interested in raising the birds but are not ready to jump into the butchering yet nor do we even have experience to do so. I would like to organize a group of people that can raise broilers for theirselves, maybe some have room to raise for others, people that are willing to do the processing, etc. If you are at all interested in participating in this email me. This would be the chepaest way to raise our own pastured poultry. I realize many people have small backyards but if true pastured poultry or organic from the store is out of your budget then this is the next best option. Raising them semi contained in your backyard on mostly feed vs. acreages of fresh forage is still better than factory farmed chicken.
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.
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!
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.
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:
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